Kathryn Merteuil is a fictional character who appears in ''
Cruel Intentions
''Cruel Intentions'' is a 1999 American teen romantic drama film written and directed by Roger Kumble and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair. The film is a modern retelling of Pierre Choderlos d ...
'' and ''
Cruel Intentions 2
''Cruel Intentions 2'' (also known as ''Cruel Intentions 2: Manchester Prep'' or simply as ''Manchester Prep'') is a 2000 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Roger Kumble, starring Robin Dunne, Sarah Thompson, Keri Lynn Pratt, ...
'', portrayed by actresses
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Prinze ( ; born April 14, 1977) is an American actress. After being spotted at the age of four in New York City, she made her screen acting debut in the television film ''An Invasion of Privacy'' (1983). A leading role on the te ...
and
Amy Adams
Amy Lou Adams (born August 20, 1974) is an American actress. Known for both her comedic and dramatic roles, she has been featured three times in annual rankings of the world's highest-paid actresses. She has received various accolades, incl ...
, respectively. Based on the Marquise de Merteuil in
Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
Pierre Ambroise François Choderlos de Laclos (; 18 October 1741 – 5 September 1803) was a French novelist, official, Freemason and army general, best known for writing the epistolary novel '' Les Liaisons dangereuses'' (''Dangerous Liaisons'' ...
's 1782 novel ''
Les Liaisons dangereuses
''Les Liaisons dangereuses'' (; English: ''Dangerous Liaisons'') is a French epistolary novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, first published in four volumes by Durand Neveu from March 23, 1782.
It is the story of the Marquise de Merteuil and ...
'', Kathryn serves as the primary
antagonist of the series.
Storylines
''Cruel Intentions''
In the film, Kathryn is wealthy, beautiful and popular, part of the
Upper East Side
The Upper East Side, sometimes abbreviated UES, is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 96th Street to the north, the East River to the east, 59th Street to the south, and Central Park/Fifth Avenue to the wes ...
's social elite. Portrayed as a manipulative mastermind who uses and destroys people for her own amusement, she is also depicted as being addicted to
cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...
, which she hides in her
rosary, and it is suggested that she suffers from
bulimia
Bulimia nervosa, also known as simply bulimia, is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by purging or fasting, and excessive concern with body shape and weight. The aim of this activity is to expel the body of calories eaten ...
. She hides her true nature behind the facade of a deeply religious model student, fooling everyone she knows, except for her equally narcissistic
step-brother Sebastian Valmont (
Ryan Phillippe
Matthew Ryan Phillippe (; born September 10, 1974) is an American actor. After appearing as Billy Douglas on the soap opera ''One Life to Live'', he came to fame in the late 1990s with starring roles in films including ''I Know What You Did Las ...
) and ex-boyfriend Court Reynolds (
Charlie O'Connell
Charles O'Connell (born April 21, 1975) is an American actor and reality television personality. He is known for his appearance on '' The Bachelor'', as well as appearing in several projects involving his older brother Jerry O'Connell, including ...
). Kathryn shows signs of sociopathic and callous behaviour, treating the death of her supposedly "beloved" step-brother with cold disdain, and gleefully enjoying destroying his life, as well as those of the people she perceives as threats or inferior to her. She has a strong
superiority complex, but the extent of her interest in Sebastian is left ambiguous. Kathryn is the archetypal "ice princess" whose opulent bedroom is a cold, dark lair decorated in royal blue and silver with crystal embellishments. When she's not wearing black, gray or other dark, muted colors, she occasionally wears icy blue.
In the film, she's first seen discussing her prep school with Mrs. Caldwell (
Christine Baranski) and her daughter, Cecile (
Selma Blair
Selma Blair Beitner (born June 23, 1972) is an American actress. She played a number of roles in films and on television before obtaining recognition for her leading role in the film '' Brown's Requiem'' (1998). Her breakthrough came when she s ...
). Kathryn promises Mrs. Caldwell that she will look out for the sheltered and naive Cecile. However, she reveals to Sebastian that her real intention is to use Cecile to take revenge on Court, who had dumped her for Cecile. Kathryn asks Sebastian to seduce Cecile; yet he refuses as he is planning to seduce virgin Annette Hargrove (
Reese Witherspoon
Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, she ...
), the daughter of their school's new headmaster. The two make a wager: Kathryn believes he cannot get Annette to bed, yet Sebastian believes he can. If Kathryn wins, she gets Sebastian's vintage
Jaguar XK140
The Jaguar XK140 is a sports car manufactured by Jaguar between 1954 and 1957 as the successor to the XK120. Upgrades included more interior space, improved brakes, rack and pinion steering, increased suspension travel, and telescopic shock a ...
; if Sebastian wins, Kathryn will have sex with him and she tells him "He can put it anywhere" a sexual reference meaning he can do anything he wants to her during the sex session.
