10 Things I Hate About You — The Rewatchables Tracker

Back to the movie index

Overall episode#22Source sheet order

Movie year19991990s

Tomatometer72%Critics’ score

Metacritic70View score

Roger Ebert—No review recorded

DirectorGil JungerRomance / Comedy

FROM THE CONVERSATION

What they said about the movie

A celebratory episode about 10 Things I Hate About You as a beloved, prescient late-90s teen comedy with standout performances, especially Heath Ledger and Andrew Keegan. The hosts praise its humor, soundtrack, setting, and feminist edge while also noting some dated elements and a rushed romantic resolution.

Based only on this episode’s transcriptTimes approximateSpeakers were clearly identifiedExplore the connections

In this conversation

Juliet Litman

Amanda DobbinsAndrew Gruttadaro

WHY IT WORKS

What made it rewatchable

01Heath Ledger’s marching-band serenade of Kat is singled out as an iconic, highly rewatchable sequence. Opening minutes
02Julia Stiles’s table dance to 'Hypnotize' is praised as a memorable, awkward, and visually iconic moment. Opening minutes
03Kat’s end-of-movie poem is treated as a go-to scene that the hosts can quote and revisit easily. About 8 min
04The film’s cast is viewed as unusually strong for a teen movie, making the ensemble fun to revisit. About 8 min
05The film’s tight pacing and shot-for-shot efficiency are praised as part of why it works so well on rewatch. About 24 min · medium confidence

WHAT DID NOT WORK

Their main criticisms

minorThe soundtrack has some dated, corny selections and remix choices. About 16 min
moderateThe school discipline and bar access are implausible by current standards. About 16 min
moderateThe final romantic resolution feels rushed and unearned, especially the guitar gift. About 32 min
minorSome fashion choices have not aged well, especially Kat’s platform flip-flops and certain crop tops. About 16 min · medium confidence

SCENES THEY KEPT COMING BACK TO

Standout moments

Favorite

Marching-band serenade in the stadium

Patrick sings and dances to 'Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You' for Kat, and the hosts treat it as a defining sequence.

Opening minutes

Favorite

Table dance to 'Hypnotize'

Kat’s drunken table dance is treated as an unforgettable visual set piece, awkward and iconic at once.

Opening minutes

Favorite

Closing poem

Kat’s spoken poem is praised as emotionally effective and beautifully written.

About 8 min

positive

Party flyer drop and Bogey Lohenstein’s party

The lead-in to the party is identified as part of a highly rewatchable sequence.

Opening minutes · medium confidence

mixed

Paintball date

Mentioned as funny and visually delightful, but also tied to the ending’s rushed romance.

About 32 min · medium confidence

WHERE THEY DISAGREED

The biggest debates

They partly agreed About 16 min

How harsh the dad’s no-dating rule is

Andrew Gruttadaro
The father is more of a problem because he changes the rule and creates conflict.

Juliet Litman
The initial no-dating-until-college rule is strict but not outrageous.

Amanda Dobbins
The rule is still somewhat conservative, but survivable.

No final agreement About 32 min · medium confidence

Best teen dance scene compared with other teen movies

Juliet Litman
She’s All That has the top dance scene.

Amanda Dobbins
10 Things is strong but not the top of the mountain.

Andrew Gruttadaro
The 10 Things stadium serenade is his favorite here, though not necessarily the overall winner.

They partly agreed About 32 min

Whether the ending works

Amanda Dobbins
The guitar gift and immediate forgiveness feel like a bullshit shortcut.

Juliet Litman
The rom-com ending is enjoyable but unrealistic.

Andrew Gruttadaro
The charm of Ledger largely sells it anyway.

