It’s been 20 years since 10 Things I Hate About You came out and yet it still remains a ’90s classic. Here are 10 of the most quotable lines from the film.
Not to make everyone feel old, but 10 Things I Hate About You turns 20 on March 31. This feminist retelling of Shakespeare’s play Taming of the Shrew is a classic for a reason, as it perfectly mixes comedy and romance.
So many rom-coms rely heavily on the romance aspect and leave the comedy for the best friend or another supporting character, but this film balanced both very well. And because of that balance, 10 Things I Hate About You is infinitely quotable. While there is probably an iconic quotable line in every scene, here are our top 10 below.
"Chastity: Mr. Stratford, it’s just a party.Walter Stratford: And hell is just a sauna."
While the father (Larry Miller) in the film is wildly overprotective, he has possibly some of the funniest lines in the whole movie. This one is a prime example. He is so scared his daughters will end up pregnant that he won’t let them out of his sight unless it’s for school. Here, his daughter’s friend (Gabrielle) Union) is trying to convince him otherwise.
"Chastity: I know you can be overwhelmed, and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed?Bianca: I think you can in Europe."
Such a funny line between the two best friends! And yes, Chastity, you can be whelmed. It’s what happens when you let the void wash over you.
"Patrick: Don’t let anyone ever make you feel like you don’t deserve what you want."
*swoon* Sadly, Patrick (Heath Ledger) is not saying this to Kat (Julia Stiles) in this scene but is actually talking to Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). He’s trying to encourage him to go after Bianca if she’s what he really wants. Cameron feels like an outcast and undeserving of Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) for most of the beginning of the movie but this line really is the turning point for him. After this, she begins showing her who he really is.
"Patrick: Ooh, see that, there. Who needs affection when I have blind hatred?"
I mean, sometimes that’s all we have to give. Take what you can get. This is said while Patrick is trying to win Kat over. She is rightly suspicious of his newfound interest and tells him she is not buying his shtick.
"Cameron: Just ’cause you’re beautiful, that doesn’t mean that you can treat people like they don’t matter."
One of the best lines in the movie. Bianca has never seen Cameron as a human being up until this point when he finally stands up for himself. He wants to be seen as an equal and as someone who is up to her standards. This line makes her reexamine who she is and how she has been treating people.
"Kat: Romantic? Hemingway? He was an abusive, alcoholic misogynist who squandered half of his life hanging around Picasso trying to nail his leftovers."
Has there ever been a truer statement in film ever?! Hemingway is highly overrated.
"Walter Stratford: Hello, Katarina. Make anyone cry today?Kat: Sadly, no. But it’s only 4:30."
This is another classic line and one that introduces Kat’s character perfectly. She doesn’t hold back when she’s pissed about something and even her father is aware of that. She didn’t get the reputation she has at her school by being nice.
"Patrick : Hey there girly. How you doin’?Kat: Sweating like a pig actually and yourself?Patrick : Now there’s a way to get a guy’s attention huh?Kat: My mission in life. But, obviously I struck your fancy so you see it worked. The world makes sense again."
The banter between these two is epic. And Kat’s honesty, while would probably be off putting for most dudes, is what ends up making Patrick fall in love with her. Her first instinct is to push people away with her wit, but that backfires this time. While the bet between Patrick and Joey was still in play here, it’s obvious that these two would have gotten together whether there was a scheme behind it or not.
"Kat: I guess, in this society, being male and an asshole makes you worthy of our time."
Welcome to the patriarchy! There were very few films during this time (1999) that recognized any discrepancies between men and women’s lives, but this film did is perfectly. It didn’t get beyond the basics of feminism, but it still showed the audience a feminist character (Kat) that wasn’t afraid to call out sexism and misogyny.
"Kat: I hate the way you talk to me, and the way you cut your hair. I hate the way you drive my car. I hate it when you stare. I hate your big dumb combat boots, and the way you read my mind. I hate you so much it makes me sick; it even makes me rhyme. I hate it, I hate the way you’re always right. I hate it when you lie. I hate it when you make me laugh, even worse when you make me cry. I hate it when you’re not around, and the fact that you didn’t call. But mostly I hate the way I don’t hate you. Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all."
This is the monologue everyone remembers from the film. Kat’s class is assigned to write a poem and this is what she writes and ends up reading in front of everyone ( plus Patrick). It brilliantly shows the development of her character arc. She starts off as someone who appears to hate everyone but through her relationship with Patrick and her talks with her sister, she is able to open up and bring down her walls to let someone in. It’s such a beautiful moment.
What are your favorite quotes from 10 Things I Hate About You? Did we miss one of your favorites? Let us know in the comment section.