After numerous failed attempts of seducing Annette, Sebastian agrees to seduce Cecile. Cecile confesses to Kathryn that her music teacher, Ronald Clifford (
Sean Patrick Thomas
Sean Patrick Thomas is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Derek Reynolds in the 2001 film ''Save the Last Dance'' and as Jimmy James in '' Barbershop'' (2002), '' Barbershop 2: Back in Business'' (2004), and '' Barbershop: The Ne ...
), is in love with her. Afterwards Kathryn tells Mrs. Caldwell about Ronald and Cecile's romance and Mrs. Caldwell intervenes in their relationship. Sebastian, in turn, calls Cecile to his house, ostensibly to give her a letter from Ronald. There, he
blackmails Cecile and performs
oral sex
Oral sex, sometimes referred to as oral intercourse, is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a person by another person using the mouth (including the lips, tongue, or teeth) and the throat. Cunnilingus is oral sex p ...
on her. The next day, Cecile confides in Kathryn, who advises her to learn from Sebastian so that she can please Ronald in bed.
After Sebastian sleeps with Annette, Kathryn offers herself to Sebastian as he has won the bet, but he refuses; he has fallen in love with Annette. Kathryn begins showing signs of possessiveness towards Sebastian, and it is suggested that she is truly in love with him, in her way.
The next day, Kathryn taunts him and threatens to ruin Annette's reputation, so Sebastian feigns indifference to Annette and breaks up with her. After Sebastian tells Kathryn that he has broken up with Annette and arranged for Cecile and Ronald to be together, Kathryn reveals that she has known all along that he was truly in love with Annette and manipulated him into giving her up. Kathryn knows that he came to make plans for them to have sex, rejects him. Once he leaves, Kathryn calls Ronald to tell him that Sebastian slept with Cecile and (falsely) inform him that Sebastian hit her. This false information leads to Ronald attacking Sebastian and engineers his death. Only when he watches Sebastian and Annette profess their love before his death, Ronald realizes that Kathryn lied to him. At Sebastian's funeral, Kathryn tries to maintain her reputation by trying to make an example of Sebastian. Her former friends and everyone else furiously reject her by leaving and humiliating her in the process. Kathryn's spotless reputation is ruined when Cecile distributes copies of Sebastian's private journal, made into a book by Annette, titled "Cruel Intentions", which details her manipulations. Her fall from grace doesn't end there, as Ronald had made a detailed written confession about her involvement and how she lied to him about Cecile no longer being a virgin in order for him to kill Sebastian. This is made worse when Headmaster Hargrove finds her rosary and discovers drugs hidden in it, her spotless record is ruined. It's also implied that Kathryn will be expelled and disgraced by her own family.
''Cruel Intentions 2''
The
straight-to-video
Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy was ...
prequel to the original film tells the story of Kathryn's younger years. The film reveals that Kathryn was born to Tiffany Merteuil (
Mimi Rogers
Miriam Rogers (née Spickler; born January 27, 1956) is an American actress. Her notable film roles are '' Gung Ho'' (1986), '' Someone to Watch Over Me'' (1987), ''Desperate Hours'' (1990), and '' Full Body Massage'' (1995). She garnered the gre ...
), a well-respected New York socialite. However, the prequel features several inconsistencies in its relation to the first film, such as the backstory concerning Kathryn's mother and Kathryn's meanspirited behavior, due to the film's origins as a TV series rather than a prequel. Kathryn attends Manchester Prep, a prestigious co-educational private school on the outskirts of the city. As in the first film, she manipulates and controls everyone around her, even seducing her school's assistant headmaster, and then blackmailing him into letting her do whatever she wants. After her new step-brother Sebastian Valmont (
Robin Dunne
Robin Dunne (born November 19, 1976) is a Canadian actor who has had numerous leading roles in sequels throughout his career, but is perhaps best known for his role as Doctor Will Zimmerman in the science fiction television series ''Sanctuary''. ...
) and his father move in, Kathryn becomes jealous as Sebastian bests her in both piano and vocabulary.
The next day, at a school assembly, Kathryn, who is the student body president, delivers a speech to her classmates, but is interrupted by uncontrollable hiccups coming from a student, who then begins to choke on the gum that she was chewing in a bid to stop her hiccups. She is saved by the quick action of another fellow student, who performs the
Heimlich maneuver
Abdominal thrusts, also known as the Heimlich maneuver or Heimlich manoeuvre, is a first aid procedure used to treat upper airway obstructions (or choking) by foreign objects. American doctor Henry Heimlich is often credited for its creation. ...
, allowing the student to expel the gum, which ends up flying into Kathryn's hair. Afterwards Kathryn calls a meeting of the
secret society of student elites, deciding upon the fate of the new students. This leads them to Cherie (
Keri Lynn Pratt
Keri Lynn Pratt (born September 23, 1978) is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her role as Missy Belknap in ''Jack & Bobby'' and as Dee Vine in the film, ''Drive Me Crazy''; which was her debut role.
