Of the stories that have been told in the past, some of the best writers for the stage and page are still referenced today in ways few would've expected, and two names that come to mind are William Shakespeare and Jane Austen. Even though some of their more famous stories, like Romeo and Juliet or Pride & Prejudice, have gained fame in their own right, other projects they've created have been adapted for modern audiences.
While it may not look it, the '90s and early 2000s best teen romance movies were inspired by the worlds of these two prolific writers. In this instance, Clueless was an adaptation of Austen's novel, Emma, while 10 Things I Hate About You re-imagined Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. Though both films were steeped in references to the decades they were set in, they also offered respectful nods and inspirations to the source material, so which was the best adaptation.
Clueless Updated Emma In an Organic Way
In Clueless, the film follows the young and affluent Cher Horowitz, who's not necessarily a bully but doesn't see herself as equal to everyone. This attitude eventually puts her in the direction of a new student named Tai, and with her best friend, Dionne, Cher devises a plan to give Tai a makeover as Cher tries to play matchmaker. However, what ended up happening was that Cher learned more about the value she placed upon herself and the people she grew up around.
Many of the same story beats from Emma were used in Clueless, which helped give the film a timeless aspect, but what made the movie different from the book was how it took the common themes of Emma and updated them for a modern audience. While events remained similar, the motivations behind them were altered to better fit the story. For example, Emma was interested in Frank Churchill, but ultimately it couldn't work as he was betrothed to someone else. However, the film depicted Christian -- the Churchill stand in -- as a gay man, which helped Cher reach the same conclusion as Emma and reflected the movie's more progressive times.
10 Things I Hate About You Altered Shakespeare's Questionable Aspects
10 Things I Hate About You is a story told through the eyes of multiple characters, all searching for love or understanding. Setting up the story, a young man finds a girl he would like to date in school. However, her overprotective father forbades them to date before her older sister, Kat, dated someone, even though her sister had no interest in dating. To combat this, the young man enlisted the help of Heath Ledger's character, Patrick Verona, to "tame the shrew." However, this story, much like the original Shakespeare play, eventually led to a genuine love story.
While the scheming used to get Patrick to fall for Kat was present both in the source and the film, The Taming of the Shrew employed tactics that could be considered misogynistic. For example, the courting between the main characters hadn't begun until they were married. While the setup for the film and the story were the same, much of the "romance" that took place in the story had Patrick's inspiration, Petrucio, gaslighting and neglecting Kat. Whereas the film had the two form a connection before their first kiss. It may not have affected the result of the film, which was the same as the story, but it greatly changed the overall outlook of the narrative.
Clueless Is the More Accurate Adaptation
While 10 Things I Hate About You improved greatly on the story Shakespeare had created, its overall execution pointed out the societal flaws that made the story comedic at the time. As a result, it's hard to say it's an accurate adaptation, as it had to fundamentally alter the events to justify the story and title to a modern audience. That said, Clueless featured many of the same story elements as Emma and even taught the same lessons almost verbatim.
A great example was how Tai fell for Travis, even though everyone told her he was good for nothing. This was similar to how Travis' counterpart, Robert, was ultimately a good person and a great fit for Harriet. Clueless showed just how impactful Jane Austen's work has remained, and now that the film has reached cult classic status, it has inadvertently given more credence to the source material as well. It's a clever adaptation that served to improve on an already masterful story and wasn't afraid to push the boundaries of what it could adapt.