Review of 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) by Julianna A — 04 May 2014

I've come into 10 Things I Hate About You not unbiased. You see, I watch this movie because of an online article (for the movie's 15th anniversary! Talk about getting old.) that led me to believe this is a teen comedy that is full of complex characters. Don't get me wrong, 10 Things is highly fun and one of the better teen love stories, with both unconventional and conventional characters (although not wholly complex). Although maybe, it's just that I was too young to get it then, and too old and jaded to get it now (I am much more of a Mean Girls generation).

For a movie that breaks the "rules" by having an outright feminist character, the rest of the characters feel decidedly conventional (no, charming "bad boy" character is not unconventional). Their motivations are too. Teen girl that just wants to date? Check. Overprotective father? Check (although the fact that he is a gynecologyst is hilarious). Somewhat geeky boy that falls with a popular pretty girl? Check. Rich, popular, obnoxious pretty boy as a rival? Check. Falling in love with a bad boy? Check.

If it sounds like I hate the movie, I'm really, really, really sorry. I don't. It's a whole lot of fun, and really romantic, and it's the kind of movie that I'll keep coming back to whenever I'm down. I think I'm just underwhelmed a bit (BTW, can we just be whelmed???). Conventionality aside, the characters are charming, and this movie is ultimately elevated by the greater charm of Julia Stiles, the late Heath Ledger and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.