Shakespeare in Love (1998)
A young Shakespeare falls in love while writing the play.
The play came from somewhere; imagine where, and make the making of it into its own love story.
You want a romantic comedy that knows this play by heart.
What it keeps and what it changes
Keeps: the play, as the thing being written: Shakespeare’s comedy “Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate’s Daughter” turns into it.
Changes: whose story it is. This is Will Shakespeare’s romance with Viola de Lesseps, and it is the romance that turns his comedy into a tragedy.
Joseph Fiennes as Will Shakespeare and Gwyneth Paltrow as Viola de Lesseps, with Geoffrey Rush, Tom Wilkinson, Judi Dench and Imelda Staunton.
Whose story is it?
the writer’s. Joseph Fiennes plays Shakespeare and Gwyneth Paltrow plays Viola.
How much time does it ask?
A feature, 2 hours 4 minutes. Directed by John Madden. Rated R.
Joseph Fiennes, Gwyneth Paltrow, Geoffrey Rush, Tom Wilkinson, Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton.
Where to find it
Other ways to get it: Find where it’s streaming — JustWatch
More ways into Verona: Romeo and Juliet (George Cukor, 1936) · Romeo and Juliet (Franco Zeffirelli, 1968) · William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet (1996)