[8]

A high school boy named Cameron (Joseph Gordon Levitt) wants the beautiful Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) to be his prom date, but the girl's tyrannical father (Larry Miller) won't allow it unless her vitriolic older sister, Katarina (Julia Stiles), tags along. So Cameron and his friends set out to buy Katarina a date. The mysterious bad boy of the school, Patrick (Heath Ledger), agrees to their ruse, but neither he nor Katarina count on actually falling for one another.

First time feature film director Gil Junger brings together a winning ensemble of up-and-coming talent in this veiled telling of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew.  10 Things I Hate About You is a fun, colorful teen flick that’s a lot better than most others of its kind.  Key to its success is the chemistry between Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles, who both show signs of future stardom — especially Stiles, who gets me all misty-eyed when she recites a certain poem near the end of the movie.  Solid supporting turns are contributed by Gordon-Levitt, Miller, David Krumholtz, and Allison Janney.

Junger shows unusually proficient directing chops for a first timer.  In addition to good casting, locations, costumes, and music, watch how the camera moves throughout the entire piece and tell me there’s not something superlative about this flick.  These kinds of movies are usually cranked out without so much as a second thought to talent, style, or showmanship.  10 Things could easily have been another of those flicks, but instead we get something a little more genuine and special.