10 things I hate about you

10things

Last night I watched 10 Things I Hate About You - I scored it at the video store for only $9.95. One might have thought that with Heath Ledger's untimely demise the price might have gone up, but I guess they figure they can sell a whole bunch at the bargain basement price. After all, a DVD must only cost about $2 to produce.

Anyway, watching the movie again reminded me sooo much of high school. My friends and I were all obsessed with this film (along with Empire Records). "Look at me! look at me!" became as ubiquitous as "shock me shock me shock me with your deviant behaviour". I also remembered why the film was so good - it was relatively tame as far as sex, alcohol and drugs go, but it didn't treat teenagers like total idiots. The heroine of the film is a strong, independent girl who stands up for herself and what she wants. And yeah, getting a boyfriend sort of mellows her, but not in a way which compromises her ultimately independent nature.

Okay okay, so maybe I'm reading too much into it. But much like how I have always wanted to be Lynda from Press Gang, when I was 16 I wanted to be Kat Stratford. Wicked car, plays guitar, knees guys in the balls when they get too handsy... she was the kick-arse feminista I've always wanted to be. Of course, in real life I don't think that actually gets you the guy. Men may claim to want a girlfriend who likes footy, eats pies and burps along with the boys, but the guys I know actually all go for prissy, feminine girls. Who knows why... maybe they make better wives or something.

Anyway, one of the things which elevates 10 Things above your average teen movie is Heath Ledger's performance. It is actually fantastic - sufficiently ironic, not overplayed, and the scene where he dances on the stairs near the soccer field is just so whimsical. I'm sure countless people have made these observations before, but when I watch that film, I just cannot believe that he will never make another movie. 10 Things is certainly not his best film, it was never going to win an Oscar, but it shows his variety as an actor. And because 10 Things was such a formative part of my late high school years, I will always remember him like this:

Dance