Personal life
Pr ...
), the student with the hiccups, as well as the discovery that Cherie's family is wealthier than Kathryn's; this, and the events of the assembly, cause Kathryn to seek a vendetta against Cherie.
The next night, Kathryn calls Cherie, asking if she would like to attend a school event with her. She takes Cherie to a popular nightclub, and tricks her into drinking several
Long Island Ice Teas. After getting the attention of a male club goer, Kathryn tells Cherie he clearly likes her and that she should have sex with him. Yet her plan fails once Cherie throws up on the young man's feet. After Sebastian angers Kathryn, whose day is interrupted by not being able to contact her driver, she conducts a plan to make him similar to her, and begins thinking on how she can mold Sebastian into a heartless womanizer. She starts by interfering with Sebastian's attempts to woo his classmate Danielle (
Sarah Thompson). Kathryn first tries to tempt him away from Danielle by luring him with identical twins, who confide to Sebastian that Danielle is the only virgin at Manchester and she plans not to have sex with anyone unless she is truly in love.
Kathryn continues her attempt to sabotage Cherie, but it backfires, as Kathryn's mother tells her to become best friends with Cherie, in an attempt to encourage Cherie's mother to donate a large amount of money to the school. Sebastian soon professes his love for Danielle, only to find that she does not reciprocate. It turns out that Danielle is actually secretly working alongside Kathryn and is helping fulfill her secret plan to dupe Sebastian. Defeated by Kathryn's manipulation, a heartbroken Sebastian states he will never fall in love again; afterwards, he makes an alliance with Kathryn to dominate and manipulate others. She then tells Sebastian he should start with Cherie.
''Cruel Intentions 3''
While Kathryn herself does not appear in the third film in the franchise, the main character in this film - Kathryn's equally manipulative cousin Cassidy Merteuil (
Kristina Anapau) - reveals that Kathryn is currently a patient in a
methadone
Methadone, sold under the brand names Dolophine and Methadose among others, is a synthetic opioid agonist used for chronic pain and also for opioid dependence. It is used to treat chronic pain, and it is also used to treat addiction to heroi ...
clinic.
Characterization
Kathleen Sweeney sees Kathryn as one of "Hollywood's Bad Girls", a
stock character that Sweeney regards as appearing first in Veronica Sawyer (
Winona Ryder
Winona Laura Horowitz (born October 29, 1971), professionally known as Winona Ryder, is an American actress. Originally playing quirky roles, she rose to prominence for her more diverse performances in various genres in the 1990s. She has recei ...
) in the 1988 film ''
Heathers
''Heathers'' is a 1989 American black comedy film written by Daniel Waters and directed by Michael Lehmann, in both of their respective film debuts. The film stars Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk, Kim Walker, and ...
''. Sweeney suggests that 1999 "gave viewers two manipulative dark-haired
Queen Bees": Kathryn Merteuil in ''Cruel Intentions'' and
Courtney Shayne (
Rose McGowan
Rósa Arianna "Rose" McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy '' Encino Man'' (1992), McGowan achieved wider recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generat ...
) in ''
Jawbreaker''. Sweeney notes that in both films, "the Queens of Mean are punished by their peers, but not before laying out the game plan for wielding power in high school as visual "how-to" manuals for aspiring Queen Bees everywhere." Kathryn, Sweeney suggests, "maintains a Straight-A Uber Girl persona of innocence until the very end." Samantha Lindop classifies Merteuil as a ''fille fatale'' (a young ''
femme fatale'') and compares her to Adrian Forrester (
Alicia Silverstone) in ''
The Crush''.
Richard Burt suggests that Kathryn is "punished for being beautiful and smart" in that she "can't keep guys from dumping her for stupider girls." Burt goes on to note that Merteuil is a "
bitch" who is "incapable of love" and "ultimately humiliated for her destructive nastiness."
Gellar's portrayal of Kathryn was parodied in the 2001 film ''
Not Another Teen Movie
''Not Another Teen Movie'' is a 2001 American teen parody film directed by Joel Gallen and written by Mike Bender, Adam Jay Epstein, Andrew Jacobson, Phil Beauman, and Buddy Johnson. It features an ensemble cast including Chyler Leigh, Chris E ...
'', in which
Mia Kirshner
Mia Kirshner (born January 25, 1975) is a Canadian actress, writer and social activist. She is known for television roles as Mandy in '' 24'' (2001–2005), as Jenny Schecter in ''The L Word'' (2004–2009), as Amanda Grayson in '' Star Trek: Di ...
played Catherine Wyler, "The Cruelest Girl in School".
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Merteuil, Kathryn
Drama film characters
Fictional characters from Manhattan
Film characters introduced in 1999
Fictional cocaine users
Fictional socialites
Teenage characters in film
Female film villains
Female characters in film