11 People discussedActors, directors, writers, and producers

very favorableHeath LedgerJuliet Litman: Praised as magnetic, funny, charismatic, and the film’s defining performance. Opening minutes favorableJulia StilesAmanda Dobbins: Praised for Kat’s intelligence, coolness, poem, and dance scene, though some later roles are criticized. Opening minutes

mixedLarisa OleynikJuliet Litman: Acknowledged as an early breakout from Alex Mack, but the hosts prefer the Alex Mack persona over Bianca. Opening minutes

very favorableAndrew KeeganAmanda Dobbins: Held up as the movie’s best supporting performance and a heat-check apex. About 16 min

favorableGabrielle UnionAmanda Dobbins: Seen as part of the strong cast, though her character’s ending is disappointing. About 16 min · medium confidence

favorableDavid KrumholtzAmanda Dobbins: Praised as a capable part of the ensemble and a child-star success story. About 16 min · medium confidence

mixedSusan May PrattAmanda Dobbins: Described as a recurring teen-movie antagonist who later becomes more likable in Center Stage. About 16 min · medium confidence

favorableAllison JanneyAndrew Gruttadaro: Her strict school administrator role is praised as a great performance that kicks off a larger run. About 24 min

favorableJoseph Gordon-LevittJuliet Litman: Viewed as solid here, though one host says he was later turned into too much of a hipster heartthrob. About 24 min · medium confidence

neutralJuliet LitmanReferenced as the host of Bachelor Party during the ad break. About 24 min

neutralChris RyanAmanda Dobbins: Mentioned as the person to ask about desk-watching the poem and as a 500 Days of Summer reference point. About 8 min · medium confidence

8 Conversation takesSpeakers shown only where the transcript identifies them

Andrew GruttadaroLoved it

Bogey Lohenstein’s party / flyer drop / table dance

Calls the party sequence, especially the table dance, the film’s most rewatchable stretch.

Opening minutes

Amanda DobbinsLoved it

Heath Ledger’s marching-band serenade

Says the 'Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You' stadium performance is her most rewatchable scene and the first thing she thinks of when she thinks of Ledger.

Opening minutes

Juliet LitmanLoved it

Kat’s closing poem

Chooses the final poem as her favorite scene and watches it regularly at work.

About 8 min

Andrew GruttadaroLoved it

Heath Ledger as Patrick Verona

Argues Ledger’s role is the iconic Heath Ledger performance and a relief from his darker later image.

Opening minutes

Amanda DobbinsLoved it

Kat Stratford

Says Kat’s feminism and intelligence feel ahead of their time and that she is unusually cool and lovable.

About 8 min

Andrew GruttadaroLoved it

Andrew Keegan

Calls Keegan the episode’s heat-check winner and a perfect 90s bully.

About 16 min

Amanda DobbinsMixed

Soundtrack

Likes the soundtrack overall but notes some tracks and remix choices have aged poorly.

About 16 min

Juliet LitmanMixed

Rom-com resolution

Loves the genre but thinks the ending is too fast and the guitar gesture is an implausible shortcut.

About 32 min

5 ThemesThe larger ideas in the discussion

Teen feminism and wokeness

Kat’s feminist attitude and anti-Hemingway reading are described as ahead of their time.

About 8 min

Iconic teen-romcom grand gestures

The movie is framed as a celebration of big musical and poetic gestures.

Opening minutes

Late-90s teen-movie casting

The cast is treated as a showcase of future stars and breakout roles.

Opening minutes

Pacific Northwest atmosphere

The Tacoma location and dramatic school setting are discussed as part of the movie’s charm.

About 8 min

Teen social hierarchy and clubs

The film’s world of bands, bars, and school cliques is treated as both fun and oddly permissive.

About 24 min · medium confidence

21 Facts and referencesProduction notes and other movies mentioned

Production note

The film was shot entirely on location, including Stadium High School in Tacoma, Washington.

About 8 min

Production note

Heath Ledger’s character was reportedly also desired by Ashton Kutcher and Josh Hartnett.

Opening minutes

Production note

The hosts claim Julia Stiles’s table dance led to her being cast in Save the Last Dance.

