"10 Things I Hate About You ..."

The very first thing to do on looking at 10 Things I Hate about You ... would be to state the obvious: this was a Heath Ledger/Julia Stiles movie with JGL/Larisa Uleynik (JGL's 3rd Rock girl friend) making up the second string romance. And that's cool and it does work. Everyone is cast in their place and does a fantastic job.

The plot of the story is fairly simple in a complicated sort of way. Two sisters: one popular in high school and one -- well -- a -- let's see -- A Shrew. Wait a minute. I've heard this before -- I've seen something similar. That might be because this fun, modern day love story-- that bares no resemblance to it's title about 10 things to hate -- is based on the William Shakespeare play, The Taming of the Shrew. They even manage to sneak some of the original dialogue in:

Cameron: "I burn. I pine. I perish."

Micheal: "Of course you do. You know, she's beautiful and deep, I'm sure."

and ...

Micheal: "Sweet love, renew thy force."
Patrick: "Hey! don't say shit like that to me. People might hear."

Shakespeare did have this thing about knowing plot and dialogue and characters. And in this modern twist version there are excellent actors added into the mix which it a great, fun film.

JGL, our underrated second string hero in this film, plays Cameron, a new student, on his ninth school in ten years. Immediately upon enrollment he is hopelessly in love with the hopelessly popular Bianca (Uleynik) Her sister, Kat (Stiles), uninterested in dating, makes most people miserable by her desire for self satisfaction. Daddy at home, first forbidding dating for either of his daughters, relents and allows Bianca to go out, but only if Kat will go first. Cameron and his best friend, screen stealing, Michael (David Krumholtz ) are on a mission to get Kat a date so Cameron's wish of true love can come true

Filmed in 1999, while 3rd Rock was at its peak, there is a touch of Tommy in this part while still standing alone. JGL is showing us a talented, fun and still relatively innocent actor in his part choice ... while making sure he can stand up and hold his own against his peers. The insecurity that Tommy would never have, the loss of the girl due to lack of self confidence or brains, Cameron is that kid in the back of the class watching the prettiest girl, hoping to be the one to get to take her out. He thinks, he plots, all the while the most popular boy in class does the same, using Cameron's own plan for his own evil ends. In the end, it is Patrick (Ledger) who puts Cameron straight:

Patrick to Cameron: "See, first of all, Joey is not half the man you are. Secondary, don't let anyone every make you feel as if you don't deserve what you want ..."

Special mention in this film, with respect to JGL and Mr. Ledger, has to go to Mr. Krumholtz for one of the greatest performances of a sidekick ever. He stole the scenes he was in, made us laugh and was sooo perfect for the part, delivering some of the best lines:

Joey (Andrew Keegan ) "I heard he ate a duck."
Micheal (Krumholtz ): "Everything but the beak and feet ..."

Because everyone knows if you leave the beak and feet, then that's okay. LOL

10 Things I Hate About You, a movie I did not see when it came out because the title put me off, but one I totally loved when I saw it on DVD. Highly recommended so that you, too, can see so many young actors doing so many great things.