Movie Review: 10 Things I Hate about You (1999)

Plot: Adapted from William Shakespeare’s play “The Taming of the Shrew,” 10 Things I Hate About You starts off with Cameron, new student at Padua High, sitting in the office of the quirky guidance counselor Ms. Perky. He is then shown around the school by Michael, who will become his best friend. During his tour is when Cameron first sees Bianca Stratford, a beautiful sophomore with one problem: she isn’t allowed to date. And neither is her “shrew” sister, Katarina, a senior who loves indie rock and feminist prose and hates conformity. But Kat and Bianca’s father alters his house rule: now, Bianca can date… as long as Kat has a date, too. Now, in order for Cameron to date Bianca, he has to find someone to date Kat. So Michael helps him enlist the help of pretty-boy/jerk/model Joey Donner, tricking him into thinking that *he* will get to take Bianca out if he pays someone to take out Kat. His choice: Patrick Verona, a bad-boy with a mysterious reputation–some say he ate a live duck once, others that he lit a state trooper on fire, and even more claim that he had a brief porn career. Will Patrick win Kat’s heart? Will Cameron win Bianca’s? Or will everything hit the fan…?

Rating: 8.5/10

10 things I like about this film

1. The deep philosophies of Bianca Stratford

2. Julia Stiles and her attitude

3. Heath Ledger and his smile

4. This iconic scene

5. Joey’s amazing self confidence

6. Joseph Gordon Levit

7. And this scene – this is every single dad

8. Kat’s sonnet

9. This sneaky little love story

10. And last but not least, let’s not forget the teachers in this film

I am crazy about this film. It isfeel good, it is hilarious, it is a typical teen film. I think I could watch it once a week for the rest of my life and be totally okay with it. It is everything the 90’s rocked at, and just the typical and perfect high school film in my mind. It always hurts just a little bit to see Heath Ledger so young, alive and beautiful. He was such a charming and talented man and his death to this day remains one that consistently hurts significantly. He has such good chemistry with Julia Stiles, who does the defiant and sulky teenager on point. Bianca Stratford and JGL are so sweet together. Joey Donner? I’m not sure WHO would find him attractive, ick. Though the character was hilarious and the perfect villain for this film, you have to marvel at teenage hormones because that is the only explanation I could have for anyone finding him attractive. Mr. Stratford is probably all of parents – determined to keep his teenage daughters unpregnated and he’s not afraid to use his experience as a gynecologist as a tool. This staple chick flick is just that – a staple. I think a lot of men probably love this too, because it isn’t soppy or stupid and has some pretty damn hilarious moments in. Comment below and tell me your thoughts on this!

January 20, 2017January 19, 2017 by Natasha Categories: Movies, Review, Reviews, UncategorizedTags: 10 Things I hate about you, Allison Janney, Andrew Keegan, David Krumholtz, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Julia Stiles, Larisa Oleynik, Larry Miller, movie, Review, Reviews 16 Comments

Movie Review: 10 Things I hate about you

Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a new student at Padua High school. He is befriended by Michael Eckman(David Krumholtz) who shows him around the school. Cameron spots Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik) and her friend Chastity (Gabrielle Union) walking through the school and falls in love. Michael warns Cameron that they are the pretty, popular girls and that Joey Donner (Andrew Keegan), the school hunk, has his eyes on Bianca. Cameron pleads his true love and Michael helps him secure the job of Bianca’s French tutor even though his skills are rudimentary.

Bianca really wants to date Joey Donner. She fights with her father about it but Mr. Stratford (Larry Miller), a gynaecologist refuses to let his teenage daughters get impregnated. After another fight Mr. Stratford says Bianca can date when Kat (Julia Styles), her abrasive sister, does. This seems as likely as world peace because Kat isn’t the world’s most approachable person. Kat openly mocks Bianca for wanting to date Joey because he is such an idiot.

Kat has her own issues. She is still dealing with her mother’s death and her father’s insistence that she attends a university close to home instead of Sara Lawrence where she wants to go.

Cameron wastes no time and asks Bianca on a date. She says she isn’t allowed to date until her sister does. It seems like there is an easy solution – find Kat a date – but even the hardiest of bad asses don’t seem keen on dating Kat. The ever trustworthy sidekick Michael identifies Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) as a candidate. He is as notorious as Kat and not afraid of anything.

Patrick laughs at the suggestion. Michael uses his brilliance and gets Joey Donner, who isn’t the smartest peanut in the packet, to finance their mission. By lying and claiming he wants fame by association, he gives Joey the idea to pay Patrick to date Kat and thus being able to date Bianca. Cameron plans to have wooed Bianca and stolen her heart by that time.

With the monetary compensation, Patrick agrees. He tries to woo Kat but she is very prickly about being wooed. He eventually gets her to attend a party with him and that means Bianca can attend. Bianca’s time is monopolised by Joey and that upsets Cameron because he has been working hard to win her heart. Bianca has a miserable time when Joey shows her his model poses and she is bored out of her mind. She asks Cameron to take her home and he agrees despite still being angry with her. She kisses him and Cameron is very happy about it.

At the party, Kat gets very drunk and dances on a table. Patrick takes care of her and helps her stay awake when she bumps her head. She tries to kiss him but he gently refuses because she is too drunk. This makes Kat withdraw again. To get back in her good graces, Patrick gets the help of the school marching band and he sings a song for her on the pavilion in front of the whole school. He gets detention but Kat forgives him and helps him escape detention in a very unique way. They go to play paintball and they finally kiss there. Patrick asks her to the prom but Kat says no and that leads to a fight. Kat eventually realises she was wrong and meets him there. Joey shows up and asks for Bianca and Mr. Stratford has great pleasure closing the door in his face because Bianca went with Cameron. Joey is furious and takes Chastity to the ball. He hits Cameron which motivates Bianca to break Joey’s nose. Joey spills Patrick’s secret and Kat about being dated so her sister can date.

How will Patrick get Kat to forgive him and take him back? Will Kat be allowed to attend Sara Lawrence?

Rating: 8.5/10

I really love Ten Things about you. It is so much fun. It is funny and entertaining and sweet. I’ve seen it about a thousand times and it never stops being entertaining. It has all the elements needed for a teenager chick flick to be successful: some nerdy guy set on getting the prettiest girl, a douche bag jock intervening with everyone’s happiness and a couple destined to fall in love.

Heath Ledger is so gorgeous in here. He is just so charismatic and beautiful I literally feel the cracks form in my heart. He is the perfect bad boy every girl wants. The “you’re just too good to be true” scene is one of the best scenes ever created in the history of film. That smile just kills me.

I love Kat’s bitchy, abrasive behaviour. I love the ridiculous outfits and hair. It is so 90’s.

Obviously, I just love this movie. Go watch it.

April 14, 2014April 12, 2014 by Natasha Categories: Movies, ReviewsTags: Andrew Keegan, Bianca Stratford, David Krumholtz, Gabrielle Union, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Julia Stiles, Kat Strafford, Larisa Oleynik, Larry Miller, Michael Eckman, Patrick Verona, Ten Things I hate about you 3 Comments