Opening minutes · medium confidence

Production note

They say it took only one take to shoot the final poem and that the tears were natural and improvised.

About 8 min · medium confidence

Production note

Andrew Keegan is discussed as leading a spiritual organization called Full Circle in Venice.

About 8 min

Production note

They mention that the film’s dance finale does not fully resolve the central conflict before the credits.

About 32 min

Alex Mack

Used as a better-known early role for Larisa Oleynik.

Opening minutes

IMDb

Mentioned as an imperfect source for casting trivia.

Opening minutes

Save the Last Dance

Referenced repeatedly when discussing Julia Stiles’s dancing and career later in the 2000s.

Opening minutes

Brokeback Mountain

Used as a comparison point for Heath Ledger’s later dramatic career.

Opening minutes

The Dark Knight

Mentioned as part of Ledger’s later iconic roles.

Opening minutes

The West Wing

Cited as Allison Janney’s next major breakthrough role in the same year.

About 24 min

O

Referenced as a rough teen-Shakespeare adaptation and another Julia Stiles vehicle.

About 8 min

Romeo and Juliet

Used to describe the peak/start of the teen Shakespeare trend.

About 8 min

Bikini Kill

Cited as part of Kat’s punk/music references.

About 8 min

The Raincoats

Cited alongside Bikini Kill as an important reference in Kat’s cultural world.

About 8 min

Barenaked Ladies' 'One Week'

Mentioned as the opening soundtrack cue and criticized as dated.

About 16 min

Smash Mouth

Used as another soundtrack example that feels corny now.

About 16 min

Can't Hardly Wait

Referenced while discussing late-90s soundtrack culture and Smash Mouth.

About 16 min · medium confidence

The Bell Jar

Referenced as part of Kat’s reading and feminist attitude.

About 32 min · medium confidence

Pretty in Pink

Used as a classic comparison for the dance scene and romantic resolution.

About 32 min

11 Running jokes and short linesRecurring bits captured from the conversation

Dion Waiters Award

Used to identify the best heat-check supporting performance, with Andrew Keegan chosen as the winner.

About 16 min

Half-assed internet research

A recurring self-aware bit about uncertain online trivia and casting notes.

Opening minutes

No flash mobs

A joke about never wanting public romantic gestures in adulthood.

Opening minutes · medium confidence

Center Stage enthusiasm

Amanda repeatedly praises Center Stage and suggests a future B-side episode.

About 16 min

Penis-drawing anecdote

A digression about Andrew Keegan not knowing how to draw a penis, used as behind-the-scenes trivia.

About 24 min · medium confidence

Concussion protocol

The hosts jokingly credit Patrick with knowing how to handle Kat’s fall after the stadium date.

About 32 min · medium confidence

Juliet Litman

“Not even at all.”

About 8 min

Amanda Dobbins

“This is a great visual cue.”

Opening minutes · medium confidence

Andrew Gruttadaro

“This is how I think of him.”

Opening minutes

Amanda Dobbins

“I like my Prada backpacks”

About 8 min

Andrew Gruttadaro

“He’s a prick in all the right ways”

About 16 min

MAKE IT A MOVIE NIGHT

Where to watch

UNITED STATES

Checking where 10 Things I Hate About You is available…

WHAT TO WATCH NEXT

Movies to watch before and after.

Three movies to watch before 10 Things I Hate About You, and three to watch next.

Finding six movies…Three to watch first and three to watch next.

ON THE MIC

3 voices on this episode

Juliet LitmanThe Rewatchables

Amanda DobbinsThe Rewatchables

Andrew GruttadaroThe Rewatchables

REWATCH FAVS

One of your favorites?

Upvote it for the live listener ranking.

YOUR PROGRESS

Save this one to your tracker

KEEP LISTENING

Hear the full conversation

Play the episode directly from the official feed, open it on Spotify, or save it to your private Listen Later playlist.

Play episode Find on Spotify