10 Things I Hate About You

10 Things I Hate About You is a 1999 American romantic comedy film. It is directed by Gil Junger and stars Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Larisa Oleynik, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Larry Miller. A loose adaptation of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew set in a modern American high school, the screenplay was written by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith. The movie's title is a twist on The Taming of the Shrew (see below) but is also a reference to a poem written by the film's female lead to describe her bittersweet romance with the male lead. The film was released March 31, 1999 and was a breakout success for stars Stiles and Ledger.[1][2][3]

A new boy in school, Cameron, likes the ever sought-after Bianca. However, she can't date anyone until her sister, Kat, does. Cameron gets the popular model Joey to pay outsider Patrick Verona to take out the ill-tempered Kat, so that he can take Bianca out. Joey thinks Bianca is going to go out with him though, and it all culminates at the prom.

The two sisters in The Taming of the Shrew are called Katharine and Bianca, while the two sisters in 10 Things are named Katarina, known as Kat, and Bianca. Kat and Bianca's last name is Stratford, making reference to Stratford-upon-Avon, the English town known worldwide as the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Katharina's suitor in Shakespeare's play is Petruchio of Verona, who becomes Patrick Verona in 10 Things. In the movie, the high school is named Padua, the city in which Shakespeare's play is set.