GREAT modernized Reworking of the Bard!

Rating: 9/10 (25 May 2009)

"Sweet" Bianca can not date until her tempestuous older sister Kat does. So who can face her wrath? Why the guy with the worst reputation in school of course, with some monetary incentive. Only time will reveal what all of them are really like.
This is a truly brilliant adaptation of "The Taming of the Shrew", because it makes sense in the modern setting, is timeless, and adds even more than the Bard put into the original. This is a must-see for any parent to remind them of high school days and current pressures, and a must-see for teenagers to prevent some pitfalls of high school. Even though it is now 10 years old, everything still rings true, in an exaggerated way. But sometimes, that's the only way one can recognize things.
The direction just added to the already great script by allowing for the over-exaggerations in a realistic way, and by telling parts of the story WITHOUT dialogue. The sound track is critical to this film. (John Ford would have been proud!) This was the first film I saw both Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger in. I knew quite a few years ago that they would both be huge stars because of their brilliant subtlety. (She is an Acedemy Award winning actress who just hasn't found the right vehicle yet.) It's years later, and I still love this movie and laugh even harder. (P.S. For me, high school was over 20 years ago.) Add another star if you are a Shakespeare nut.