“10 Things I Hate About You” is one of the most loved rom-coms despite all of the time that has passed since its release. It has an exceptional plot that is light at times and dark and serious at others. This film takes common high school stereotypes and showcases them in its own way, which takes the viewers on an appealing journey.
The film centers on Cameron, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who quickly develops feelings for the popular Bianca, played by Larisa Oleynik. However, Bianca’s strict father will not let her date unless her stubborn, standoffish older sister, Kat, played by Julia Stiles, does as well. To solve this issue, Cameron recruits the help of the school’s notorious rule-breaker, Patrick, played by Heath Ledger, to win over Kat’s heart.
This film explores many aspects of high school life. One of these is the challenge of Kat rejecting feminine stereotypes while staying true to herself. At the beginning of the movie, Kat is someone who has no care for what others think and struggles with being vulnerable. Over time, she softens due to falling for Patrick. But, unlike other rom-coms, she holds onto her personality and opinions. The way the writers develop her instead of changing her is an aspect that many other movies should adopt.
Kat is not the only one who betters herself in this film, though. Patrick is unapproachable in the beginning, but over time, he begins to grow a deeper care for Kat. This reveals deeper parts of him that show how much he will do for someone he truly cares about.
The way “10 Things I Hate About You” develops its characters is one of its best features. It is done in a way in which the characters don’t lose elements of their personality, but just add better additions to it.
Overall, I would rate this movie eight point five out of 10. While there are the typical corny acting moments often found in this genre, the team behind this film did a great job at minimizing them. The performances and stories were engaging enough that they made the cliches less noticeable.
