10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 3 out of 5

Because of: sexual implications, drinking, language

Rated:

High school. Some of us remember it with fond memories, but the rest look on it as some of the worst years of their lives. Dating, dealing with cheerleaders, jocks, math club addicts, and problematic teachers. That's most of what we remember about high school. 10 Things I Hate About You is a likable film, but takes awhile in getting there, and in the meantime, reminds us of the worst of our high school rejection years.

Every boy in the school believes that Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik) is "all that." Pretty, popular, and currently single due to her father's no-dating standards, she is desired by most of the guys that walk the hallowed halls of the local high school. The newest batch to the group of pining admirers is Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), whose recent move into the district has caused him to immediately start scheming on how to get close to her. Taking up French tutoring just so he can be around her, he is turned down flat when he asks for a date, because her uptight father will not allow it. When Bianca takes her concerns to her dad, he makes an agreement -- once her older sister Kat (Julia Stiles) starts dating, so can Bianca.

One of the most trouble-driven brats in the school, Kat's ultra feminism and outspoken nature has made her unpopular with not only the entire male population but most of her teachers as well. The only student even capable of potentially handling her is the rebel of the class, Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger). But he's not willing to do something for nothing, and so Cameron and his friend Michael (David Krumholtz) trick money-stuffed jock Joey (Andrew Keegan) into financing this venture, convincing him it would be in his best interest if he intends to ever date Bianca. Thus the price is set at $50 per date, and Patrick has an uphill battle before him. Bianca has never looked on any man without disgust, and he has to win her over before the prom.

This isn't much like any high school that I passed through as a teen. The teachers are rude to the students and inconsiderate of their opinions. The principle spends most of her time writing smut fiction, and bawling out the kids with foul language. The movie just seems to hop from one horrible thing to another, before gradually slowing down and allowing the audience to come to like its protagonists. That being said, I cannot really recommend it because there is an abhorrent amount of sexual dialogue and jokes deflowering the script. Joey likes drawing certain parts of the anatomy for fun, including sketching a penis on a boy's face. Mr. Stratford works in a maternity ward, leading him to be obsessed with the possibility that his daughters might be having sex. The principle recites the dirty novel she is writing aloud as she's working on it. In an attempt to distract a teacher so her boyfriend can escape detention, Kat flashes him.

Attending a party where alcohol runs feely, Kat becomes intoxicated and dances on a table. There's quite a lot of mild language and sexual/anatomical references. Before letting his daughter go out on a date, her father makes her wear a "pregnancy suit" to remind her of the consequences of premarital sex. To be fair, Kat does confide in her sister that the one time she had sex, she immediately regretted it, and swore never again to do something just because everyone else was. Insulted that Joey bragged to his friends about hoping to get into her pants on prom night, Bianca punches him several times. The characters do grow on you as the film progresses, and it had kind of a sweet conclusion, but I was disappointed that so much of the production focused on crass material.