Cruel Intentions(1999)

1h 37m
- Drama
- Romance

Release Date: Mar 5, 1999 | Wide

54%
80%
B-
6.8

In the gilded halls of an elite New York City prep school, manipulative stepsiblings make a dangerous wager: if a charismatic playboy can seduce the chaste daughter of their new headmaster, he wins glory and pleasure — but the game quickly spins into a collision of desire, betrayal, and ruined reputations.

Releases

Original Release | Mar 5, 1999

2019 Re-release | Mar 22, 2019

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Box Office Results

All Releases (2)
Total US & Canada:
$38,773,785
Total International
$37,573,641
Total Worldwide:
$76,347,426

Total US & Canada:
$38,153,874
Total International
$37,573,641
Total Worldwide:
$75,727,515

Current Showtimes

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(U.S. Only)

Director & Top Cast

Roger Kumble
Director

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

Charlie O’Connell

Court Reynolds

Fred Norris

Meter Maid

Technical Specifications

Sound Mix: Dolby Digital,SDDS

Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1

Other Details

Country of Origin: United States

Language: English,Vietnamese,French

Summaries

Plot Summary

Cruel Intentions is a 1999 American teen romantic drama written and directed by Roger Kumble, adapted from the 1782 French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, but transposed to modern-day New York City. The film stars Sarah Michelle Gellar as the cunning Kathryn Merteuil, Ryan Phillippe as her charming but ruthless stepbrother Sebastian Valmont, Reese Witherspoon as Annette Hargrove — the virtuous girl caught in their scheme, and Selma Blair as the naive Cecile Caldwell. Set among affluent teenagers navigating wealth, sex, and manipulation, the story unfolds as Sebastian accepts Kathryn’s bet to seduce Annette, who plans to remain chaste until marriage. Their tangled plots of vengeance, desire, and cruelty spiral into emotional and moral consequences no one fully expects. Produced by Columbia Pictures and Original Film, the movie was released widely in the United States on March 5, 1999, and became a significant box office success, grossing about $75.9 million worldwide against a modest budget. Though it received mixed critical reviews, its bold portrayal of teenage ambition and betrayal has helped it endure as a cult classic and a defining teen drama of the late ’90s.

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Fun Facts

Surprisingly, the film is a modern adaptation of the 1782 French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses, relocating its themes of manipulation and betrayal from aristocratic France to wealthy 1990s Manhattan teens.