Why our passion for 10 Things I Hate About You hasn’t diminished with time

They say true love never dies and, certainly, our passion for the movie 10 Things I Hate About You hasn’t diminished with time. Here’s 10 things we still love about the movie which is now 25 years old.

They say true love never dies and, certainly, our passion for the movie 10 Things I Hate About You hasn’t diminished with time. Incredibly, it’s 25 years since the film shot Heath Ledger to worldwide fame and the silver anniversary of the rom-com is only tarnished by the fact the talented Aussie actor isn’t here to celebrate it with us.

Released in 1999, the teen romance, which co-starred Julia Stiles and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is based on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. Like the fashion, the flick is as much in style today as it was in the ’90s. Written by Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith, who went on to pen Legally Blonde and Ella Enchanted, the movie took Heath, then 20, into the big-time, before his life was cut short with his untimely death in 2008, aged 28.

Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles in 10 Things I Hate About You.

To mark Valentine’s Day and the anniversary, here’s 10 things we still love about the movie:

1 It stars Heath Ledger

Julie Stiles found Heath Ledger “a very magnetic presence on set”.

First, let’s get this out of the way. The movie catapulted Heath Ledger to worldwide fame and the rest of the globe saw what we adored in the former Home and Away star. He was perfect as “bad boy” Patrick Verona and the movie absolutely would not have been as good without him and his heart-melting smile. “He was a very magnetic presence on set,” co-star Julia Stiles later told News Corp Australia.

2 It’s Shakespeare, innit

William Shakespeare wrote The Taming of the Shrew in the 1590s. Although the “taming” bit of the original comedy is long outdated, the core story, about the courtship of two sisters – Bianca, who is seen as an ideal woman, and Kat (Katherina in the play), a “shrew” – is updated brilliantly for the movie.

3 The rude bits

From Allison Janney’s opening scene as guidance counsellor Ms Perky, busy typing erotic fiction, to our introduction to Patrick “Kangaroo Boy” Verona who is in trouble for “exposing himself to the lunch lady with a bratwurst”, and Michael’s statement, “I have a d--k on my face don’t I?”, this is no ordinary cheesy teen film and one which absolutely, definitely, would not have those jokes in it if it were made today and given a rating of PG-13. And let’s not mention Kat’s flashing a teacher. Really, best forget that.

4 The Easter eggs

No, not the chocolate ones. Pay attention in class and you’ll spot all kinds of Shakespearean nods – from the school’s name Padua, where the play was originally set, to Bianca and Kat’s surname Stratford (get it?), Cameron’s declaration, “I burn, I pine, I perish,” a direct quote from the play – or Mr Morgan’s statement, “I know Shakespeare’s a dead white guy, but he knows his s--t”. English literature geeks can have endless fun watching it.

5 Pretty, oh, so pretty

Patrick (Heath Ledger) may smoke but don’t tell him he’s not pretty.

When Cameron and Michael tell Patrick Kat prefers nonsmokers and pretty guys, his incredulous response of, “Are you telling me I’m not a pretty guy?” is movie gold. Yes, Heath, you definitely are. And we wish someone – anyone – would shout they’ve never seen us look so sexy just as the music stops.

6 The soundtrack

From Letters to Cleo’s Cruel to Be Kind (the band performs in the movie), to Madness’ Wings of a Dove, Joan Armatrading’s The Weakness in Me, to The Cardigans’ War, the soundtrack is music to our ears.

7 Heath’s song

Heath Ledger sings his way into cinematic history. Picture: AAP Photo

If music be the food of love, goes another Shakespeare quote, and so it is, with the best musical moment of all time, when Patrick serenades Kat from the bleachers with I Love You Baby. Paul Anka’s ballad has been covered by Frank Sinatra and Frankie Valli, but Heath’s version goes down in cinematic history. I mean, come on, who wouldn’t be moved by that?

8 Bianca’s renaissance

While we don’t condone violence, Bianca’s story arc is excellent. She goes from dull to dynamic and literally smashes it at the end. We couldn’t be prouder.

9 The Shakespearean sub-romance

From the moment Michael drives off the side of the hill on his motorbike, he becomes one of the best characters in the movie and thoroughly deserves his romantic climax with Shakey-superfan Mandella. Forsooth.

10 The poem

If Kat’s sonnet doesn’t make you cry, as well as her, at the end, then you have a heart of stone.

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