By Valerie Garcia-Vallejo and Hailey Kearns
“I hate the way you talk to me, and the way you cut your hair”. We hate the way people hate this movie too. The 1999 romantic comedy film, 10 Things I Hate About You, accentuates the message of navigating through the emotional differences of lust and love. Starring Julia Stiles as Kat Stratford and Heath Ledger as Patrick Verona, Kat finds herself in a predicament as her sister, Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik), the most popular girl in school, can not date until her sister does. Kat the hardheaded, short-tempered varsity soccer player, has absolutely zero interest in dating. Knowing her opinions on dating, Bianca’s admirer, Cameron James ( Joseph Gordon-Levitt), attempts to convince Patrick to go out with Kat so that he can ask Bianca out on a date. Believing dating is pointless, Kat pays no attention to Patrick at all. Patrick follows her around town, including her favorite store, the music and guitar store. Eventually, Kat agrees to go on a date with Patrick. Excited, Cameron finally feels like he has a chance with Biana, but one problem stands in the way. That problem is a boy named Joey Donner (Andrew Keegan). Joey Donner is the most popular guy in school. Bianca is absolutely infatuated with him and is willing to take advantage of this new opportunity to go out with Joey.
Both of us heartily believe that 10 Things I Hate About You deserves a 10/10. Although the movie was produced in the 90’s, the film still resonates with teenagers as we still continue to face the same silly problems: how to tell when someone ACTUALLY likes you or if it is a facade. Watching the humorous yet heartbreaking scenes in the movie perfectly depicts the confusing aspects of getting to know someone. In addition, watching Kat and Patricks feelings for each other grow and eventually turn into a relationship also teaches us the importance of communication, empathy and understanding in relationships. 10 Things I Hate About You is not just a silly romantic comedy but rather an outlet for teens to learn important life lessons and realize that their feelings and confusion towards people are normal.
Whether you feel like having a good cry with your friends or having a fun chit-chat, 10 Things I Hate About You is the right movie to watch. The witty relatable characters draw you in and make you want to keep watching. As we watched the movie, we could not help but keep our eyes glued to the screen. Truly, the movie easily deserves a 10/10.
