Underrated

Rating: 8/10 (16 July 2007)

"10 Things I Hate About You" (1999) is probably the all-time most ambitious of the teen comedies. Updates of classic literature like this have become relatively common; "Emma" is adapted as "Clueless", "Othello" as "O", "Pygmalion" becomes ''She's All That'', etc. etc. "10 Things I Hate About You" is an adaptation of Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew" (which has also been adapted as the Broadway musical and film "Kiss Me Kate".
The strange title is less Shakespeare derived than a play on the Elizabeth Barrett Browning sonnet that begins ''How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.'' Even knowing this, the title withholds its relationship to the film content until the climatic scene late in the film when Katerina (Julia Stiles) reads her poem (in iambic pentameter) to the class: "I hate the way you talk to me, and the way you cut your hair. I hate the way you drive my car. I hate it when you stare. I hate your big dumb combat boots, and the way you read my mind. I hate you so much it makes me sick; it even makes me rhyme. I hate the way you're always right. I hate it when you lie. I hate it when you make me laugh, even worse when you make me cry. I hate it when you're not around, and the fact that you didn't call. But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you, not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all". Either the producers can't count of they didn't like the sound of "13 Things I Hate About You"
The film was fairly popular at the time of its release and made a considerable amount of money, but critical reaction was mixed. Most of the negative reviews came from critics who felt the film was too distanced from the original; specifically that Katerina was not Shakespeare's mega-shrew and that her taming was just too tame. While these observations are correct, in this case toning down the original makes the film work better. A less gritty story allows for more lyrical storytelling and better a unity with the great pop soundtrack and the inventive cinematography. And few will miss the original's out-of-control misogyny. The film goes out on fantastic rotational helicopter shot of the group "Letters from Cleo" as they perform the closing song on top of spectacular Stadium High School in Tacoma.
The story begins with obstetrician Walter Stratford's (Larry Miller) grudging agreement to allow his younger daughter Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik) to date if her older sister Katerina (Stiles) starts dating. Walter's occupation has made him super-paranoid about teen pregnancy, but he feel quite safe with this compromise because Katerina is a brain with little interest in boys and an abrasive enough personality to drive away anyone who might be attracted to her.
Miller and Stiles are exceptional in these roles, the best performances of their careers. Oleynik (formally Alex Mack) does not have nearly as much to work with but is solid in her role. My main criticism is that the film has the same dynamic as "Some Kind of Wonderful", with the abrasive tomboy significantly more desirable than the foxy girl every guy is after. Back in her "Alex Mack" days Oleynik was the #1 ranked female in a People Magazine survey of the most beautiful person in the world. I don't see it and I'm pretty sure that I have a lot of company.
One interesting bit of trivia is that Oleynik went on to attend and graduate from Sarah Lawrence College, the school that Katerina wants to attend in the film.
Female viewers will generally be pleased with Heath Ledger as Patrick Verona (afterall the action takes place at Padua High School), who is hired by two of Bianca's admirers to tame the shrew. Joey Donner (Andrew Keegan) is the obnoxious pretty boy who is cruising for his comeuppance throughout the film; but he is not close to the bad guy standard set by "Some Kind of Wonderful" and Pretty in Pink". Allison Janney is hilarious as a porno-writing guidance counselor.
I really liked the tentative feeling between Patrick and Katerina. In one of the most enjoyable scenes he appears in the grandstands while she is at soccer practice and sings ''I Love You Baby'' over the P.A. system, having bribed the school's marching band to accompany him down on the field.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.