#%&@ reviewers block!!!

Here's my Ten Things I Hate About You review. I'm not completely satisfied, but I can't think of anything to add/take away. Does Ebert have these kind of problems?


With She's The Man in theaters, here's a review for Ten Things I Hate About You. Both movies were written by Karen McKullah Lutz, and Kirsten Smith. (They also wrote Ella Enchanted, and Legally Blond.)

Did you know Ten Things I Hate About You was based on Shakespeare? The writers hardly let you forget it, going out of their way to make references. Ten Things I Hate About You is indeed based on The Taming of The Shrew, and the parallels just barely out weight the differences. Despite the plot holes and some cringe worthy dialogue, it's a cute movie, sometimes hitting chuckles that would make the Clueless writers proud.

Our story begins with Cameron, the new kid at school, who upon seeing the pretty and popular Bianca Stratford, is instantly infatuated with her. He even pauses his regular high-school slang to say (straight out of The Taming of the Shrew) "I burn, I pine, I perish". Unfortunately for him, Bianca is not allowed to date until her older sister, Kat does. (Kat of course would rather eat a bucket of live eels.)

Cameron, with the help of his friend Michael starts looking for possible beaus. Sadly, they all either laugh , or cry in terror at the thought of dating Kat the Shrew. So, they hatch a rather risky plan: Tell Joey, the rich jock, who has also been eyeing Bianca, that he could pay Patrick Verona, the mysterious bad boy, to take Kat on a date. (They would pay Pat, but they don't have the money.) Then, Bianca being free to date, could go out with Joey. I guess Cameron was thinking that he would ask Bianca out first, but still, then Joey would be mad, and the money would run out. Hence, plot hole number one.

Meanwhile, Cameron and his friend Michael try to help Pat win over Kat. "[She] likes Thai food, feminist pros, and angry girl rock music of the indie persuasion". Despite tip offs, Pat has trouble getting the first date. After many one-liners, revealed secrets, splattered paint balls, and Can't Take My Eyes Off You serenaded to the girls soccer team, Pat and Kat end up, in true Shakespearian fashion, making out in her car. The romance is just killing me.