Cruel Intentions<> interviews "I'm a superhero, goshdammit.'' And Sarah Michelle Gellar pretends to harrumph just a bit. She shakes her head of perfect hair, flashes her perfect smile. And yes, she does rather resemble a superhero. In person, she looks a little smaller than Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and her face is more tanned (perfectly, of course), following a weekend in Mexico. (According to everyone in sight, the time off is rare: Gellar is an infamous workaholic.) Even the in-person differences, however, seem to emphasize the star's superhero-ness: everything about her is impeccable, her straight white teeth, delicate flower hair barrettes, and exquisite lightweight black pants ensemble, ideal for Beverly Hills in springtime. All day, it's like this, meeting the perfect, intelligent, and extremely pleasant people who've made Cruel Intentions<>. It's a little eerie, actually, all this poise and professionalism on parade. But this is the way of the entertainment world these days: you have to bring home the bacon and fry it up in the pan. Not long ago, you expected that young stars would act out, trash hotel rooms, land in detox centers, sue their parents, crash cars. But today's young stars are conscientious and -- in public -- eager to please. They don't complain. They have people to support, roles to play, fans to appease, appointments to keep, dogs to walk, work to do. That work is considerable. It's not easy being a multi-threat entertainment package, contracted to deliver personality and responsibility on cue. They've all got something cooking, some interesting projects to describe: you know about Gellar's high profile tv series, but Selma Blair also has a tv gig (Zoe, Duncan, Jack, and Jane<>), Sean Patrick Thomas is writing a film script of Hamlet<>, Reese Witherspoon an upcoming much-buzzed film called Election<>, and Ryan Phillippe, aside from being Witherspoon's ideal significant other (tears come to her eyes when she recalls their meeting some years ago), has been working pretty much non-stop for the past few years (from starring in One Life To Live<>'s 1992 "gay teen'' story line, to appearing in I Know What You Did Last Summer<>, 54<>, and Playing By Heart<>). They work a lot, no doubt. Imagine being young and flawless, sexy and sweet, for your job. But they seem quite fine with it. They will answer questions about most anything, making printable jokes when they have to avoid straight answers, coming across as amiable, funny, enthusiastic, appropriately intelligent and sincere. They have informed -- or at least prepared -- opinions on sex and violence in the media generally, teen drug use, diary-keeping, and sex in their movie, in particular. It's plain that they've been prepped for questions about sex in Cruel Intentions<>. Blair and Gellar have similar and similarly charming descriptions of their mutual kiss, performed in Central Park in front of a crowd of Buffy fans. (Where Gellar was concerned about her fans' reactions, Blair says she was worried about Gellar's response to her kissing skills.) responses After all, it's a movie where high school students use flirting as battle strategy, kissing as competition, intercourse as revenge. Producer Neil Moritz (who also put together the I Know What You Did Last Summer<>s) says that "what's happening in this movie is "happening everywhere today.'' Kids know, think, and talk about sex, as well as engage in it. And he sees movies as a place for kids to congregate, to share experiences, about sex and everything else. "Come Friday or Saturday night, the number one destination for kids is the movies. It's the teen party place now, the movies.'' That said, he sees Cruel Intentions<> as a serious piece, instructive as well as entertaining, with a prescriptive moral arc. It's "redemptive,'' he says, because the hero, Sebastian, develops from crass Lothario to committed lover. Phillippe sees his part as risky for him personally (and admits that he borrowed liberally from John Malkovich's Valmont, in Dangerous Liaisons<>). "I think about the fact that I do have some fans somehow that might be younger, and that the role doesn't necessarily have a positive message at every turn. But at the same time, I'm 24, I'm not fourteen,'' says Phillippe. "I'd love to see it reach a broad audience, meaning older teens and adults. This isn't a kids' movie. It has adult themes, it's funny and smart.'' Witherspoon -- who plays the film's one resolutely virtuous character -- observes that high school age viewers will get into the film if they want, and that it's always been that way (back in the day, the prohibited movie she most wanted to see was Purple Rain<>). And while it's "up to parents' discretion, whether their kids see it,'' she also says that "so much of the sexuality in this movie is in the dialogue, implied, not gratuitous sex scenes.'' And Blair thinks that her part, as the naive Cecile, serves as the film's comic relief. And yet, she feels responsible to an image, because she's playing "a child.'' She worries that she might be photographed at a party "holding a glass of wine.'' For Gellar, the point is that Kathryn is strong but tragically, wrong. She assumes the insrtuctional position: "You have to find where your strengths lie as an individual. Everyone has talents. Kathryn's unfortunately are on her back, which can be kind of a cross to bear. Buffy does the right thing, and even if you can understand Kathryn's reasons, she still does the wrong thing. I hope no one will emulate Kathryn. Her motives are incorrect.'' This is the dilemma faced daily by these young professionals, super-heroes all. They're paid to seduce, enthrall, and titillate, and yet they are also expected to deliver the proper moral spin on their work. At this point, they seem to have it down.