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42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A surprisingly good adaptation of Shakespeare., October 11, 2000
10 Things I Hate About You is a fairly basic teen love story, but with the added twist of Shakespeare and some good comedic acting. The story is based on Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. It is about two sisters, one very popular, Bianca Stratford (played by Larisa Oleynik) and the other, Katrina, or "Kat" (played by Julia Stiles) hated because of her gruff character. Their overbearing father (played by the hilarious Larry Miller), devises a scheme whereby Bianca cannot date until rebellious Katrina does, which seems an impossibility. Thereby is set up a scheme to pair Katrina off with the roguish Patrick Verona. One of the masterminds of this plot is Cameron James (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a newcomer to Padua high, where the movie takes place. The other is his assistant of sorts, Michael Eckman (played by David Khumoltz). Though somewhat predictable, especially if you have read Taming of the Shrew, it is an interesting light diversion. The dialogue is quite well done, intertwining a word or phrase from Shakespeare with modern teen slang. Other odes to Shakespeare are seen in Kat's friend who idolizes him as if he is a teen heartthrob, plus reading of his works in one Kat's classes. The timing in the dialogue is also very Shakespearean (for a comedy). It's Very rapid fire. I think both David Khumoltz and Larry Miller are amazingly funny! Overall, this is not your typical shallow teen romance movie, but can appeal to anyone who enjoys witty dialogue, and many literary references. The DVD is unremarkable. It has a good DD 5.1 soundtrack driven by a nice selection of alternative rock - Letters from Clio had several cameos, but I believe they mainly played cover tunes, not their own stuff. The DVD does not contain any special features.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great movie, the type where you'll memorize every line!, July 18, 2000
When I first saw previews for this movie, I thought that it looked alright, and that it was just another movie like Can't Hardly Wait and She's All That. Since I found those movies entertaining, I decided to watch it. When I finished the movie, I was completly blown away. The movie was nothing as I had expected it would be. The plot was so much better than all of those other teenage movies. This movie has everything: a good script, hysterical jokes, great acting, even a good soundtrack. Heath Ledger played Patrick Verona, a typical tough guy, and it's so fun to watch his tough exterior dissapear to reveal a sensitive loving guy. Julia Stiles does a wonderful portrayal of Kat Stratford, a sarcastic teenage girl trying her hardest not to fit in. Her sister Bianca is also well cast, played by Larissa Olyenick. The contrast between these two sisters is hysterical. Cameron, a sweet guy, is played by Joesph Gordon-Levitt, and you can't help but smile at his innocence ("She kissed me! <where?> ...In the car!")This movie follows the lives of these wonderful characters, and you will come to love each of them. Even all of the smaller parts are well acted and funny, such as the Stratford sisters uptight father, the hysterical guidance counselor Ms. Perky, and all of the other high school students. One of the best things about this movie is how true it is. Walk into any high school, and you will feel like you have just walked into Padua, their school. ("Those are your basic beautiful people...don't talk to them unless they talk to you first.") It is very rare to find a movie that has so much humor. Give this movie a chance, I'm glad I did...I could probably recite the whole movie by heart.
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28 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Fantastic Movie, July 17, 2001
The movie is based on Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. It is about two sisters Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) and Katarina "Kat" Stratford (Julia Stiles). Bianca is the popular sister who wants to start dating a popular boy, Joey Donner (Andrew Keegan)and Kat is the social outcast. Trying to keep his daughters from dating for fear they may get pregnant, their paranoid father (Larry Miller) makes a family rule where Bianca cannot date until Kat does, which seems impossible. New kid Cameron (Joseph Gordon Levitt) has a huge crush on Bianca and, thinking Bianca likes him in return and wants to date him, he and his friend Michael Eckman (David Khumoltz) devises a scheme where they try to pair Kat off with the school "Bad Boy" Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger). By reading the basic plot above, you probably think this is just another Teen Flick? Well, though technically a teen flick, it lacks the shallowness that other movies of this genre have. With witty dialogue, some very funny physical stunts, some great acting, and a hip soundtrack headlined by Letters To Cleo, this film is a definate must own. As for the DVD, for people with 5.1 Surround Sound, this movie is perfect! However, it is very disappointing in the extras department. The ONLY thing this DVD has is the theatrical trailer for the movie. So unless you really, REALLY want to own the theatrical trailer for the movie, I suggest you save your money and go for the VHS version instead.
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