Romcoms Based on Classic Literature

Easy A (2010), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), Clueless (1995), She's All That (1999)

The 90s and early 2000s were exciting times for romcoms. While many of our films nowadays are live actions or remakes of older films (such as Cheaper by the Dozen and He's All That), films a decade or two back were new spins on classic literature.

Films like Clueless and 10 Things I Hate About You best exemplify the mix of teen romantic comedy with classic literature, based on Emma by Jane Austen and Taming of the Shrew by Shakespear respectively.

Alison Herman in an article from The Ringer points out that perhaps the popularity of teen romcoms based on literary works is "because the very books that films like Easy A and Clueless are based on are also the ones their target audience are currently assigned to read in class."

Clueless (1995) Source Credit: Paramount Pictures

I believe another reason these films work so well is that they touch on timeless themes surrounding love, relationships, and individuality. In Jane Austen's Emma, ultimately the novel is about status: Emma's status in relation to her friend Harriet, Harriet's to Mr. Elton's, etc. etc. Therefore, the updated scenery placing Cher Horowitz, our modern-day Emma, at the top of the social ladder makes perfect sense.

10 Things I Hate About You (1999) Source Credit: Buena Vista Pictures

Another thing that stands out among these romcoms is the inherent feminism that empowers the women of these stories that may or may not has been present in the original text. For example, Kat in 10 Things I Hate About You could be said to be "tamed" by Patrick, but he is just as in love with her as she is with him. While Kat in the play eventually begins to love her husband, 10 Things brings a much-needed update.

Many of the works being adapted had feminist themes for the time they were written and so the conscious choice to update them for a modern audience that perhaps changes the original text, only makes the adaptations even more similar in theme to their original.

In my opinion, these films, despite being nearly two decades old (and based on literature from centuries before), are still relevant, enjoyable, and beloved properties that hopefully might inspire more of these literature-based romcoms in the future.

Below is my ranking of teen romantic comedies based on classic literature:

Please like and visit my Instagram for updates on my next post and let me know which teen romcom adaptation is truly the best (and what classic you'd like to see turned into a teen romcom next!)

References:

Herman, Alison. “Why Are the Best Teen Movies Based on Classic Literature?” The Ringer,

The Ringer, 27 Aug. 2020, https://www.theringer.com/movies/2020/8/27/

21403841/teen-movies-classic-literature-10-things-clueless-easy-a.