Last year, movies based on Shakespearean stories is their ability to find a strong central message amid a cacophony of intertwining narratives, and Anyone But You contorted its source material so much that all of its ensemble characters fall flat.
On the contrary, a very different contemporary Shakespeare adaptation did the Bard justice 25 years ago. 10 Things I Hate About You is adapted from Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, another comedy. In this film, Julia Stiles stars as the shrew in question, Kat Stratford, a radical feminist high schooler and punk rock aficionado who unwittingly falls for the charming Patrick Verona (played by Heath Ledger). The various Shakespeare adaptations thrive on chaos, and Anyone But You's use of characters solely as plot devices dialed down the frenzy needed for a truly satisfying ending.
10 Things I Hate About You Is The Chaotic Shakespearean Comedy Anyone But You Couldn't Be
The Side Plots Only Further Connect To The Film's Central Message Of Acceptance
10 Things I Hate About You is fairly true to its source material, keeping the names of Shakespeare's original characters. The story is all the more satisfying because of the shenanigans that ensue, which are concocted by their friends and siblings, who are all fully fleshed out characters with their own subplots that all lead to the same central message. Kat's sister Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) is striving for popularity, and forges her own journey throughout the film. By the end of the film, all the characters realize that for the right person, the shrew never needs to be tamed.
10 Things I Hate About You Scene Recreated By Gabrielle Union & Stepdaughter
Gabrielle Union posts a TikTok recreating one of her iconic scenes as Chastity from 10 Things I Hate About You with her stepdaughter, Zaya Wade.
Shakespearean comedies have distinguishable lead characters, but also complex ensemble casts. Such was certainly the case in 10 Things I Hate About You, when Kat's sister Bianca's quest for popularity is met with an ultimatum from her father – that in order to go to the prom, Kat must also go with a date.
As a result, her date, the misogynistic Joey, schemes to find the only possible boy in school who can like Kat. Patrick, a mysterious Australian student, is up for the challenge, and for the extra money involved in the bet. Among the schemers are also Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who wants the plot to fail so that he has time to win Bianca's affection over Joey, and Michael (David Krumholtz), the brains of the operation who is rehabbing his own reputation. The chaotic scheme at the heart of the story sparks personal growth journeys for all the characters involved.
Anyone But You Focuses Too Much On Its Lead Characters And Not On The Story
The Ensemble Of Anyone But You See Slim To No Character Development
On the contrary, Anyone But You focuses almost entirely on a misunderstanding that sparks a fierce loathing between leads Ben and Beatrice (Powell and Sweeney, respectively). When the pair are forced back into proximity at Bea's sister's wedding, where she is to wed Ben's best friend's sister, the only hijinks that ensue are the two leads pretending to be a couple when they are both surprisingly confronted with their recent exes. There is minimal information given on why Bea broke up with Jonathan (Darren Barnett) or any insight given about his character.
The minimal side plots of Bea's sister getting married, Jonathan getting together with Margaret, Ben's ex, and more, feel disted, leaving the film's final thesis murky.
A number of the other characters in the Anyone But You cast, notably Bea's parents, exist solely as plot devices to push the leads together. Bea's parents are adamant that she should get back together with Jonathan, pushing Bea to further lean into faking her relationship with Ben, until it becomes real. Their family bond's comedic elements feel forced, also with little information on their role in the chaos outside what they do for the leads.
The minimal side plots of Bea's sister getting married, Jonathan getting together with Margaret, Ben's ex, and more, feel disted, leaving the film's final thesis murky. While 10 Things I Hate About You's chaos ties everyone together in the end, Anyone But You's chaos only serves its main characters, making it underwhelming as a Shakespeare adaptation.
10 Things I Hate About You Remains One Of The Best Shakespeare Rom-Com Adaptations
The Film's Quotable Moments Continue To Resonate With New Generations
10 Things I Hate About You's central message of self-acceptance modernized the tale in a way that continues to feel timeless since its 1999 release. Kat Stratford never changes her ways, and Patrick Verona still loves her as she is. Bianca comes to realize that popularity is not worth sacrificing genuine connections and romances, even if Cameron is not as popular at school as Joey.
Anyone But You Ending Explained: Do Ben & Bea End Up Together?
Ben and Bea fake being in love in Anyone But You, and the movie's ending shakes up their lives in Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney's rom-com.
The heartwarming message coupled with countless humorous lines like "you can be overwhelmed, and you can be underwhelmed. Can you ever just be whelmed?", the Julia Stiles Shakespeare adaptation maintains major popularity among Gen Z viewers who were born close to the time of its release. Several pivotal scenes continue to spark TikTok trends, with many arguing that 10 Things I Hate About You is the blueprint of young adult rom-coms. The chaos creates an endearingly youthful flair, making its ending all the much harder to hate, even a little, even at all.
Anyone But You
- Release Date
- December 22, 2023
- Runtime
- 103 minutes
- Director
- Will Gluck
WHERE TO WATCH
Anyone But You is a romantic comedy by director Will Gluck starring Sydney Sweeny and Glen Powell. Sweeny and Powell star as Bea and Ben, two strangers with an incredible first date that goes sour following one incident at the tail end. Thinking the worst is behind them, the two are roped into a destination wedding in Sydney, Australia, where they'll have to pretend to be a couple despite absolutely hating each other.
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