The Flick: Shakespeare in Love (1998)

Oscar Nods: Winner of seven Oscars, including Best Picture

The Setting: England

This Sceptred Isle: John Madden's history flick imagined a hunky but writer's-blocked Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) getting his groove back after a fling with a noble lady (Gwyneth Paltrow) who inspires him to write Romeo and Juliet. The film was shot entirely in England, with many scenes—including the dance where Fiennes's and Paltrow's characters first meet—at Broughton Castle, a 14th-century manor house in Oxfordshire. About a 90-minute drive from London, it's periodically open to the public in warmer months. Call ahead, or just get in touch with Fiennes himself: He's related to the noble family that still owns the place. A few scenes were shot at Eton College, where Princes Harry and William were educated (and perhaps where Gwyneth got the idea that English people are smarter than Americans). The theater scenes were filmed in a studio, but you can catch a show at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London, an exact replica of the theater where the Bard debuted his most famous works. And, of course, Shakespeare's tranquil birthtown of Stratford-upon-Avon is now home to the Royal Shakespeare Company, whose 1,000-seat Courtyard Theatre opened last summer; the company is wrapping up its yearlong Complete Works Festival, performing all the plays and poems Shakespeare ever wrote. That should keep Gwyneth busy.

Broughton Castle
Tel: 44 1295 276070

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
Tel: 44 2079 021400

Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Tel: 44 1789 204016

Royal Shakespeare Company
Tel: 44 1789 403444