William Shakespeare is writing Romeo and Juliet and a local girl aims to star in the play and win his heart.

There are some very good performances here, this is a great idea for a film, and it swept the '98 Oscars. But for me, the real charm and enjoyment that comes from this film are the readings from Shakespeare's own works that pepper the Shakespeare In Love script. They lend greatly to the enjoyment of this film, and are almost over relied upon. Ben Affleck's character of a snotty actor serves no purpose in this film except to get "Ben Affleck" in the credits. Still, it all seems to come together in a most enjoyable manner. This film must go recommended.

Academy Awards for Best Actress: Gwyneth Paltrow, Actress-Supporting: Judi Dench, Art Direction, Costume Design, Best Picture, Original Score, Screenplay: Tom Stoppard.

Directed by John Madden.