10 Things I Hate About You At theatres everywhere by Vince Yim
(originally written for the Ubyssey, the student newspaper for the University of British Columbia. Unfortunately, it got cut for space)
Keeping in the spirit of the film's title, here are ten things to either like or dislike about the film.
10: Likely inspired by the success of William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, 10 Things I Hate About You is a modernized retelling of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. While the original was about a much loved Bianca who cannot marry until her older sister Kate is wed, the retelling takes place in high school, where the most popular girl in school (by Larisa Oleynik) can't date until her older, unpopular sister does (by Julia Stiles). Not necessarily a bad thing in itself, but do filmmakers really believe that all teenagers suffer from attention deficit disorder and will only be interested in a more candy-coated Shakespeare?
9: Note the key word "high school." This is a warning bell for any moviegoer over the age of 21, especially with the teenage films with very limited appeal for anyone not in the demographic. Fair enough. The Generation X crowd had The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and 16 Candles, but we look back at these films with fond memories. Will the current rash of teenage films like The Mod Squad (which I hated), Cruel Intentions, and 10 Things be remembered in by current teens when they become adults?
8: Still, 10 Things has a lot of charm and humour that may just make it memorable. Despite the crude level of humour in much of the film (ie: penis jokes, sheep jokes, and kicks to the groin), the film comes off surprisingly well, something not expected of a film aimed at teens. The adult characters are the more memorable ones, including standouts as the perpetually horny guidance counselor, Kat and Bianca's overprotective father, and Kat's English teacher.
7: But as befits a teenage film, 10 Things is riddled with some bad clichés and stereotypes. For example, Bianca is the most popular girl in the school, she's about as dumb as a piece of toast (this stopped being funny a long time ago). While Kat is the most unpopular girl in school, yet one look and you'd wonder why. The most popular guy has a really fancy car and is a real jerk. And so forth.
6: Also a modern epidemic in the film biz is the 90-minute music video being passed off as a film. Much of the time it feels like the filmmakers are trying to sell copies of the soundtrack instead of entertaining the audience. Please refer to the comment on teenagers with ADD.
5: The performances are actually pretty good, although not much of a stretch, considering that the actors and actresses actually are teenagers (although in real life, Larisa Oleynik and Julia Stiles are the same age). However, it does break the convention of teenagers being played by actors and actresses in their late 20s.
4: While many moments in the film are rather charming, it eventually gets to the point of inducing hyperglycemia. While the "aww, shucks" kinda moments are well executed, the film's conclusion (which is predictable, even if you haven't read Taming of the Shrew) cannot go by fast enough. Some audience members may benefit from bringing along a toothbrush.
3: Most importantly, many of the more misogynist elements from Taming of the Shrew were removed when adapted. Despite the earlier complaint about a candy-coated Shakespeare, 10 Things definitely have more resonance with a more contemporary audience.
2: Unless you want to be reminded of your age and how long it has actually been since you've attended high school, this film is not for you. For anyone who has been out of high school for more than two years, this film is guaranteed to make you feel extremely old.
1: Regardless, 10 Things is a worthy adaptation of a classic, which despite its limited appeal, actually manages to entertain.
Rating: 6.5/10 (8/10, if I was much younger)
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