In
an adaptation of Choderlos de Laclos' novel, Les Liaisons Dangereuses,
Kathryn Merteuil (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Sebastian Valmont (Ryan
Phillippe) are step-brother and step-sister living in Manhattan. With
their absent parents travelling in Europe, the wealthy pair have the
family penthouse to themselves as they while away their summer break
before beginning senior year at a private high school. Sebastian,
bad-boy lothario, has apparently slept with all the girls in town and
appears numb to it all. Kathryn, who appears to be the good girl class
president, is actually far more amoral and malicious than Sebastian,
but maintains appearances to the contrary. When she is dumped by her
boyfriend, Court Reynolds (Charlie O'Connell), for the innocent Cecile
Caldwell (Selma Blair), she schemes revenge by destroying Cecile's
reputation.
She
challenges Sebastian to deflower Cecile and transform her into a tramp
to humiliate Court.
Sebastian isn't as interested as Cecile -- she's spent her whole life
in a Catholic girl's school and
presents no challenge. The girl who has
caught his attention is Annette Hargrove (Reese Witherspoon), the new
headmaster's daughter. Annette had written an article for Seventeen
Magazine on her plans to stay a virgin until she finds her one true
love. Kathryn makes a wager. If Sebastian fails to lure Annette into
bed before the summer is over, Kathryn gets his car. If he succeeds,
Sebastian gets Kathryn, whom he wants anyway. Sebastian accepts the
bet, but Annette turns out to be more than either of them bargained for.
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