10 Things I Hate About You – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

10 Things I Hate About You

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie1999

74%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Shakespeare meets late-90s high school: smart, funny, and surprisingly holds up despite the frosted tips and sexual innuendo overload.

7.4/10

72%

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10 Things I Hate About You

movie

PG-13, 1999

74%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Shakespeare meets late-90s high school: smart, funny, and surprisingly holds up despite the frosted tips and sexual innuendo overload.

7.4

72%

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Screenwise Verdict

This is the platonic ideal of a late-90s teen romcom: sharp dialogue, appealing leads, and a Shakespeare backbone that gives it more substance than it has any right to have. Julia Stiles makes Kat a character worth rooting for—she's smart, prickly, and doesn't apologize for it. Heath Ledger is impossibly charming, and their chemistry sells the whole thing.

The sexual humor is relentless (this was the PG-13 era of pushing boundaries) and the manipulation premise is ethically messy, but the movie at least interrogates its own premise by the end. Kat gets her agency, Patrick gets called out, and the romance feels earned.

It's aged better than most of its contemporaries—the frosted tips and cargo pants are hilarious, but the core themes of authenticity and not selling yourself out still land. If your teen can handle the sexual references and you're okay with some underage drinking scenes, this is a solid pick that's actually entertaining and has something to say.

Age Fit

Best for ages 13-17, maybe mature 12-year-olds if they're ready for constant sexual innuendo and teen party culture. The humor and references are firmly late-90s teen territory. Adults still enjoy it for nostalgia and Ledger's charisma, but it's peak high school romcom.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

A Shakespeare adaptation that models genuine character growth—Kat learns to open up, Patrick moves beyond mercenary motives, and the central romance earns its payoff. The manipulation plot (paying someone to date Kat) is problematic but gets called out by the end. Sexual humor is frequent but mostly verbal; the emotional core about independence vs. connection is sound. Some outdated gender dynamics (the whole 'taming the shrew' premise) but the movie at least gives Kat agency and brains.

Imaginative

Clever Shakespeare modernization that translates The Taming of the Shrew into late-90s high school politics. The dialogue has wit and the rom-com structure plays with genre expectations (the paid-romance scheme, the paintball date, the stadium poem scene). But it's ultimately a formula romcom—well-executed but not groundbreaking. Doesn't invite creative participation, just solid entertainment.

Safe

PG-13 with frequent crude sexual humor and dialogue (references to 'getting laid,' comments about girls' bodies per Common Sense Media). Alcohol and drug scenes involving teens. A party scene with underage drinking. Language includes some profanity. No graphic content but the sexual references are persistent enough that younger kids would be exposed to mature themes. The manipulation premise (paying someone to date Kat as a scheme) is ethically murky. Predictable romcom structure means no shocking violence or trauma.

Enriching

Introduces Shakespeare to teens through accessible adaptation. Kat is a feminist character who reads Sylvia Plath and challenges conformity—positive representation of an independent, intellectual girl. Themes of authenticity, not compromising yourself for popularity, and the complexity of attraction. The movie rewards smarts and individuality. Heath Ledger's charm and Julia Stiles' intelligence make it more than empty calories. But it's still fundamentally a teen romcom, not a masterclass in empathy or ethics.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Julia Stiles' Kat is a genuinely smart, feminist character who doesn't compromise herself for a guy—she reads Sylvia Plath and calls out sexist BS
Heath Ledger's breakout role is charming as hell; the stadium serenade scene is iconic romcom territory
Clever Shakespeare adaptation that makes The Taming of the Shrew accessible and actually fun for teens
Themes of authenticity and not conforming to popularity pressures are solid developmental territory
Witty dialogue and chemistry between leads elevate it above typical teen fare

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What to Watch For

Sexual humor is constant—references to 'getting laid,' objectifying comments, passionate kissing. It's all verbal/implied but persistent
The entire premise is manipulative: Cameron pays Patrick to date Kat so he can date Bianca. It gets addressed but it's still icky
Party scene with underage drinking and some drug references (a character eats pot brownies)
Some language and the overall tone is firmly PG-13—not scandalous but definitely teen-targeted

Conversation Starters

"What do you think about Patrick getting paid to date Kat? Does it matter that he ends up actually liking her?"
"Kat doesn't want to be 'tamed' or change for anyone. When is it good to compromise in a relationship vs. staying true to yourself?"
"The movie is based on a Shakespeare play where a guy literally 'tames' a difficult woman. How is this version different? Is it still problematic?"
"Would you ever go along with your friends' schemes to help them date someone? Where's the line?"

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