Does the 1999 High School film adaptation (and contemporisation) of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew - 10 Thing I Hate About You - follow the Rom Com Film Rules?
10 THING I HATE ABOUT YOU (1999)
The following analysis may contain spoilers.
RULE #1 - The Characters
A: The Couple - Kat Stratford & Patrick Verona.
i - Balance - The balance in portrayal is actually between Kat & Cameron James (and to a lessor degree Michael), not Kat & Patrick.
ii - Opposites in Attitude/Behaviour - Her: Activist ; Him: Delinquent.
iii - Opposites in Life - Her: Studious; Him: Slacker. They are, however, both outsiders/loners.
iv - Occupations/free time involving Romance or the Media - School students, seemingly without occupation. Joey Donner is a male model, though.
B: The Best Friend/Confidant
As noted above they are both outsiders/loners. Patrick is seen a couple of times early in the film a
ccompanied by a punk extra, Kat is seen a couple of times later in the film with Mandella (Who has more screen time with Michael than with Kat). Cameron James & Michael do attach themselves to Patrick. Michael is Wacky and "Hollywood Ugly" by being ever-so-slightly geeky.
ccompanied by a punk extra, Kat is seen a couple of times later in the film with Mandella (Who has more screen time with Michael than with Kat). Cameron James & Michael do attach themselves to Patrick. Michael is Wacky and "Hollywood Ugly" by being ever-so-slightly geeky.
C: The Third Person - Joey Donner
There is no third person in the relationship. Joey, however, is Kat's ex, and the third person in the Cameron/Bianca Stratford relationship.
RULE #2 - There Won't Be T&A
Nothing. There is a scene where Kat flashes her breasts at a teacher, but it is filmed so the audience sees nothing.RULE #3 - The Meet-Cute
No Meet-Cute, although the premise of being paid to date may count as one.
RULE #4 - Circumstances
Patrick was hired to date Kat who hates men. This hate initially keeps them apart.
RULE #5 - Realisation of Love
RULE #5 - Realisation of Love
Patrick starts showing actual concern for Kat when she gets drunk at a party - just prior to her dancing provocatively on a table. Patrick refuses to kiss Kate when she's drunk, because she's drunk.
RULE #6 - The Break-Up
6a. The Reason - The fact that Patrick was initially paid to date Kat caused her to dump him at...
6b. The Event - The prom...
6d. But... - She was unaware that he had long ago refused the money.
RULE #7 - Separated Forever
Although Kat is going to move to go the college, it never really threatens them being together.
RULE #8 - Redemption
RULE #8 - Redemption
D: The Romantic Gesture - Patrick has a big romantic gesture in the middle of the film to get Kat interested, but it is Kat (the "wronged party") who reads her poem aloud in class.
RULE #9 - Happily Ever After
RULE #9 - Happily Ever After
When Patrick gives Kat a guitar to show he loves her she points out he can't just buy her a guitar every time he does something wrong, and he suggests a range of instruments.
RULE #10 - Sequels
No sequels. Both actors played leads in other romantic films.
RESULTS
Rules Followed: 1Aii; 2; 4; 5; 6A; 6B; 6D; 9; 10.
Rules Partially Followed: 1Aiii; 1B; 1C; 6E; 8D.
You know how I say that there are a few exceptions to my rom-coms = boring rules? This is one of those exceptions and I think it's mostly because I really love so many of the actors that I'm willing to suffer the silliness. And it helps that it's loosely based on Shakespeare.
ReplyDeleteI agree there's something about this one that goes beyond the standard Rom-Com and it is a lot less boring.
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