The 1999 teen drama 10 Things I Hate About You, directed by Gil Junger, is loosely based on William Shakespeare‘s The Taming of the Shrew. In this romantic comedy, Patrick (Heath Ledger) is paid to date Kat (Julia Stiles) so that other boys from their school can date her younger sister, Bianca (Larisa Oleynik). Just like in Shakespeare’s classic, their father has declared that sweet, naïve Bianca cannot entertain suitors until her abrasive, stand-offish older sister Kat (Katherina in Shakespeare) does. Both stories begin with the same premise, but their overall message is different. The Taming of the Shrew is a questionable tale about a man who “out shrews” a woman he married for money and forces her into submission. Ten Things I Hate About You is a heartwarming film about two people who are largely misunderstood by the world coming to love and care for each other.
10 Things I Hate About You has all the spice and sass of The Taming of the Shrew, but it shows a deeper, more nuanced understanding of what love is.