[discussion] 10 things vs. Taming of the Shrew

[plantgirl]

Ooops, I'm a bad book club moderator, because I totally forgot to start the discussion this Monday! Sorry about that. I'm used to being able to toss the ball to joyce if I'm too busy, but she's way busy until she's done moving & school's done for the term, so you're stuck with me for another month or three

Comments

[plantgirl]

See, I actually enjoy 10 Things. It doesn't rank anywhere on my scale of great movies, but it made me smile, and even laugh out loud once or twice.

However, having said that, I agree with you that the movie has (almost) nothing to do with Taming. So if you were to update Taming, bring it into modern times, how would you go about it?

[joyce]

Things will be better starting Monday. Meantime, you rock.

[violetdawn]

Wasn't a big fan of 10 things, but I didn't hate it. It was pretty mindless and totally predictable, of course, but I've seen far worse adaptations/retellings/what-have-you.

I think if I was going to try and update taming I would probably do something like they did with Baz Lurhman's William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and use the original language and just update the locations and conditions.

I'm at work now and busy so I'll try to get back to this later.

[plantgirl]

I'm amused/pleased by one contrast between the two stories. Taming is about training a woman to be more tractable, but 10 Things celebrates Kat's independence all the way through.

[plantgirl]

I think having the father in 10 Things be an obstetrician is a clever way to justify his trying to keep his girls from dating. The only other plausible reason I can think of would be for religious/cultural issues, like the ones used in Bend It Like Beckham.