As someone who isn’t a movie watcher, I loved “10 Things I Hate About You.” Before watching it, I didn’t understand why people regarded it as a classic, but after watching the movie, I completely understood why.
At the beginning of the movie, I noticed the typical late 1990s and early 2000s theme it took on. Michael, regarded as a weird kid, showed Cameron around and pointed out who to avoid and who they could talk to. Something I didn’t care for off the bat was the way Cameron and Michael followed Bianca and Chastity. I can understand that Cameron was yearning for Bianca, but the scene made me uncomfortable.
Some of the comedic moments that stood out the most to me are when Michael accidentally drove down the hill, when Kat backed into Joey’s car, and when Kat went to Bogey’s party and ended up dancing on the table before leaving. In particular, I really enjoyed it when Kat backed into Joey’s car because he acted as if she had actually hit him. Later in the movie, we learn that Kat and Joey used to date, which helps add context to why the two hate each other.
I really enjoyed Kat and Patrick’s chemistry throughout the movie. The dynamic of Kat not taking Patrick seriously at first stood out because I thought she was going to shut him down immediately. When Patrick ended up going to The Raincoats concert, Kat finally started to take him seriously and agreed to go to Bogey’s party with him.
One of my favorite parts of the movie is that the main couple didn’t end up together immediately. The back-and-forth between them helps draw the audience in. Kat makes the first move when Patrick drops her off from the party, but he doesn’t lean in to kiss her. Then, he genuinely wanted to be with her at the prom, and she found out that he was paid to take her out. In the end, Patrick won Kat back over with grand romantic gestures such as getting Kat a Fender guitar.
Some things I wish we saw more of are Bianca and Cameron’s relationship, Cameron’s backstory, and how Kat was able to forgive Patrick so easily. To me, Bianca and Cameron’s relationship came about in a way that didn’t seem genuine. I also don’t know who Cameron really is as a person since the audience only sees his obsession with Bianca. In the movie, we only see a singular romantic gesture from Patrick, which makes it seem like Kat forgave him quite easily.
Overall, I found the movie quite enjoyable and can see why people love this movie. I believe this movie helps give structure to what a typical rom-com should look like.
