<P> 10 Things I Hate About You is a 1999 American romantic comedy - drama film directed by Gil Junger and starring Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon - Levitt, and Larisa Oleynik . The screenplay, written by Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith, is a modernization of William Shakespeare's late - 16th century comedy The Taming of the Shrew, retold in a late - 1990s American high school setting . In the story, new student Cameron (Gordon - Levitt) is smitten with Bianca (Oleynik) and, in order to get around her father's strict rules on dating, attempts to get bad boy Patrick (Ledger) to date Bianca's ill - tempered sister, Kat (Stiles). The film is titled after a poem written by Kat about her bittersweet romance with Patrick . Much of the filming took place in the Seattle metropolitan area, with many scenes shot at Stadium High School in Tacoma . </P> <P> Released March 31, 1999, 10 Things I Hate About You was number two at the domestic box office during its opening weekend, behind only The Matrix, and was a moderate financial and critical success . It was a breakthrough role for Stiles, Ledger, and Gordon - Levitt, all of whom were nominated for various teen - oriented awards . Ten years later, the film was adapted into a television series of the same title, which ran for twenty episodes and featured Larry Miller reprising his role as Walter Stratford from the film . </P> <P> Cameron James, a new student at Padua High School in the Seattle area, becomes instantly smitten with popular sophomore Bianca Stratford . Geeky Michael Eckman warns him that Bianca is vapid and conceited, and that her overprotective father does not allow Bianca or her older sister, the shrewish Kat, to date . Kat, a senior, is accepted to Sarah Lawrence College in New York, but her father, Walter, wants her to stay close to home . Bianca wishes to date affluent senior Joey Donner, but Walter, an obstetrician worrisome of teenage pregnancy, will not allow his daughters to date until they graduate . Frustrated by Bianca's insistence and Kat's rebelliousness, Walter declares that Bianca may date only when Kat does, knowing that Kat's antisocial attitude makes this unlikely . </P> <P> When Cameron asks Bianca out, she informs him of her father's new rule and, as a pretense for allowing her to date Joey, suggests that Cameron find someone willing to date Kat . Cameron selects "bad boy" Patrick Verona, but Patrick scares him off . Michael assists by convincing Joey to pay Patrick to take out Kat, under the pretense that this will allow Joey to date Bianca . Patrick agrees to the deal, but Kat rebuffs his first few advances . Michael and Cameron help him by prying Bianca for information on Kat's likes and dislikes . Armed with this knowledge, Patrick begins to win Kat's interest . She goes to a party with him, which enables Bianca to go as well, much to Walter's dismay . </P>

Where does 10 things i hate about you take place