70
Metascore
26 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Washington PostStephen HunterWashington PostStephen HunterIt's a celebration of young American women, finding them smarter, tougher, shrewder, more rigorous, more persistent and more honest than any movie in many a moon.
- 80Film ThreatRon WellsFilm ThreatRon WellsOf all the teen films released this year, this one is, by far, the best.
- 80SalonMary Elizabeth WilliamsSalonMary Elizabeth WilliamsWhat really elevates it, though, is the film's sharp wit and tender heart, both of which are conveyed beautifully by the fresh-faced cast.
- 75ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliWhat sets this apart from its many competitors for teen dollars is that not only does the movie feature a surprisingly edgy and intelligent script, but it offers a group of characters capable of holding an audience's interest for more than 90 minutes.
- 75Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneA mostly charming comedy that could probably win over even the crustiest English literature professor. [31 Mar 1999]
- 70Village VoiceVillage VoiceAnyone who hates '80s pop will find this movie awfully tiresome, but Stiles and her underage Petruchio (Australian actor Heath Ledger, as hunky as his name) are charismatic and bold enough to carry any romantic comedy.
- 63Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertAnd yet ... gee, the movie is charming, despite its exhausted wheeze of an ancient recycled plot idea.
- 50USA TodaySusan WloszczynaUSA TodaySusan WloszczynaWhile the attractive cast is willing, the translation into '90s teen culture is weak -- like a clueless adult's notion of cool.
- 50TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghThis teen-oriented gloss on Shakespeare's tale is cute and occasionally quite funny, but it's undermined by slack direction.