10 Things I Hate About You
I can think of no better way to start out this blog than by posting about this film. Released in 1999, “10 Things I Hate About You” has to be one of my favorite rom coms of all time. Now available on Disney+, this film continues to be refreshing and fun no matter how many times I rewatch it.
A Brief Summary
Starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger, “10 Things I Hate About You” loosely takes the classic Shakespearean tale “Taming of the Shrew” and places it into a modern-day high school. To put it simply, Kat Straford (Julia Stiles), a smart but abrasive and rebellious high school student, has never had any interest in dating. Her popular younger sister Bianca Straford (Larisa Oleynick), however, is not allowed to go on a date until Kat does. In an attempt to win Bianca, new student Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) desperately tries to set Kat up with charming bad-boy Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger), another rebel who just might be able to win Kat’s heart.
The Film’s Origins
One interesting thing about this film is the story behind its creation and its connection to other famous romantic comedies. Screenwriters Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah were inspired by the success of “Clueless” a few years prior and consequently came up with the idea for the film. You see, “Clueless” was based off of Jane Austen’s “Emma.” Smith and McCullah loved this concept and thought they would also give contemporizing a classic a try. After the success of “10 Things I Hate About You”, this writing duo went on to create many more notable romantic comedies, including “Legally Blonde,” “Ella Enchanted,” and “She’s The Man.”
The Classic Serenade Scene
The scene in which Ledger’s character Patrick tries to win over Kat with a musical number has to be one of the most iconic moments in the film, unmatched in my mind as a cinematic grand romantic gesture. He gives a daring performance of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Valli in the school’s stadium — and to make it better, Ledger rejected lip-syncing and sang the song himself!
In 2019, it was revealed that this scene’s song was originally set to be The Partridge Family’s “I Think I Love You” or Divinyl’s “I Touch Myself.” It was Ledger himself who decided to sing Valli’s song on the day of the shoot. Not only did Ledger choose the song, he even took part in the scene’s costume design. The outfit itself was quite nondescript, but I believe it was very fitting for the moment.
My Thoughts
This film is funny, moving, and clever. It manages to stand out in a genre that is often brushed aside as substance-less through its use of well thought out social commentary. The characters have great chemistry and each cast member shows off a great acting performance. If you have not seen it yet, you are missing out! I would most definitely recommend “10 Things I Hate About You” to anyone and everyone who would enjoy a spirited, witty movie with a sweet ending.
I love this movie! You wrote about it really well and I liked the part about the serenade song (one of the best scenes)! I totally agree with your thoughts at the end. Overall really well written and interesting.
I also love this movie! Along with the song scene, one of my favorite moments from the movie was when Kat and Patrick bond over paintball because this is when Kat starts to warm up to Patrick. I never knew the thought process that went into the film’s creation and the character’s dynamic. Knowing this now definitely gives me more appreciation for this story.
I really like this movie, but didn’t know about any of the background information associated with it! I really like the organization of the blog, and the fact that you added your own personal input. Really well done!
This is a great post! I really enjoyed this movie and I’m always re-watching it. I had no idea they were inspired by the movie ‘Clueless’ to adapt another classic but it’s a really interesting fact! It’s also really interesting that those same creators made ‘Legally Blonde’. I really liked how to divided your post by sections, it was a great way to organize it.
Is there a more iconic rom-com scene than Heath Ledger’s serenade? I think not. Your blog is entertaining and skillfully covers one of the best rom-coms EVER. I had no idea that the writers went on to create Legally Blonde, another one of my favorite movies (Happy people don’t kill their husbands!). I look forward to seeing you blog about more great rom-coms!