"Cameron" (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a bit keen on "Bianca" (Larisa Oleynik) but she has eyes on the wealthy school Lothario "Joey" (Andrew Keegan). Regardless of who likes who, though, her dad won't allow her out of the house, socially, unless her independently-minded and rather stand-offish sister "Kat" (Julia Stiles) goes too. She's no intentions of playing any games of conformity, though, so it's a stale mate! Hormones drive ingenuity and swiftly "Cameron" and his pal "Michael" (David Krumholtz) come up with a plan to hook up "Kat" with "Patrick" (Heath Ledger). He hasn't much interest in the school or it's traditions either, so he might just be for her. Their cunning plan needs a backer, so they alight on the dim "Joey" to fund the operation so he can get a date with "Bianca". What a complex web we have weaved - and of course it's only a matter of time and tequila before we are set on the, rather predictable, bumpy course of true love. It is all standard fayre that leads to an obvious, slightly too sentimental, conclusion, but along the way there is a great soundtrack - Joan Armatrading sounds great with big screen sound - and plenty of humour too. Some of that is a bit crass, but there is still loads that works better as these horny, vain and bloody-minded kids try to get their guy/gal. Allison Janney features all too sparingly as the guidance teacher who cares little for her pupils - unless they can contribute to the steamy novel she is writing when their problems don't disrupt her concentration. Stiles and Ledger do gel well with the latter showing quite a degree of mischievous charisma with his pretty limiting role. There isn't really anything new here, but it has something engaging of the "Breakfast Club" (1985) style to it and I quite enjoyed it. The ending really did make me glad I come from a nation that spares it's children from that ghastly end of term torture that is "the Prom"!
