Shakespeare in Love (1998)

This is a solid movie. Young William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) is trying to establish his reputation after a few unsuccessful plays. He works for The Rose theater which is in financial distress and desperate for a popular performance. The beautiful Lady Viola (Gwyneth Paltrow) is passionate about acting and disguises herself as a boy to audition. Her secret could cause the theater to be shut down. Shakespeare learns of her true identity and falls in love, giving him inspiration for his later plays.

The film was co-written by playwright Tom Stoppard who is the author of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, which expands upon the adventures of two minor characters in Hamlet. The film is largely fictional, but some of the characters are based on real people. The movie won seven Academy Awards. Shakespeare was born in 1564 and married Anne Hathaway in 1582. Her exact birth date is unknown, but she was about 8 years older than him. They had three children together. She gave birth to their first daughter only six months after getting married.