The year 2024 marks the 25th anniversary of “10 Things I Hate About You,” the quintessential 1990s romantic comedy with an all-star cast including Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. As a self-proclaimed romantic comedy connoisseur, I highly recommend this film to everyone. It takes your typical romantic comedy and warmly satirizes the genre to create a film that any viewer will enjoy.

The film follows two teenage sisters, Kat (Julia Stiles) and Bianca (Larissa Olyenik), through their romantic trials, in a loose adaptation of “The Taming of the Shrew” by Shakespeare.” As with most romantic comedies, stereotypes permeate the plot. Kat is the archetypal rebel: she has a scowl, wears black, and screams Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation” in a beat-up car. Meanwhile, Bianca is the princess of the sophomore class, wearing an adorable summer dress as she catches the eyes of new student Cameron (Gordon-Levitt) and senior Joey (Andrew Keegan). As expected, the differences between the sisters create some antagonism. Kat often mocks Bianca for her cookie-cutter ways, while Bianca disdains her sister’s desire to stand out.

If that were the extent of stereotypes, there wouldn’t be much to discuss in “10 Things.” If you want to see another black cat – ironically named Kat – fall in love, watch “She’s All That.” If you want to watch Queen Bee from another school – Bianca – find her unlikely match, watch “Clueless.”

But “10 Things I Hate About You” amplifies stereotypes to the point of ridicule. When Cameron visits his new school, his guide and future best friend Michael (David Krumholtz) – and, predictably, object of comic relief – bluntly introduces him to the school cliques. The labels start out fairly typical – “AV Geeks” and “Basic Beautiful People,” to name a few – but quickly take a turn. The school has not just jocks and nerds, but also hilariously obscure groups, like the Future MBAs—for us Duke students, this preppy, nerdy group can hit close to home—and the lassoing Urban Cowboys. frequently stationary objects.

“10 Things I Hate About You” doesn’t shy away from perceptions of the romantic comedy genre. The film embraces them, before adding a touch of ironic humor.

The film’s plot structure resembles others from the 1990s romantic comedy era: two white, heterosexual, upper-middle-class, conventionally attractive teenagers fall in love, despite everything! However, there are several key differences that make the film stand out.

On the one hand, Kat is somewhat different from the typical protagonist of 1990s romantic comedies. She stays true to herself, even though this often conflicts with social norms. The protagonists of Queen Bee like Elle Woods already “fitting in” with their peers, while outcasts like Samantha Baker strive to fit in, changing themselves until they succeed.

Kat, however, is widely hated by the school for making her controversial views known. In English class, for example, she causes a stir by demanding that more female authors be included in the curriculum (while the class rolls their eyes). Even the guidance counselor calls her an “obnoxious bitch.” Kat continues to be hated at the end of the film, facing heckling while presenting a dramatic poetry assignment in front of the class.