Feb 1996

The Truth is Out There

William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

It seemed like a nonstop festival of iambic pentameter this year, what with "Twelfth Night", "Hamlet", and three takes on Richard III available. But "Absolute Ballroom" director Baz Luhrman's reworking of this romantic perennial boldly went where no Shakespeare production had gone before, making thrilling use of surreal Mexican locations, exciting young stars with teen-fan cred, and MTV-style pacing. Young women lined up in droves.
Lesson Learned: Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes are hot. And Hollywood was reminded that, as Francis Ford Coppola's "Dracula" showed, fresh versions of traditional stories are always welcome. There are Great Expectations for Gwyneth Paltrow and Ethan Hawke in fall's updates of the Dickens classic.

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