She’s the Man is arguably one of the funniest and most entertaining teen films of the 2000s. But after watching it, viewers can check out ten similar movies that can hold their own against the Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum project. The 2006 teen romantic comedy is inspired by William Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night and tells the story of a teenager striving to prove herself as a soccer player and willing to do anything to accomplish her goals (pun intended). The film adapts Shakespeare’s play for modern times by featuring Bynes’ character, Viola Hastings, pretending to be her twin brother and joining her rival school’s boys’ soccer team.
She’s the Man is only one of many popular teen films from the 1990s and 2000s. Numerous romantic comedies, dramas, sports movies, and more contain similar vibes to Bynes’ 2006 film, some of which are on this list. Additionally, a handful of them are modern retellings of classical tales, from adaptations of Shakespeare’s work to Jane Austen’s books.
10 10 Things I Hate About You
Stream on Disney+
Like She’s the Man, 10 Things I Hate About You is a modern adaptation of a William Shakespeare play, The Taming of the Shrew. The 1999 movie stars Julia Stiles as Kat Stratford, Heath Ledger as Patrick Verona, Larisa Oleynik as Bianca Stratford, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cameron James. In the film, Kat and Bianca’s father establishes a rule — Bianca can’t date until her older sister dates. So, Cameron, who likes Bianca, schemes to find someone willing to go out with Kat, and he lands on Patrick, the school’s delinquent.
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9 What A Girl Wants
Stream on Max
Amanda Bynes starred in multiple teen comedies throughout the 2000s, and aside from She’s the Man, What a Girl Wants is one of her best films. Bynes plays Daphne Reynolds, a teenager searching for her biological father (who has no idea she exists) in the 2003 movie. However, her father — Henry Dashwood, played by Colin Firth — is a prestigious English politician (and an Earl) whose lifestyle clashes with Daphne’s carefree personality.
8 Motocrossed
Stream on Disney+
She’s the Man wasn’t the first modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night — the 2001 Disney Channel Original Movie Motocrossed was also inspired by the play. Like Amanda Bynes’ film, Motocrossed features a teenage girl whose love for sports drives her to pretend to be a boy. Alana Austin plays Andy Carson, whose father forbids her from motocross. So, when her twin brother injures himself and is unable to race, Andy disguises herself as him and competes in his place.
7 Easy A
Rent or Buy on Amazon Prime Video
Easy A is another film starring Amanda Bynes, but the actress portrays the villain instead of playing the protagonist. Similar to other movies on this list, Easy A is a modern retelling of a classical story — The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The 2010 teen romantic comedy stars Emma Stone as Olive Penderghast, a teenager who embraces the slut-shaming rumors about her going around her high school. Meanwhile, Bynes’ character, Marianne Bryant, harshly judges Olive, and she is the one who starts the first rumor.
6 Big Fat Liar
Stream on Starz
Before appearing in She’s the Man, Amanda Bynes starred in Big Fat Liar alongside Frankie Muniz. The 2002 teen comedy is partly based on Aesop’s Fable, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, and revolves around Muniz’s character, Jason Shepherd, a notorious liar. So, no one believes Jason when a Hollywood filmmaker steals his creative writing assignment for school and attempts to make it into a movie. The teenager and his best friend Kaylee, played by Bynes, travel to Los Angeles to put a stop to the production.
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5 Bend It Like Beckham
Stream on Disney+
This one is an easy correlation — She’s the Man is a teen movie about soccer, and Bend It Like Beckham is a teen movie about soccer (but they call it football since it takes place in England). Bend It Like Beckham stars Parminder Nagra as Jess Bhamra and Keira Knightley as Jules Paxton, two friends who want to be professional football players even though their parents try to dissuade them from pursuing their dream. They play for a local women’s amateur football team behind their parents’ backs, which, of course, leads to trouble.
4 Sydney White
Stream on Max
It seems as though Amanda Bynes starred in various modern adaptations throughout her career, including Sydney White, based on the Brothers Grimm’s fairytale, “Snow White.” Bynes’ character, Sydney, is a first-year college student who is denied entry into a sorority because the leader is jealous of her. So, Sydney moves in with seven men who are regarded as dorks. Together, they fight against elitism on campus in the 2007 teen romantic comedy film.
3 Romeo + Juliet
Rent or Buy on Vudu
As one could infer, Romeo + Juliet is inspired by William Shakespeare’s popular play, Romeo and Juliet. Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 movie takes Shakespeare’s well-known tale and places its characters in the post-modern setting of Verona Beach. In the film, the Capulets and Montagues are business rivals, making the relationship between Romeo and Juliet forbidden, like in the classic story. Romeo + Juliet stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes as the titular characters whose romance is doomed from the start.
2 A Cinderella Story
Stream on Max
A Cinderella Story is (you guessed it) inspired by the “Cinderella” fairytale and adapts the renowned story into a modern setting. The 2004 teen romantic comedy stars Hilary Duff as Sam Montgomery, the Cinderella character, and Chad Michael Murray as Austin Ames, the Prince Charming character. In the film, Sam loses her father at a young age and is forced to live with her evil stepmother and two stepsisters. One night, she sneaks away and dances with the love of her life (Austin), but because she is wearing a mask, Austin’s later efforts to find her are obviously fruitless.
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1 Clueless
Stream on Paramount+
Clueless is yet another modern movie based on classic literature. The 1995 teen comedy was inspired by Jane Austen’s novel Emma and tells the story of Alicia Silverstone’s Cher Horowitz, a rich and popular teenager whose life gets turned upside down when she befriends a new girl at school. Cher’s matchmaking skills get her in trouble, just like Emma Woodhouse’s antics in the 1815 book. Clueless is often regarded as one of the best teen films of all time, making it a must-watch after She’s the Man.
