10 Things I Hate About You **** (1999, Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt) – Classic Movie Review 625

The 18-year-old Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Cameron James, a new student at Padua High, who soon spots Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik), a beautiful sophomore with one problem: her dad (Larry Miller) won’t allow her to date. The ban also includes her shrew of a sister, Katarina, aka Kat (Julia Stiles), a conformity-hating senior who loves indie rock and feminist prose.

But the girls’ father alters his house rule: Bianca can date as long as Kat has a date too. So, if Cameron can date Bianca, he has to find someone to date Kat. So his best buddy Michael (David Krumholtz) helps him enlist the help of model boy Joey Donner (Andrew Keegan), tricking him into thinking that he will get to take Bianca out if he pays someone to take out Kat. His choice is Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger), a bad boy with a mysterious reputation.

There’s not a lot to it, but the sweet cast make this 1999 contrived American high-school teen romcom, loosely adapted from William Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew, work infectiously well and seem fresh. Ledger and Stiles make a cute and appealing couple and Ledger’s rendition of Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You is a highlight. Allison Janney especially amuses as the quirky guidance counselor Ms Perky.

Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith write the lively, likeable screenplay, though the movie omits to credit Shakespeare, and TV regular Gil Yunger directs briskly in his feature film breakthrough.

(C) Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Film Review 625 derekwinnert.com