10 Things I Hate About You Review

I don't know what draws me into 10 Things I Hate About You, but for some reason I must watch it every time it's on. 

The Simple Plot
Cameron is starting at a new school where he instantly is attracted to Bianca.  Problem #1, Bianca is too cool for him.  Problem #2, Bianca isn't allowed to date UNLESS her sister Kat dates.  Problem #3, Kat hates all men.  You see the dilemma here?  Apparently this is based on Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew", but I have never read that.

Cameron sets out on a plot to get Bianca to date him which involves a slacker, Patrick, and a pretty-boy, Joey.  I'm not gonna tell you anymore!  You really have to see it for yourself or else I'd be ruining it for you.

10 Things I Hate About You stars...
Heath Ledger (how we will miss him!) as the slacker, Patrick. 
Julia Stiles as the man-hater, Kat.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the new guy, Cameron.
Larisa Oleynik as the cool girl, Bianca.
Andrew Keegan plays the cool guy, Joey.
David Krumholts plays the AV geek who tries to help Cameron.

You probably recognize a lot of those names so you can see there are quite a few good teen stars in this film.  I felt all the characters fit their parts perfectly and made for a fun and well rounded cast.  There are others thrown in the mix that add to the plot and the fun of the story.  Everyone is assigned a very stereotypical type of charcter in this movie - the geek, the cool dude, the feminist, the slacker, etc - but that's part of why I like it!

This is a cute story with some drama and some laughs
This is so obviously one of those Teen movies, but i love it anyway.  The first time I saw it in 1999 I was a teen, so maybe that's why I still like it to this day.  The story does have the teen drama, of course, involving relationships, growing up, and being yourself.  But it also does have some humor.  For example, each of the teachers have their own unique quirk that makes you laugh.  One of them is in the middle of writing an adult novel, and all of them have something going on.

The story also has lots of great lessons about siblings, relationships, love, and high school!  Parents may also learn a thing or two about letting go and trusting their kids.  The lessons are not the reason I watch, but it does give you a good reason to let your teens watch!  Instead, I watch because I find it to be endearing.  I like seeing Cameron try his plot to get the girl, and the fact that he believes she is more than just a dumb blond even before he gets to know her. 

Overall this is a cute story about love in high school.  That's what it all boils down to.  Each and every character in this movie is looking for love, whether they admit it or not!  With a PG-13 rating, and many many airings on TV, 10 Things I Hate About You is a fun movie for teens and adults.  Enjoy!!