10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU, Adaptation of “The Taming of the Shrew"

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In Disney’s 1999 hit, 10 Things I Hate about You, Kat and her younger sister, Bianca, are polar opposites.  Kat is an intelligent, feminist with her sights set on attending a prestigious college.  Bianca’s focus is her crush, Joey, and she can not bear the thought of missing a chance to date him. Kat, however, demonstrates no interest in boys, or much of anyone for that matter.  The problem:  Bianca’s father will not allow her to go on a date until her older sister does.  Cameron, a new student, wants to date Bianca and puts together a plan to find Kat a date.  He turns to Heath Ledger’s outcast character Patrick, who may just be unconventional enough to fit the bill.  Cameron convinces Joey to pay Patrick to get a date with Kat, planning to move in and get a date for himself.  Another obstacle in the plan is that, Joey and Kat are enemies!  In the meantime, Patrick begins his exhaustive pursuit of Kat.  Kat eventually develops feelings for Patrick.  Joey sets Patrick up to finalize prom plans with Kat to secure his date with Bianca.  It becomes evident that Joey’s intentions for his prom with Bianca are skewed.  Kat discovers the truth about the conspiracy at prom and storms away.  Meanwhile, Bianca recognizes that Joey is a not the catch she thought he was and beats him up.  Bianca quickly finds happiness with Cameron and Patrick soon convinces Kat that his feelings for her are true, regardless of the money.

This Shakespeare-inspired movie mirrors modern American teenage culture.  This adaptation is obviously strikingly different than Shakespeare’s original, but maintains enough similar characteristics to compare.  For example:  the search for a husband in “The Taming of the Shrew” is changed to a prom date in the 10 Things I Hate About You.  The plot is updated to attract this high-school demographic group.  I saw 10 Things I Hate About You to be a brilliant way to expose youths, who may otherwise have no interest in literature, to the works of Shakespeare in a modern, more relatable forum.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0147800/