Plot Summary Sunny, popular Bianca, played by Larisa Oleynik, could not be more different from her rebellious, cynical older sister Kat, played by Julia Stiles, and they war constantly over every issue imaginable. The main bone of contention comes into play with their strict father's policy that Bianca cannot date until Kat starts dating - and Kat, repelled by the boys at her high school, has no interest in this at all. Enter Bianca's tutor Cameron, played by Joseph Gordon Levitt, who forms an instant crush on Bianca despite the fact that she is hung up on another, more popular boy. Bianca tells him about her father's dating policy and Cameron hatches a plan in which he teams up with Bianca's crush and together they pay the outcast Patrick to woo hard-as-nails Kat. Cameron is sure he can win over Bianca once she is allowed to date. Patrick is immediately rebuffed and then intrigued by Kat's obvious intelligence and darkly sarcastic attitude, similar to his own, and finds he no longer cares about the money. With moments of tenderness, romance, and tons of laughs, this fast-paced adaptation of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew is witty, modern, and well-acted, entertaining from beginning to end.
Critical Analysis
10 Things I Hate About you is one of the many teen romance movies involving a dark horse, unpopular girl and the unlikely guy who wins her over, no doubt, but there is more to this film than fluff and stock characters. Kat, wonderfully portrayed by Julia Stiles, who excels as a deadpan, razor-sharp cynic, is a complicated character that the viewer learns more about as the movie unfolds. There is a past that made her this way, giving her depth and dimension. Heath Ledger's character, Patrick Verona, undergoes this same type of transformation for the viewer once his past is revealed. Both of them revel in their reputations and have no interested in conforming or changing, and the truth is that by the end of the movie they are both basically the same - except in love. Larisa Oleynik as Bianca and Joseph Gordon Levitt as Cameron play more typical characters, the adorable, shallow girl and the hapless, smart boy, but they too are deeper than they appear. Bianca in particular grows up by the end of the movie, having come to terms with the fact that popularity is not the only thing that matters and Kat is more than simply a bad attitude in her way. The supporting cast features many wonderful performances by talented actors including Alison Janney as a blunt high school counselor, Larry Miller as the girls' paranoid father, David Krumholtz as Cameron's witty sidekick, and Andrew Keegan as the vapid object of Bianca's affection. The dialog is quick and sharp, current for teens but not so much as to alienate adult viewers. Well-acted and a very successful adaptation of Shakespeare's classic play Taming of the Shrew, this movie is great to watch many times over.
Information About the Director
Gil Junger, born in New York City, made his directorial debut with 10 Things I Hate About You. He works for Touchstone Pictures and has directed other films, such as Black and If Only. He has also directed many made for television movies, such as My Fake Fiance and, most recently, Teen Spirit. Most of his work has been on television, on a number of shows including Zoe, Duncan, Jack, and Jane, According to Jim, and 8 Simple Rules, among many others. He worked on the television adaptation of 10 Things I Hate About You as well, in 2009.
Annotation
Cynical Kat has no interest in dating, which is a major problem for her popular little sister Bianca, who is not allowed to date until Kat does. Bianca participates in a plan with one of her many crushes to pay someone to woo her hard-edged older sister and free her from her father's strict rule.
Genre
Comedy, Adaptation
Challenge Issues
Possible challenge issues in this movie include profanity, discussion of sex, and underage drinking. In the event of a challenge, I would consult the challenge defense file prepared for this movie. The challenge defense file would include: positive reviews from credible sources for the purpose of proving merit to the challenger; negative reviews in order to inform me on what might be challenged; a written explanation of my own rationale for including the movie in the collection as well as a summary of the plot; the American Library Association Bill of Rights; a review of my branch’s selection policy; and, as a last resort, an explanation of the reconsideration policy for my library and an official reconsideration form.
Curriculum Ties
Shakespeare - modernization and adaptation
Interest Age
Grades 7-12, and beyond.
Why I Included This Movie
This is a great example of a movie for and about teens that is not vapid or typical. There are deeper themes and issues addressed, and it is well-written, well-acted, and successfully adapted from Taming of the Shrew. Young adults will respond to the movie and possibly seek out the play once they realize it was adapted.
References
Gil Junger. (2011). Wikipedia.org. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gil_Junger
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