Week 4 (Part 2): The First 30 Minutes of Shakespeare in Love

In part 2 of the Week 4 Holiday Special recap, I want to talk about the first 30 minutes of Shakespeare in Love, which was deemed the most deserving film of the year 1998 by members of the Academy and received the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1998. I have managed to avoid watching this film for my entire life, but now I have to watch it.

In the first 30 minutes of Shakespeare in Love, we are introduced to the main character: it is William Shakespeare played by Joseph Fiennes, and also we meet what I assume (from all of the posters and images associated with this movie) will become his love interest in Gwyneth Goop Paltrow. And some other people. There is some mildly clever dialogue and cute references to Shakespeare plays, and then I die a little bit inside, etc.

The opening scene features Geoffry Rush as a theatre owner whose feet are literally being held to the fire (do you get it?) by Tom Wilkinson's character, who is a creditor or banker or something. Harvey Weinstein is the producer of this film, and so this probably will qualify as the funniest thing in the movie, but I will have to watch the rest of it to find out.

This movie is better than Elizabeth and Saving Private Ryan

Again, this movie won Best Picture in 1998. Having seen films such as Crash and Rain Man, nothing should surprise me, but this one is different because critics seem to like it, too. I had to stop after 30 minutes. After watching the rest of the movie, it will be awarded a score.