10 Things I Hate About You

BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:

10 Things I Hate About You. Junger, Gil, director. DVD. Touchstone Pictures. Release Date: October 12, 1999, ASIN B00000K31Q

PLOT SUMMARY:

On Cameron’s first day of school he sees Bianca. Immediately, he wants to get to know her, but he is told that she is way out of his league. Cameron also learns that the Stratford sisters are not allowed to date. Bianca becomes friends with Cameron when he becomes her French tutor. Bianca tells him that she can only go to prom if her sister Kat goes. This is a problem because Kat shuns everything that has to do with high school. In an attempt to take Bianca to the prom, Cameron enlists the help of conceited high school heart throb Joey by telling him that if he can get Kat to go to the prom then Joey can take Bianca. All the while Cameron is planning on taking Bianca. Joey pays Patrick to take Kat out. The problem is, Kat doesn’t like him. Will she agree to go to prom so that her sister can have a chance for a social life?

CRITICAL EVALUATION:

10 Things I hate About You is loosely based on the William Shakespeare play Taming of the Shrew. Once again it is a teen movie that focuses on what other people think about you. Kat is a feminist and hates everything about high school and high school boys. She is tough and bitchy. What people don’t know is that she does have insecurities and she is not as much of bitch as people think she is. She has her reasons for shunning the popular high school crowd. Patrick is the same. People are afraid of him because there are rumors that he spent time in jail, of course not true. He is seen as a bad boy, and Patrick has no problem with this. Joey Donner on the other hand, is just as shallow as he appears to be. Always concerned about his image. Once again, this is a great teen coming of age story. Each one of the characters learns the importance of honesty and what it means to be yourself.

READER’S ANNOTATION:

What do you do when your sister is a shrew and the only way you can go to the prom is is=f she goes too? You pay someone to date her.

DIRECTOR:

Gil Junger began his career in Hollywood by attending the University of Texas in Austin's Radio, TV, and Film School. After graduating, he became a gofer. He moved onto directing television, and has worked on such series as "Dharma & Greg" and "The Golden Girls." He was nominated for an Emmy and a Director's Guild Award for directing the episode of "Ellen" in which the lead character reveals that she is a lesbian. He broke into feature film directing with "10 Things I Hate About You." He is an avid photographer, golfer, and musician, and is in a band called Mid-Life Crisis. (Unknown, Gil Junger )

GENRE:

Fiction, Comedy, Romance, Movie

CURRICULUM TIES:

New York State: None

BOOK TALKING IDEAS:

Not Applicable

READING LEVEL/INTEREST AGE:

Age 13 and up

CHALLENGE ISSUES:

None.

In order to prepare yourself should this movie be challenged you may wish to take the following steps:

•Watch the movie or familiarize yourself with the movie and its plot.
•Refer to the library’s collection development and circulation policy.
•Read movie reviews from sources such as Time Magazine, Entertainment Weekly and The New York Times.
•Seek the opinion of teen readers that have seen the movie.

Should this movie be challenged you should follow the additional steps below:

•Advise the senior staff of the challenge.
•Let the patron know that their challenge will be filed and that senior library management will review their request and notify them once a decision has been made.
•Offer any further assistance should the patron have additional questions.

WHY DID I INCLUDE THIS MOVIE?

It’s a great movie for teens.