Irritated whenever you see the name “Shakespeare”? Embarrassed for harboring the minority position that the actual author of the great canon was Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford? No longer. Local screenwriter John Orloff (A Mighty Heart) makes a persuasive case for the argument that the facts of Oxford’s life fit the plays better than those of the obscure man from Stratford-on-Avon. He brings this controversial theory to life against the backdrop of the dramatic war over the succession to the throne that pitted the 2nd Earl of Essex against Queen Elizabeth and the powerful Cecil family. A change of pace for director Roland Emmerich, known for his action spectacles (Independence Day), Anonymous features a glittering array of British actors led by Vanessa Redgrave, Rhys Ifans, David Thewlis, and veteran Shakespearean player Derek Jacobi. John Orloff will present the film and answer questions afterwards.


“This is easily director Roland Emmerich's best film.”—Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter

“Roland Emmerich's meticulously crafted and often well-acted exposé of the "real" William Shakespeare is shocking only in that it is rather good.”—Damon Wise, Guardian (UK)

“Why is Emmerich, destroyer of worlds, elbowing his way into the conversation about Shakespearean authorship? Because the debate is explosive -- and he can't resist packing on more dynamite.”—Amy Nicholson, Boxoffice Magazine