10 Things I Hate About You by Gil Junger

Junger, Gil (Director). 10 Things I Hate About You. Perfs. Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik. Burbank, CA: Touchstone Pictures, 1999. 97 minutes. $14.99 ISBN 0788817795
Readers Annotation: Two sisters who couldn't be more opposite find love and friendship in high school.
Plot Summary: Bianca is the cute and popular younger sister of Kat, the rebel outcast. Cameron, the new guy in town, falls hard for Bianca and enlists the help of Patrick to take out Kat in order to date Bianca. Needless to say, Pat and Kat have a love/hate relationship while Cameron is just the friend to Bianca, whose eyes are set on Joey. After shelling out lots of money, and a few punches, Bianca realizes who she really loves, and Kat breaks through her tough exterior.
Critical Evaluation: 10 Things I Hate About You is a great modern day high school retelling of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. Bianca, Katherina and Patrick "Verona" are the only names that come directly from Shakespeare. Although it has been a while since I read The Taming of the Shrew, it would seem that it is loosely based on the play. The film will speak to teens though in a way Shakespeare cannot. The high school drama, feelings of being unnoticed, prom, raging hormones, these are the things teenager can identify with. The film doesn't ignore its roots, however. Their English teacher spouts sonnets as if they are raps, and Kat's best friend is obsessed with Shakespeare. Overall, this is a great adaptation of classic literature.
Information about the Author: Julia Stiles went on to star in O, another Shakespeare adaptation, based on Othello. She has also been in several romantic comedies, and also the Bourne trilogy. Heath Ledger, who passed away last year at 28, was in several successful movies including Brokeback Mountain, I'm Not There and Dark Knight. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus comes out later this year.
Genre:
Age Level: PG-13
Curriculum Ties: Great for comparing modern Shakespeare adaptations. Show clips of the movie in reference to parts of the play.
Book talking ideas: Talk to them about Shakespeare and how Shakespeare influences much of modern entertainment.
Challenge Issues: I was 14 when this movie first came out, and as much as I wanted to see it, my parents wouldn't let me. Once I told them it was based on Shakespeare, however, my mom and I ended up watching it together. Now it's one of our favorites. Some of the themes in the movie, like Cameron's friend Michael's obsession with sex, Patrick's comments about beer flavored nipples, and Joey drawing a penis on Michael's face, definitely wouldn't be OK with a lot of parents. Like my parents, maybe if they're informed of what the film is based on, they could change their mind. Although some parents just don't want their children to see films with a lot of sexual references in them.
Why I included it: I included this movie because it has been one of my favorites since I was in my early teens. Even those in their early teens now quote the movie, and it has just been turned into an ABC Family TV show. There can never be too many Shakespeare adaptations.