Cruel Intentions (1999)

Director:

Roger Kumble

Writers (WGA):

Choderlos de Laclos (novel)
Roger Kumble (screenplay)

Release Date:

5 March 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

In the game of seduction, There is only one rule: Never fall in love

Plot:

Kathryn makes a bet that her step-brother, Sebastian, won't be able to bed Annette (a virgin, who wants to wait until love). If he loses, Kathryn gets his Jaguar, if he wins, he gets Kathryn.

Plot Keywords:

Virgin | Bet | Jaguar | Love | Wager

Awards:

6 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Sarah Michelle Gellar	...	Kathryn Merteuil
Ryan Phillippe	...	Sebastian Valmont
Reese Witherspoon	...	Annette Hargrove
Selma Blair	...	Cecile Caldwell
Louise Fletcher	...	Helen Rosemond
Joshua Jackson	...	Blaine Tuttle
Eric Mabius	...	Greg McConnell
Sean Patrick Thomas	...	Ronald Clifford
Swoosie Kurtz	...	Dr. Greenbaum
Christine Baranski	...	Bunny Caldwell
Alaina Reed Hall	...	Nurse
Deborah Offner	...	Mrs. Michalak
Tara Reid	...	Marci Greenbaum
Herta Ware	...	Mrs. Sugarman
Hiep Thi Le	...	Mai-Lee

Also Known As:

Cruel Inventions (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual dialogue and sexual situations involving teens, language and drug use.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Vietnamese | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #36155) | Iceland:12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Malaysia:18SX | Germany:12 (cut TV version) | Singapore:R(A) (cut) | Philippines:PG-13 | Ireland:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Belgium:KNT | Brazil:18 | Chile:18 | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Mexico:C | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

5th Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Sebastian sitting in a wheelchair by the pool and listening to Ludwig van Beethoven's 9th Symphony is a reference to Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971). In the end of the movie the old man in a wheelchair (Mr. Alexander), whose wife Alex and his droogs raped, is torturing Alex by playing the 9th Symphony as Alex is upstairs locked up in a room.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Annette and Sebastian are in the pool talking, a blocking cross is visible at the bottom of the pool, which both stand on at some point in the scene.

Quotes:

Gretchen (a hooker): Books are for fags.
Sebastian: Books are for fags? Then weep for the future.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Sex at 24 Frames Per Second (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

Addictive

Guilty Pleasure

This is one of those movies that you'll hate yourself for liking. It's another teen update of a classic story, in this case, Dangerous Liasons. Good acting, competent direction, nice cinematography, and an excellent soundtrack make this one entertaining viewing. 6.5/10.