The young female intellectual.

Rating: Null/10 (29 March 2002)

This may just be one of the most significant pieces of accessible idealism to come round in a long while.
As a literature teacher I have used this film as an example in the classroom. The concept of a THINKING teenaged girl who is able to make rational judgements about the attitudes and actions of others, and then to actually live by her extraordinarily high standards, is an invaluable example. We've seen enough bimbos diving into the sack. If only more girls were like Kat--!
But shrewish Katrina is more than an intellectual snob. She's been hurt, and her deeply-closeted motivation is to spare her sister the pains she herself has known: 'Not all experiences are good.' It's appropriate that the story takes place at a school-- for the real purpose of education is to learn from the mistakes of others instead of stupidly repeating them yourself. That alone makes the film worth watching for young people, younger teenagers... and maybe even tweens.
Some observations: 1. The producers seem stuck in a '70s-'80s musical rut, choosing Cheap Trick and Joan Jett numbers. But the hook in Nick Lowe's tune 'Cruel to be Kind' comes from 'Hamlet', a connection that Kat (and perhaps no other character) probably appreciates. 2. NO public-school teacher would EVER get away with Mr Morgan's behaviour in the classroom. This is the worst drawback in the story, and it's major. 3. Why don't we ever see Bianca and her date go sailing? It's a wholesome sport requiring brain power and responsibility, and seeing them actually go would assuage the audience's concerns as much as Dr Stratford's. 4. I can't help it-- I just keep seeing Katrina as.. DARIA!