MURRAY, Neb.- When you think of quintessential romantic comedies, you might think of cringy, unrealistic love stories shown at teenage sleepovers. However, rom-coms tackle some of the most emotionally complex themes in modern filmmaking. The 1990s and 2000s were the peak decades for romantic comedies. During this era, films like Pretty Woman, 27 Dresses, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and Clueless were made. These rom-coms are having a modern revival because today’s movies geared towards teenagers are unrealistic and often feel fake. One classic rom-com that is filling the cinematic void for young adults stands at the forefront. 10 Things I Hate About You is proving to be more than just a cheesy love story; it is experiencing a rapid resurgence and becoming a cult classic for teens.
10 Things I Hate About You, produced in 1999, is a modern take on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. The Taming of the Shrew is focused on taming Katherina so that her younger sister Bianca can marry. Petruchio arrives and agrees to pursue Katherina in order to claim her large dowry. Kat Stratford, the female lead who mirrors Katherina, is stubborn and abrasive. This often pushes her peers away, particularly boys. Her younger sister, Bianca, wants to date, but her father’s rules are that she cannot date unless Kat does. A plan is created to pair Kat with Patrick, who is based on Petruchio’s character and has an equally strong personality. Joey, a popular jock, pays Patrick to date Kat so he can get with Bianca. While Bianca’s sights are originally set on Joey, Cameron, who is the polar opposite, wins her over. Unlike Shakespeare’s version, Patrick eventually catches feelings for Kat and regrets taking the money from Joey. When Kat finds out about the scheme, she is extremely hurt and breaks it off with Patrick. At the end of the movie, he apologizes and they reconcile.
Part of what has led to the film’s revival among teens is the unique female lead, Kat. She is a feminist and actively fights against the patriarchy by calling out her male classmate’s misogynistic comments. Because she refuses to let her male peers walk all over her, Kat has a reputation of being rude and uptight. Teenagers who mirror Kat in real life are often given a reputation like hers. Feminist characters like her are rare in movies aimed at teenagers today. Many roles based on teenage girls are focused around being a love interest with no other added value. Kat has her own life and personality outside of being the lead’s boyfriend. Because of how realistic Kat is, many teens are drawn to her character.
Throughout the movie, Bianca and Kat have a realistic, strained sibling relationship. Bianca cares about popularity and her appearance more than Kat. Bianca is often frustrated by this and does not understand Kat’s refusal to be part of the “popular” clique. This infuriates Kat because she is loudly against the ditsy, frivolous stereotype Bianca embodies. Throughout the film, they bicker and fight due to their different personalities and social values. However, Kat and Bianca stand by each other. Bianca goes as far as punching someone to get revenge for her sister which is extremely out of character for her. Teens are able to see their own sibling relationships in Kat and Bianca’s because they interact like real siblings.
The romantic relationships are complex as well. Cameron hopelessly pines after Bianca and learns French just to be close to her. When he successfully wins her over, Joey punches him at prom. Bianca comes to his aid and goes against traditional gender roles when she kicks Joey to the ground. After Kat learns that Patrick was paid to go out with her, she delivers an emotionally-charged poetry piece titled “10 Things I Hate About You” about being in love and hating someone at the same time. These two couples show that while teenagers are romantically inexperienced, they have the same emotions and intensity that adult relationships have. Teens want to see relationships with depth, like the ones featured in 10 Things I Hate About You.
Today, many teens live in households with only one parent present and can relate to the realistic portrayal of not having a traditional family. In the Stratford household, Bianca and Kat grow up without a mother present. To protect them, their dad overcompensates by setting strict rules, particularly surrounding dating. This impacts their personalities in different ways. Kat becomes guarded, while Bianca seeks validation through romantic relationships. Their father also processes grief throughout the movie as he sees his daughters grow into independent, strong women despite not having a female role model present in the house. The film showcases how different types of personalities react to loss and shows the mechanisms they use to cope.
Movies made for teens today have been unable to portray human emotion and relationships as well as classic rom-coms. 10 Things I Hate About You defies the typical stereotypes that teenage movies are cheesy or only have shallow characters. Because of the film’s success in accurately representing teenage love, friendships, and family relationships, young adults have begun watching it again. Although it was produced over 25 years ago, 10 Things I Hate About You has drawn in young viewers who want to see their lives portrayed accurately in classic romantic comedies.
