“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, that it makes me sick
And even makes me rhyme
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 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”
If you’re anything like me, you can immediately name the movie this poem comes from. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), a modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, has become a cult classic for rom-com lovers worldwide. The story follows two sisters, the younger, Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) , wanting to date the cool senior boy but can only do so once her older sister, Kat (Julia Stiles), dates someone. On his first day at his new school, Cameron (Joseph Godon Levitt) falls in love with Bianca at first sight as she brushes past him on the quad. To his disappointment, Cameron learns of Bianca’s dating restriction but soon devises a plan with new friend Michael (David Krumholtz) to pay someone to date Kat in order for Cameron to score a date with Bianca. They recruit “hot-shot” Joey (Andrew Keegan) who meets mysterious rebel Patrick (Heath Ledger) and convinces him to take Kat out, with fair compensation of course. The film continues to follow the pining of Cameron’s love for Bianca and the strain of built-up lies at the bases of Kat and Patrick’s faux relationship.
While Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew is set in Padua, Italy, the film sets its stage in Seattle, Washington. Originally, the movie was planned to be shot in Los Angeles but weeks before shooting began, the choice was made to shoot on site in Washington. Within my first week in the PNW, I dragged my family and friends to every filming location from the film. If you’re curious where to find some of these iconic places, here’s a list of some of the most notable filming locations for 10 Things I Hate About You.
Stadium High School: 111 N E St, Tacoma, WA
Arguably, Heath Ledger’s legacy was immortalized as “The Joker” in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight (2008), but rom-com fans will always remember him serenading Julia Stiles with Franki Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” in the stands of a football stadium. 10 Things I Hate About You shot at Stadium High School and its adjoining Stadium Bowl in Tacoma, Washington for all the scenes set at “Padua High School”. The building has an intriguing history as it was originally intended to be a luxury hotel in 1891 but through a series of unfortunate events led to it becoming a high school in 1906. If you’re looking to visit the iconic school, bear in mind that it still hosts classes for its students Monday-Friday during the school year. If you want an inside look at the school, you can book a spooky-tour on select Saturdays here: https://prettygrittytours.com/stadium-high-tour.html
Stratford House: 2715 North Junett Street, Tacoma, WA
While you’re in Tacoma visiting Stadium High School, take a quick 5 minute drive to the house of Kat and Bianca Stratford with its wrap-around porch and overlook of the water. While this home is forever cemented as the “Stratford Home”, residents do live in the home so if you take a visit be mindful not to trespass and to respect the owner’s privacy.
Kerry Park: 250 W Highland Dr Queen Ann Hill, Seattle, WA
10 Things I Hate About You rolls its opening credits on the backdrop of the Seattle skyline, shot at Kerry Park. This is a great spot for a classic tourist picture with the Space Needle, Elliott Bay, and Mount Rainier in the distance.
Fremont Troll: Troll Ave N, Seattle, WA
Nestled in the underpass of the George Washington Memorial Bridge is Fremont’s own troll who celebrated its 33rd anniversary this past Halloween. While the troll only has less than a minute of screen time in 10 Things I Hate About You, it’s still worth the trip to see the unique piece of art for yourself!
Gas Works Park: 2101 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA
To round off your movie tour, stop at Gas Works Park and enjoy the sunset over Lake Union, you might even stop a couple paddle-boating on the lake ;) Its towering bronze structures are a notable spectacle however, most of them are fenced off. In 10 Things I Hate About You, Kat and Patrick have a playful paintball fight and while most of the set was built only for the film, you can still pinpoint the patch in the park where the pair ran around.
Sources Cited & Linked Below:
Junger, Gil, director. 10 Things I Hate About You. performances by Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger, Touchstone Pictures, 1999.
Klippert, Doug. “Stadium High School 1906 -.” History of Stadium, web.archive.org/web/20150102054624/www.klippert.com/Stadium/History.html. Accessed 6 Nov. 2023.
Lindsay. “The ‘10 Things I Hate about You’ House.” IAMNOTASTALKER, 12 Sept. 2010, www.iamnotastalker.com/2010/09/13/the-10-things-i-hate-about-you-house/.
Nolan, Christopher, director. The Dark Knight. performances by Christian Bale and Heath Ledger, Warner Brothers, 2008.
Sarah Anne Lloyd and Sean Keeley. “The Seattle Filming Locations of ‘10 Things I Hate about You,’ Mapped.” Curbed Seattle, Curbed Seattle, 9 Aug. 2019, seattle.curbed.com/maps/10-things-i-hate-about-you-locations. “Stadium High Tour.” PRETTYGRITTYTOURS.COM, prettygrittytours.com/stadium-high-tour.html. Accessed 6 Nov. 2023.