10 Things I Hate About You

Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik) has a problem. Her older sister, Kat (Stiles), is an ill-tempered social disaster. Normally, this wouldn’t cause self-centered Bianca any sleepless nights, but because of a new rule in the Stratford house, Bianca is forbidden to have a boyfriend before Kat does. In desperation, Bianca’s male suitors begin a frantic search to find a date for Kat. After interviewing (and trying to bribe) countless young men — who laugh, cry and scream at the thought of dating the infamous Kat — they finally find their man: an alleged ex-con by the name of Patrick Verona (Ledger). But unforeseen by all the students at Padua High School, Kat and Patrick make a perfectly imperfect couple. His tough-guy-with-charm image is evenly matched by her I-hate-you-get-out-of-my-face attitude. And in the end, Kat realizes that Patrick isn’t just a pessimistic stalker, and Patrick sees that underneath Kat’s tough exterior, she doesn’t hate all of humanity. Does the plot sound familiar? It should; 10 Things I Hate About You is a hip remake of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. The movie includes several promising newcomers, such as Julia Stiles as the “shrew,” and Heath Ledger as her imperfect pursuer. One of the main reasons 10 Things is easier to relate to than other teen movies is that its heroine doesn’t suffer the slings and arrows of an outrageous “make over.” True, Kat eventually manages to refrain from slamming into people’s cars, but primarily, she stays the same, and comes to be accepted for who she is. So, if you’re in the mood for a fun twist on a classic Shakespearean tale, go see 10 Things I Hate About You.