But, in contrast to SHE’S ALL THAT and some other, wittier teen movies, you won’t care about this movie’s ending, because these characters are too obnoxious. Pat and Kat’s love seems doomed, but, don’t worry, this movie’s makers never stray far from the teen-movie formula. Yawn! Of course, Kat eventually discovers, in a contrived revelation scene, that Patrick was paid to romance her, just like in SHE’S ALL THAT when the heroine learns that her suitor asked her out on a bet. Joey and Cameron compete for the shallow Bianca’s affections, while Patrick manages to pierce Kat’s crusty exterior to find the vulnerable girl within. What follows is entirely predictable (save for its unprecedented lewdness). Patrick agrees to give Kat the old college try in exchange for cash. After interviewing several candidates, Joey and Cameron happen upon Patrick, an aloof, mysterious classmate rumored to be an ex-convict. Thus, our heroes are presented with a challenge: in order to date Bianca, they must first find someone to woo the antagonistic Kat. He feigns concession by promising that Bianca can date whenever her unpopular sister does. Smitten with the smarmy Joey, Bianca begs her father to change his mind. Both Cameron and Joey are just dying to ask Bianca out, but the poor oppressed child has a strict father who will not allow her to date. Bianca’s most ardent pursuers are Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the nice “new kid,” and Joey Donner (Andrew Keegan), the class stud. Her sister is the flighty, materialistic Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), a sweet temptress who inspires lust among her male classmates at Padua High School. She is a misfit just like Lani, the more likeable heroine of SHE’S ALL THAT. The “shrew” in this story is Kat, played by Julia Stiles, an embittered, feminist high-school student with a hefty chip on her shoulder. Just as SHE’S ALL THAT resembled George Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion,” TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU is based on the similarly-plotted “The Taming of the Shrew.” (What is it with teenagers and Shakespeare these days?) But the great playwright’s handiwork has been twisted into obscenity here. TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU hinges on a promising-sounding premise. Comparing the two movies illustrates how sympathetic characterization and good intentions can go a long way toward determining cinematic success. While SHE’S ALL THAT is formulaic but endearing, TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU is simply formulaic, grating and offensive. In fact, it’s the same plot, but with different actors and a decidedly raunchier script. The opening scenes of TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU are strikingly similar to the recent SHE’S ALL THAT.
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