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The Rules of Attraction

  • 2002
  • R
  • 1h 50m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
54K
YOUR RATING
James Van Der Beek, Jessica Biel, Kate Bosworth, Kip Pardue, Ian Somerhalder, and Shannyn Sossamon in The Rules of Attraction (2002)
Theatrical Trailer from Lionsgate
Play trailer2:01
1 Video
99+ Photos
Dark ComedyComedyDramaRomance

The incredibly spoiled and overprivileged students of Camden College are a backdrop for an unusual love triangle between a drug dealer, a virgin and a bisexual classmate.The incredibly spoiled and overprivileged students of Camden College are a backdrop for an unusual love triangle between a drug dealer, a virgin and a bisexual classmate.The incredibly spoiled and overprivileged students of Camden College are a backdrop for an unusual love triangle between a drug dealer, a virgin and a bisexual classmate.

  • Director
    • Roger Avary
  • Writers
    • Bret Easton Ellis
    • Roger Avary
  • Stars
    • James Van Der Beek
    • Ian Somerhalder
    • Shannyn Sossamon
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    54K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Roger Avary
    • Writers
      • Bret Easton Ellis
      • Roger Avary
    • Stars
      • James Van Der Beek
      • Ian Somerhalder
      • Shannyn Sossamon
    • 437User reviews
    • 112Critic reviews
    • 50Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 3 nominations total

    Videos1

    The Rules of Attraction
    Trailer 2:01
    The Rules of Attraction

    Photos164

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    Top cast93

    Edit
    James Van Der Beek
    James Van Der Beek
    • Sean Bateman
    Ian Somerhalder
    Ian Somerhalder
    • Paul Denton
    Shannyn Sossamon
    Shannyn Sossamon
    • Lauren Hynde
    Jessica Biel
    Jessica Biel
    • Lara
    Kip Pardue
    Kip Pardue
    • Victor
    Kate Bosworth
    Kate Bosworth
    • Kelly
    Joel Michaely
    Joel Michaely
    • Raymond
    Jay Baruchel
    Jay Baruchel
    • Harry
    Thomas Ian Nicholas
    Thomas Ian Nicholas
    • Mitchell
    Clifton Collins Jr.
    Clifton Collins Jr.
    • Rupert
    Clare Kramer
    Clare Kramer
    • Candice
    Faye Dunaway
    Faye Dunaway
    • Mrs. Denton
    Swoosie Kurtz
    Swoosie Kurtz
    • Mrs. Jared
    Russell Sams
    Russell Sams
    • Richard
    Colin Bain
    Colin Bain
    • Donald
    Eric Stoltz
    Eric Stoltz
    • Mr. Lawson
    Fred Savage
    Fred Savage
    • A Junkie Named Marc
    Eric Szmanda
    Eric Szmanda
    • NYU Film Student
    • Director
      • Roger Avary
    • Writers
      • Bret Easton Ellis
      • Roger Avary
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews437

    6.654.4K
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    Featured reviews

    9fmarchione

    Brilliant adaptation of Ellis novel

    Roger Avery succedes brilliantly in this impressive and horrifying adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' first novel. I read the novel 4 years ago as a Freshman in college after being blown away by 'American Psycho' and wanted to make 'Rules' into a film myself thinking no one would ever try. So much for that. Anyway, Avery impressed me alot. The series of Patrick Bateman references are also quite amusing for readers/viewers familiar with 'American Psycho'

    Some reviewers have tended to comment on Avery's use of visual gimmicks, but he puts them to use well. The split screen where Sean meets Lauren is perfect, showing the seperation between them. The backwards film also works, showing how relatively meaningless many of the actions are, while drawing attention to them at the same time.

    One last thing. People, including here on the IMDB have been criticizing the characters for being one-dimensional. THAT IS THE POINT. Ellis' characters ARE one-dimensional. What you get is a boat-load of information about all of these people and what you are left with is an empty being, soulless, if you will. It works. YOU aren't SUPPOSED to be attached to these characters because THEY are not attached to themselves or anyone else.

