Is This Maybe The Best Teen Rom-Com Ever?

Rating: 9/10 (9 April 2017)

(Right off the bat, I'm reviewing this film as a stand-alone movie without any connection to Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew", which supposedly the film is based on. I've never read that particular play, but looking through the plot synopsis it bares only a passing resemblance to this flick...at least in my opinion. As such, I'll be reviewing based solely on the viewing experience.)
Though perhaps not my favorite genre of film, I can usually get into a teen romantic comedy/drama as long as it is done right. Despite being pretty much prime age (15) for this one when it first come out (1999), for some reason I had not (until now) seen the whole thing straight through. What I discovered after finally crossing it off my watch list is that "10 Things I Hate About You" is one of the most engaging, witty, emotional, and all-around best teen movies I have ever seen.
The plot of the movie can be a bit cumbersome to explain, but here are the basics: Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) is the prettiest, most desired girl in high school. This certainly does not escape the eyes of new kid Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who desperately wants to take her out. The problem? Due to a very strict father (Larry Miller), Bianca is not allowed to date until sister Katarina (Julia Stiles) does, and Kat has no interest in high school culture (thus dating) whatsoever. As such, Cameron--with the help of pretty boy Joey (Andrew Keegan)--enlists the help of school bad boy Patrick (Heath Ledger) to woo Kat so he can have a shot at Bianca.
"10 Things" has a special energy to it that never wanes from beginning to end. It also expertly combines the stereotypical language/activities one is used to seeing in a teen movie (at least one from the late 90s!) while at the same time turning them on their head (usually via Kat's snarky remarks). Basically, it is the perfect combination of "fun" and "deep" (in that special way that only high school can be "deep").
Only helping matters, of course, is the incredible cast. I mean, just look at the above names! At the time most of these actors were relative unknowns, so that fact that most of them are established or legendary in the business today is quite an accomplishment.
About the only "ding" I give this movie is one area where it is a bit transparent: In the early goings, the film expects audiences to believe that: A. Stiles' character could never get a date; & B. Ledger's character is a true "bad boy". Neither of these things really work because Stiles is probably the most beautiful woman in the movie and Ledger is too handsome to really pull of "mysterious". Fortunately, the film doesn't require a total buy-in on this point (almost as if the filmmakers realized it themselves and didn't hit those characterizations so hard as the film went on), but for a while it is a bit ridiculous.
Overall, though, I was incredibly impressed by "10 Things I Hate About You" and actually kind of mad at myself for missing out on its greatness for so long! I have a relatively high "BS meter" when it comes to movies like this, but "10 Things" captured my interest from the get-go and never saw me wane. Perhaps this sounds a bit clichéd, but what "The Breakfast Club" is for 80s teens is similar to what "10 Things" accomplishes for the subsequent decade. That isn't a statement I make lightly, either.