If you were a teenager during the 1990s, then you’re probably familiar with one of the most prominent teen films of the era:10 Things I Hate About You, starring Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. A hit following its 1999 release, and an enduring favorite over the ensuing years, the film has found a new streaming home. Starting August 1, viewers can find the modern classic inHulu’s film library. Other films set to be added to the streamer includeRaising Arizona,Under the Tuscan Sun,Thank You for Smoking, andWeekend at Bernie’s.
10 Things I Hate About Youis a modernadaptation of William Shakespeare’s comedyThe Taming of the Shrew. It follows high school student Cameron as he tries to get Bianca, one of the school’s most popular girls, to go out with him. Cameron learns that Bianca can only date if her older sister Kat, a student who’s not exactly keen on meeting new people, dates at the same time. Cameron convinces Patrick Verona, a surly fellow student, to ask Kat out. And though Cameron secretly pays Patrick, the bad boy ends up falling in love. Per the Rotten Tomatoes synopsis of the film:
Kat Stratford is beautiful, smart and quite abrasive to most of her fellow teens, meaning that she doesn’t attract many boys. Unfortunately for her younger sister, Bianca, house rules say that she can’t date until Kat has a boyfriend, so strings are pulled to set the dour damsel up for a romance. Soon Kat crosses paths with handsome new arrival Patrick Verona. Kat may let her guard down enough to fall for the effortlessly charming Patrick.
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Upon release,10 Things I Hate About Youhad a good reaction from critics and audiences. It wasn’t extremely successful, but grossed more than $53 million from its $13 million budget, and the reaction by critics was pretty decent. Today, it has a 71% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, while the audience score registers a lower rating of 69%.
Even though it had sequel potential,attempts proved futile, and the film ended up as a launch platform for its young cast. Stiles went on to participate in projects likeHamlet,Save the Last Dance, andThe Bourne Identity. Ledger continued withThe Patriot,A Knight’s Tale, and eventually,The Dark Knight. Gordon-Levitt, meanwhile, landed great roles inThe Lookout,Inception,Looper, andThe Dark Knight Rises.
The film is widely considered one of the best of its kind. The high school archetypes are well portrayed, and it does a great job of capturing the many facets of ’90s teen culture, including music and fashion. It’s a feel-good comedy that doesn’t beat around the bush when depicting aheartwarming arcthat’ll have you remembering your high school days in no time, regardless of your generation.
Source:IndieWire
10 Things I Hate About You