    Brilliant film. Very well acted. Very well done.

    Frank
    xirtamozne

    I shoulda walked out.

    I'm embarrassed to say I actually took the two hours out of my day to watch this movie. I'm trying to find the words to describe my utter distaste for... well... just about everything in this stupid flick.

    I find not one redeeming quality in this horridly-produced film. Perhaps if I watch it in reverse it will make more sense.

    The film leaves you with no sense of completion, no regard for any single one of the characters, no development per se except this philosophy: that nobody can be known. Well that's just great. Thanks.

    If you're looking for porno, you can find it online. If you're looking for drugs, walk down the street looking for someone sniffing around a bit WAY too much and trying to look like he's big stuff. If you want to see people commit suicide... well, that's just sick and wrong. Don't see this movie.

    I think the producers are trying to make viewers come away with a complete distaste for the movie, a quality I have not seen in any other movie. Congratulations. You get the uniqueness award. It worked. But if I'm looking to be offended, I typically don't have to dish out my hard-earned <ahem> cash to do so.

    To be perfectly honest, this movie wasn't worth the buck I spent at the dollar theater to watch it. I came out of there thinking that perhaps they would offer me some reimbursement for my time.
    Brogan

    Either you'll love it, or hate it.

    (PLOT SPOLIERS) For the past seventy some years, Hollywood has been a "getaway" for people to escape the cruel world of reality and venture into that fantasy world. The world were the bad guys get their justs, the hero gets the heroine (or vice versa), and the film ends with a happy note, you get up leave the theater feeling good again. But the European new wave directors like Jean Luc Godard and Werner Hertzog do whatever they can in their films, because they use the camera as a instrument, and make films the total opposite of the Hollywood studio films. Critics call those directors artist and brilliant for their work. Now one Hollywood director is doing what he can and put into his movies, only because he can, and Roger Avary shows that in his latest film THE RULES OF ATTRACTION.

    Unlike the recent slew of "teen comedies" or college films, where there is the hero, the sex obsessed friend, the cute high achiever girl, the crusty old dean or teacher, etc. RULES OF ATTRACTION is a film more based on the reality of the college world. The reality where Sean Bateman (James Van Der Beek) believes that he can have sex with a girl while being sober. Where Lauren Hyde (Shannyn Sossamon) believes that her boyfriend, Victor (Kip Pardue) is in Europe and is very faithful to her. But Lauren does what she can to get ahead in school by giving her professor, Mr. Lawson (Eric Stolz) sexual pleasures. The world where Paul Denton (Ian Somerhalder) is a homosexual and feels that he can get any man he desires, and he feels that he can have a relationship with the hetrosexual Sean. And the real world, where Lara Holleran (Jessica Biel) has sex with the enitre football team.

    This is harsh and cruel, bad sadly, it's the truth. This is what the real world is like, and director Roger Avary and writer Bret Easton Ellis do a excellent job showing it. When I watched RULES OF ATTRACTION the two things that blew my mind away was both the story and the directing. The story (which I described above) is pretty much the characters that you can't sympathize with, but instead you really know people like that. It's depressing to realize that, but sadly it's true. Then the directing by Roger Avary, who does a excellent job of telling one person's story, then rewinding everything and telling a different story from another character. Plus the brilliant scene of a split screen image of Sean and Lauren walking to the same class and as they talk to each other, the viewer is given the chance to see both full faces at the same time. Something that I haven't seen in film before.

    There are images from RULES OF ATTRACTION that will be in my memory forever. One scene is how Lauren loses her virginity, the other is Laura dancing only in her underwear as she's about to get "gang bang" by the football team. But most of all, the extremely depressing sucide scene as the beautiful Harry Nilsson tune "Without You" is being played on the soundtrack. A very touching and emotional song for a strongly disturbing scene.

