Excellently done, true to the bard!

Rating: 10/10 (10 July 1999)

This film was a major surprise to me. Having been an English Specialist in University, it was refreshing to see such a faithful adaptation of the Bard's work on the screen. Originally I had avoided seeing the film because I considered it just another of those pappy films put out by Hollywood to snag the teenaged market, however, it pleasantly surprised me. The acting is top notch, especially the performances turned in by Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger as the leads, and Larry Miller as Katerina Stratford's father. The nods to Shakespeare are everywhere, in the name of the high school where the majority of the action takes place (Padua High) to the names of the characters (Katerina Stratford, Patrick Verona). This film is simply an updating of the play, and it is remarkably well done. Less well done, however, is "She's All That", the recent update of "Pygmalion". If you have the chance, catch this film at any second-run theatre, you will greatly enjoy it!