Gil Junger directed the rendition of “Taming of the Shrew” called “10 Things I Hate About You.” This filmed production was a good movie, contrary to what some say. 10 Things is based in a modern high school in Seattle. This movie would never strike the average viewing public as a remake of a Shakespearean playwright. This movie was pretty well done and actually kept things from the original Shakespearean play that I would have never guessed would be in it. The people they got to play the parts are similar to what I would have picked my self, yet the script they used was not what I’d have imagined. They make Bianca a stuck up preppy girl that is only interested in the hot rich kid.
The original script has a main theme of taming the shrewish woman, Kate, to be able to open her sister up for courting. The same theme set is in 10 Things, but changed a bit to fit modern days. Some of the names have been altered as well to fit the mindset of modern Americans. Instead of being wed/courted, it’s the ability to date, the prospect of a boyfriend, which is controlled by the elder sisters singleness. In regards that means there is no elaborate weddings that take place, nor any bets regarding whose wife comes on invitation. The dad, who’s strict, to the rules and controlling, just like Babptista in Taming, lays the rule of no dating for the younger sibling, Bianca Stratford, till her older sister, Kate Stratford, dates. Baptista was trying to get h9is children to where as in 10 things their father was against all dating. There are only two suitors interested in dating/courting Bianca, instead of the three. Joey, who is the parallel to Hortensio, gets Patrick Verona, parallel to Petruchio of Verona, to tame/woo Kate to allow her younger sibling Bianca to be free to date. Cameron, alternate to Luchentio otherwise known as “Cambio,” comes to the town as a new student and is immediately swept off his feet for Bianca, he quotes Luchentio by saying, “I burn, I pine, I perish,” a direct quote from Shakespeare. Cameron is willing to risk all to get with the fair Bianca. Cameron becomes tutor to Bianca, just as in “Taming of the Shrew” and helps her learn French, not Latin Michael Eckman is Cameron’s best friend and parallels Tranio. In the movie 10 Things Kat is even referred to as a shrew. Patrick, like Petruchio, tries hard to get with Kate, but unlike the play, it takes Patrick several attempts at wooing her before he actually succeeds. Though in the movie it seems like he was the one being “tamed,” doing things that he normally wouldn’t do as means of getting her to notice and like him more. Taming was all about him doing things she was astounded by to show that she had no authority or men. There is even a scene I thought was supposed to parallel the wedding scene with Petruchio, Patrick gets on the bleachers and basically embarrasses himself for the girl he wants. Though in the original play, this was played as a deterrent to begin the “taming” process of Kate. When Hortensio goes to teach Kate instruments she takes the instrument and beats him over the head with it. Equally Kat, in 10 Things, gets enraged and backs her car into Joey’s car and wrecks it a bit. When Patrick is talking about ways to get with Kat he refers to the task as “taming the beast,” just as it is referred to in the play. In the movie towards the end there is even a small thing that I thought was somehow resembles the calling of the wives, when Bianca beats up Joey. At the end Kat gives a speech in the play