Modern twist on a Classic: 10 Things I Hate About You Review
The classic 1990’s romantic comedy is given a literary twist in 10 Things I Hate About You.
The film is set in a high school and like most typical high school movies, there’s a boy who like a girl who spends most of the movie vying for her affection. A basic plot line; however, the film is different from many within its genre due to its historical inspiration.
When a shy boy named Cameron (Joseph Gordon- Levitt) moves to Padua High, he instantly falls for the beautiful Bianca Strattford (Larissa Olyken). When he finds out that the only way to get her is if her less than desirable sister, Kat, (Julia Stiles) goes on a date, he and his friend come up with a plan to find the one person who is likely to give her the time of day. This task is assigned to a bad boy with a worse reputation, Patrick Verona; portrayed by Australia’s own, Heath Ledger.
Anyone who has read the famous Shakespearean play, The Taming of the Shrew is likely to pick up on similarities between it and the 1990’s film. For example, early on in the film, soon after Cameron sees Bianca for the first time he speaks a quote from the play, “I burn, I pine, I perish”. This quote is seemingly out of place in the context of the film however it is one of many direct links to hint the viewer that it was based off something well before its time.
Some other similarities that are found are the uses of names such as Patrick’s surname Verona. This is where the play originally took place. The surname Strattford is also the surname of the sisters in the original play. This film also directly speaks about Shakespeare and his work within the English classroom and in the corridors of the school. These slightly deeper literary connections add an element of originality to what ultimately is another charming romantic comedy.
Although the movie is well done it is not without its flaws. It is very evident early on who is going to end up with who. There is a standard party scene where someone changes themselves to fit in and there is a prom scene where someone gets upset over something. Also, the character of Bianca Strattford somewhat crosses the line of being the sweet slightly devious princess into being just plain unlikable.
As with many films like it, 10 Things I Hate About You also features a slightly cheesy musical number. However, the cheesiness is outweighed in a positive way by how charming it is. It consists of the bad boy coming out of his comfort zone and professing his desire for ‘the shrew’ by singing ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You‘ to her in front of her classmates. This scene is both sweet and hilarious and potentially the best scene within the great movie.
Despite the slightly predictable story-line and one or two unlikable characters, the movie has its own charm to it due to the connections to one of the most famous plays in history as well as a fantastic cast. Overall, I personally love the movie and I rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
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