10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
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A high school student must hire a 'bad boy' to date his crush's rebellious sister to bypass a strict parental rule.
The story
Cameron James, a new student at Padua High School in the Seattle area, falls for the popular Bianca Stratford. However, her overprotective father, Walter, has decreed that Bianca cannot date until her older, 'shrewish' sister Kat does. To circumvent this, Cameron and his friend Michael convince the wealthy Joey Donner to pay the 'bad boy' Patrick Verona to date Kat. The plan is set in motion as Patrick begins to win Kat's interest, while Bianca navigates her own complicated feelings regarding her sister's protective nature and the reality of her own social circle.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Cameron James falls for Bianca Stratford, but her father Walter forbids her from dating until her rebellious sister Kat does. Cameron and Michael hire Patrick Verona to date Kat so Bianca can date. While Patrick and Kat begin to bond, Bianca realizes her intended date, Joey Donner, is shallow. At a prom, the truth comes out: Joey paid Patrick to date Kat as a bet. After a confrontation where Joey is physically rebuffed by Bianca, the sisters reconcile. The film ends with Kat and Patrick confessing their feelings and reuniting, while Bianca and Cameron begin dating.
- First release year
- 1999
- Runtime (minutes)
- 97
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Gil Junger
- Writers
- Karen McCullah Lutz · writer; Kirsten Smith · writer
- Cast and characters
- Julia Stiles · Katarina "Kat" Stratford; Heath Ledger · Patrick Verona; Joseph Gordon-Levitt · Cameron James; Larisa Oleynik · Bianca Stratford; Larry Miller · Walter Stratford; Andrew Keegan · Joey Donner; David Krumholtz · Michael Eckman; Susan May Pratt · Mandella; Gabrielle Union · Chastity Church
- Genres
- teen romantic comedy; coming-of-age; comedy
- Themes
- feminism; non-conformity
- Tone and mood
- romantic; comedic
- Premise and plot tags
- high school; romance; comedy; Shakespearean adaptation
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Taming of the Shrew
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances of the lead actors and the screenplay. It has since gained a cult classic status as one of the best teen romantic comedies of all time.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 72% · scale: percentage · review count: 93; Metacritic · score: 70 · scale: 100 · review count: 26
- Awards and nominations
- Chicago Film Critics Association Award · Most Promising Actress · 2000 · win; MTV Movie Award · Breakthrough Female Performance · 2000 · win; YoungStar Award · Best Actor/Actress in a Comedy Film · 1999 · nomination; Teen Choice Awards · Choice Movie: Breakout Star (Stiles) · 1999 · nomination; Teen Choice Awards · Choice Movie: Comedy · 1999 · nomination; Teen Choice Awards · Choice Movie: Funniest Scene (featuring Krumholtz) · 1999 · nomination; Teen Choice Awards · Choice Movie: Love Scene (featuring Stiles and Ledger) · 1999 · nomination; Teen Choice Awards · Choice Movie: Hissy Fit (Gordon-Levitt) · 1999 · nomination; Teen Choice Awards · Choice Movie: Villain (Andrew Keegan) · 1999 · nomination; Teen Choice Awards · Choice Movie: Soundtrack · 1999 · nomination; Artios Awards · Best Casting for Feature Film, Comedy · 1999 · nomination; MTV Movie Award · Best Musical Performance · 2000 · nomination
- Production trivia
- The script was inspired by the film Clueless.; The character Patrick Verona was inspired by Judd Nelson's character in The Breakfast Club.; The film's costume design was praised by Vogue as a 'time capsule' for 90s fashion.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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