1998 film by John Madden
Shakespeare in Love is a 1998 romantic comedy period film directed by John Madden, and written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard. It stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth, Ben Affleck, and Judi Dench. The film depicts a fictional love affair involving playwright William Shakespeare (Fiennes) and Viola de Lesseps (Paltrow) during the writing of Romeo and Juliet. Several characters are based on historical figures, and many of the characters, lines, and plot devices allude to Shakespeare's plays.
Shakespeare in Love was released on 11 December 1998 in the United States by Miramax Films, and 29 January 1999 in the United Kingdom, by Universal Pictures. The film received acclaim from critics, grossed $289 million against a $25 million budget, and was the ninth-highest-grossing film of 1998. It received numerous accolades, including winning three Golden Globe Awards (including Best Picture and Best Actress for Paltrow), two Screen Actors Guild Awards (Outstanding Cast and Best Actress for Paltrow), and four British Academy Film Awards (including Best Film). It won a leading seven Oscars out of thirteen nominations at the 71st Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actress for Paltrow, Best Supporting Actress for Dench, Best Screenplay, Best Score, Best Art Direction, and Best Costume Design.
Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.