20th anniversary of Cruel Intentions

March 22, 1999- teenage girls and boys were introduced into four breakout actors and actresses: Ryan Phillipe, Reese Witherspoon, Selma Blair, and Sarah Michelle Gellar (Sarah Michelle Prinze). The film came at a time when movies,  music was booming on al

"The Valmont Mansion" one of the filming locations was shot right here in New York City on East 79th street

The gorgeous Long Island Rosemont estate property was actually Old Westbury Gardens 

Central Park was used heavily in many different shots of the film as a backdrop.

l mediums in film, television, and radio. I am talking about the film Cruel Intentions which focuses on the life of 18-year-old Sebastian Valmont a rich, charming, sophisticated, experienced lothario. His father has recently married and he just happens to have a daughter who becomes Sebastian stepsister, Kathryn Merteuil who is manipulative, cunning, controlling, but also has this stepford wife façade. She is the “Perfect Patty” good-girl in front of the public but hides some deep secrets in private. Sarah Michelle Gellar plays the character and transforms into this role beautifully. You won’t even recognize her in some scenes of the movie.  Gellar has actually worked with Ryan Phillipe in a previous role “I know what you did last summer” in the 1998 hit summer film. Another breakout star was Selma Blair she plays , Cecile the young teenage 17-year old girl who will be a new student at Sebastian and Kathryn’s high school. She transfers over from the school and will be starting. The young virginal Cecile Caldwell becomes a target in the film.  Kathryn is extremely jealous of Cecile because she Cecile was caught flirting with her old boyfriend Court. She is dumped for the younger Cecile later and comes up with an insane plan to take down Cecile. The movie isn’t just all about plots and plans it also has a romantic twist element to it too. As many of you all know this film is where Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillipe met during the filming of the movie and later on became a real life married couple a year later. They have two children together Ava and Deacon. The two of them definitely have a lot of chemistry you will see on film which plays well between the lothario and innocent ingénue Annette Hargrove. The film definitely catapulted all four of the stars careers. Everyone in the film has gone on to be in major film, theater, and television projects. Also received many accolades for their career. We’ve seen Ryan go on to play “Crash”, “Igby Goes Down”, “Flags of our fathers”, “Breach”, “Secrets & Lies”, “Brooklyn Nine Nine”, and “Famous in Love”. Reese Witherspoon Academy Award winner has gone on to films “Legally Blonde One and Two”, “Wild”, and “Big Little Lies”.  Sarah Michelle Gellar has gone on to “She’s All That”, “Harvard Man”, “Scooby Doo”, “The Grudge”, “Scream 2”, and many other film television projects. Selma Blair has gone on to do “Anger Management”, “ Legally Blonde”, “The Sweetest Thing”, “American Crime Story”, “mothers & Daughters”, “Mom & Dad”, and has received an award for best spoken word for the Diary of Anne Frank Project and many other films.

            So this is just in time for the anniversary AMC theaters and many specialty theaters will be playing Cruel Intentions in honor to commemorate their 20^th anniversary of the film. This week you can go see the film in theaters. March 18^th-22^nd. I hope you all love the movie it’s slick, stylish, cool, and has a great twist ending. Enjoy!