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10 Things I Hate About You review

We review 10 Things I Hate About You - Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew gets updated to high-school America

10 Things I Hate About You poster

10 Things I Hate About You

Certificate: 12A

Starring: Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Release date: 1999

4 out of 5

4

Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew gets updated to high-school America in 10 Things I Hate About You, a Clueless-style romantic comedy from ex-Seinfeld and Ellen director Gil Junger.

School flirt Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) wants to date local hunk Joey (Andrew Keegan), but her dad won’t let her until her older – and extremely antisocial – sister Kat (Stiles) starts dating. New kid Cameron (3rd Rock from the Sun’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt) also wants to date Bianca, so a plan is hatched to get Kat a date (in the form of Jim Morrison-esque Ledger) so that Bianca is allowed out of the house.

People who have never read the Bard will figure out the outcome before the end of the opening credits, but despite a shaky start this zips along merrily enough and benefits from a very entertaining (and attractive) ensemble cast and a star-making performance from Ledger, who went on to win critical acclaim for his roles in The Dark Knight and Brokeback Mountain before his death in 2008.

Is 10 Things I Hate About You suitable for kids? Here are our parents’ notes...

None.

If you like this, why not try: Easy A, Clueless, Better Off Dead, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Never Been Kissed,