Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger Channel William Shakespeare in This ‘90s Classic Now On Streaming

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Depending on who you ask, you’re bound to get a lot of different answers when it comes to what the best movie from the ‘90s was. If you’re asking someone with a flair for the dramatics, they’d likely say something like The Shawshank Redemption or Forrest Gump, while an animation fan would probably hit you with The Lion King or Toy Story, a horror aficionado with Scream or The Silence of the Lambs and so on and so on. But, when you ask someone what the best teen movie of this generation was, they’re bound to come up with one of a few answers, and we’d wager a guess that 10 Things I Hate About You is at the top of that list. Helmed by Gil Junger (Black Knight), the coming-of-age story saw Julia Stiles (Save the Last Dance) and Heath Ledger (Candy) star opposite one another in a tale about star-crossed lovers ripped from the pages of William Shakespeare. Right now, whether you’re looking to take a walk down memory lane or check out the title for the first time, Peacock is the place to go to get your fix of this iconic piece of ‘90s cinema.

Just a few years after Baz Luhrmann adapted one of The Bard’s most famous pieces for a more modern generation, Junger did the same with a screenplay by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith. Although Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet was much more on the nose, 10 Things I Hate About You broke down the language of Shakespeare, making the film an even more modern telling.

In it, audiences tag along with Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Cameron James, a new student at Seattle’s Padua High School who has immediately taken an interest in his fellow classmate, Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik). Knowing that he has a few obstacles in the way, Cameron enlists the help of the school’s dreamy bad boy, Patrick Verona (Ledger), in order to get around Bianca’s father’s strict dating rules. For those not fluent in Shakesperian literature, the film’s plot comes straight from The Taming of the Shrew - with Stiles’ introverted character filling in the titular role.

A Very ‘90s Cast Lead '10 Things I Hate About You'

As was the case with just about every teen-targeted film of the decade, 10 Things I Hate About You was absolutely overflowing with the most popular faces of the decade. Joining its stellar leading lineup is an ensemble that includes Andrew Keegan (Sabrina the Teenage Witch), David Krumhotlz (The Santa Clause), Gabrielle Union (Bring It On), Allison Janney (The West Wing), Daryl Mitchell (Galaxy Quest), and more, with iconic and very of-the-time rock band, Letters to Cleo, also involved during a club sequence.

Despite only earning a 71% critics’ approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, 10 Things I Hate About You will forever be a decade-defining classic with some of the most iconic ‘90s names out there. Head over to Peacock now to feast your eyes on a piece of history.

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