90s high school movies are a pillar of cinema, from the great “Can’t Hardly Wait” to the unheralded “Trojan War.” One of the most iconic comes from the 1999 flick “10 Things I Hate About You.” The story is loosely based off the Shakespeare play “The Taming of the Shrew” and features the breakout performances of a trio of Generation-X stars.
What we get is a comedy from the very start. The film is set in the defacto capital of the 90s – Seattle – and has all the clichés of humor that make high school movies of any decade so great. Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a new student to the fictitious Padua High School, and he quickly develops a crush on classmate Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), an infatuation that can’t be met without conquering a seemingly impossible task – finding a date for Bianca’s anti-social sister, Kat.
Julia Stiles is the center of the story as the rebellious Kat, and plays the role with a degree of a potentially perfect girl that’s been doused in an emotional venom. She’s of course deep and smart, having been accepted to the prestigious Sarah Lawrence College, and into music and writing that defies the mainstream. Cameron and nerdy friend Michael (David Krumholtz) enlist school badass Patrick (Heath Ledger) to date Kat, creating the ensuing drama of the script.
The over the top clichés and high school groups are on full display, from the typical popular vs non popular kids as well as comical clicks such as the White Rastas, a humorous and original take on other 90s fashion and style. The high school seniors are led by the uber cool Joey (Andrew Keegan) who serves as the antagonist in the story.
“10 Things I Hate About You” never tries to be serious, and that’s why its such a fun film to lose yourself in for 100 minutes. There’s so much ridiculous hijinks the movie feels almost like a parody of itself, though its intent is anything but. There’s a high school building that has skyscraper height, aloof teachers, and of course, a party unlike any party ever thrown. Kat and Bianca live with their overly strict father (Larry Miller) who is hysterical with his rules designed at keeping his daughters innocent, but in truth really loves them both.
While the story is a bit flimsy, the talent makes you fully invested in the outcome. A great touch is casting relative unknown (at the time) talent, and actors that are actually the appropriate age at the time of filming (Stiles, Gordon-Levitt, and Oleynik were all 18, and Ledger was twenty).
The pairing of Stiles and Ledger isn’t quite as strong as the lovers in “She’s All That” but still great. David Krumholtz, who we’ve seen excel in “The Santa Clause” franchise, is perfect as the geeky friend and mentor to Cameron. “What group is she in?” Cameron asks when he first spots Bianca at the school, to which Michael quickly responds “The don’t even think about it group.”
“10 Things I Hate About You” is a movie that hails from my generation, with its stars, high school premise, and easily parodied and recanted scenes. It’s also my 450th Buff review, and a great film to rewatch for nostalgia, or check out for the first time.
