10 Things I Hate About You
Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik
SR = Shakespeare reference
Why fill you life with uselessness when you can get off your butt and do something good for yourself, like eat
cheesecake or see this movie. Yes, for god's sake I am advocating watching a teeny romancy comedy, I know it and
you know it. Now, for all you who are born 1978 or sooner, get off your high horses and see it. What's the point
in being evolved if you can't go see a movie about a high school which was much cooler than your own? Because,
you know, Padua (SR) High is much cooler than any place YOU'VE ever pretended to learn in. The words these people
have coming out of their revlon-coloured mouths are only slightly less grandiose than what you'd find up shit creek
with Dawson. But never fear, there is a lot less teenage angst in this film. Don't get me wrong, these people are
angsty with the best of them, it's just not so....weekly.
Larisa Oleynik is Bianca (SR) Stratford (SR). She is angsty because her tightass father won't let her date until she (get this) graduates. After much whining and tossing of hair, he finally relents and says she can date...if her sister does. Easy? Ha ha. You'd be watching Dawson for a year before you get that far. In anycase, Bianca's sister is Katarina (Kat) (SR), a pretty, thin, blonde chick. So the sisters two should have no trouble, right? Well...no. You see, Kat gives PMS a torrid reputation. Actually, PMS is not just a monthly thing with this girl, like a plot point up the creek, it lasts....a loooong time. Forever, actually. Yes, it's one bitch rock day after another with her. Yet, for some reason, it's slightly endearing. She pulls off the bitch routine so much better than Creeky Jen. Yes sir, I like her. I like her a lot.
So here's the scoop. The new guy, Cameron (Gordon-Levitt) likes Bianca with a passion that could melt the whole of Dairy Queen. So he and his Ivy-league-bound friend Michael come up with a plan. Which happens to be: Get the school rich guy to pay the school scary dude (Ledger) to date the Bitch Kat. The twist is, Rich Jerk (Andrew Keegan) wants Bianca for himself. Oh the trials and tribulations. With a plot like this, you know it's based on a Shakespeare play. And it is! Don't pee your pants, people, but this movie passes for culture. You're watching The Taming of the Shrew.
Of course, it all works out in the end. Don't kid yourself. Unlike the one hour a week angst-fest up the creek, this movie is GOOD. Heath Ledger especially. He's just turned 20 and oh-my-god...it's EWAN MacJUNIOR! I loved his performance, his smile, his....anyway, the performances in this flick were so good, I couldn't believe it. The cast was well-rounded and worked really well together, especially Stiles and Ledger. Stiles, by the way, should have a good career waiting in the phoniness of Hollywood. She was recently seen on the NBC mini The 60's, which positively killed my desire to see woodstock. It was nice to see Gordon-Levitt playing something other than an NBC alien, and Larisa Oleynik has really come into her own after season upon season playing chemical girl on Alex Mack.
A surprising element in this film are the three small supporting roles. Mr. Morgan, the hilarious english teacher who you wish you had had for lit class is played by Daryl Mitchell (from Veronica's Closet), Ms. Perky (love that name), the sex-crazed guidance couselor who needs more synonyms for heaving than a writer on 90210, and Mr. Chapin, the soccer coach played by David Leisure (the annoying neighbour on Empty Nest), who hasn't worked since shoulder pads and blue mascara went out with the pouf skirt (i.e the 80's).
My Advice: Yes, it's Shakespeare, but yes it's good. Relive a youth much cooler than yours. Go see it. Go see it now.