    Lately I've been exposed to the French New Wave world of Jean Luc Godard and Jacuqes Demey, as well as the Neorealist world of Frederico Fellini and Michalengo Antonioni. Films that have symbolism about how society is on this planet. Film critics praise those films (especially those of Godard) as masterpieces and works of art. Now, those same hypocritcs are bashing RULES OF ATTRACTION as a pointless and cruel film. It is cruel, but it does make it's point. It does tell those now and those in years to come what the college life was really like in the early 21st century.

    People and film critics usually scoff and critizie films that actually describe today's society, like FIGHT CLUB and AMERICAN PSYCHO (also written by Ellis). Critics would rather watch a film that takes place in La-La Land like LORD OF THE RINGS and GOSFORD PARK. A world that doesn't exist, but a world people would rather be in. Three years ago, I would hear people complain and say how horrible the movie FIGHT CLUB was. Now, there isn't a male college dorm room where I don't see a poster up for FIGHT CLUB (it's replacing the stereotyped John Belushi "Bluto" poster from ANIMAL HOUSE). Give it another three years, and RULES OF ATTRACTION posters will be up all over univeristy dorm rooms. This is going to be the next cult classic. Is it cruel, yes. Is it disturbing, yes (in fact I almost walked out after the first ten minutes). Is it brilliant and excellent, yes. And for that I applaud Roger Avary and Bret Easton Ellis. They are actually telling a story, the way the twenty something world is really like. A lot of people will be calling this a masterpiece a few years from now, it's October 2002, I'm calling it a masterpiece right now! ***** (out of five)
    poetellect

    sad. very sad. so very, very, very sad. a downer of a film.

    As a college student, I can't quite put into words how depressing watching this movie was for me. Because even though a part of me wants to believe that this isn't how good-looking rich kids treat each other, another part of me has to acknowledge that this is, that there are people out there who truly don't care about themselves enough to respect other people in relationships, sexual or otherwise, that we as a society still find it acceptable to portray gay men as ONLY sex-obsessed, self-deluded persons swooning over strait counterparts and that it's one of the only representations we have in popular or cult films/culture, especially in this one, and that the death of romance has not only been portrayed, but that it's been slaughtered in full-force. Watching this film leaves you with a frozen kind of emptiness inside of you. The reverse-sequences interspersed throughout the film, as annoying and tiring as they are, remind you how backwards and unhealthy these kind of lifestyles are- lifestyles that base relationships (seemingly) on lust only, that don't seem to appreciate friendships formed along the road, that continually define life as one big shopping list of bedmates. I don't know...I hope the film is seen as a warning as to the disconnection and ultimately dissatisfying result being this way leads to. It's kind of rare for me to become so negatively opinionated about a movie, but this movie just struck me in a very cold, unfeeling place. It should be called "the rules of desolation."
    7ambusched94

    An underrated early 2000s black comedy-drama

    An incisive perspective on the demise of romance and dating in college culture, with a deep dive into how that affects privileged kids at a liberal arts college. The Rules of Attraction is an insightful social commentary on the death of romance and mocks pretentious, self-absorbed, wealthy students who are too vapid and devoid of any meaning/anything worth caring about in their college lives. The dark humor is solid and the three lead performances (James Van Der Beek, Shannyn Sossamon, and Ian Somerhalder) are fantastic! And the eclectic music selection really heightens the atmosphere, emotions (or lack of) in each scene. Side note: the Richard "Dick" scenes are a laugh riot.

    This film earns its cult following. The Rules of Attraction is worth a watch or occasional repeat viewings.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Sean Bateman, the character played by James Van Der Beek, is the younger brother of the infamous Patrick Bateman, the main character of American Psycho (2000), a film also based on a novel by Bret Easton Ellis.
    • Goofs
      When Paul gets kicked out of the guy's room for hitting on him, he lights a cigarette with an ordinary disposable lighter, but we hear the distinctive sound of a Zippo.
    • Quotes

      Victor: [summarizing his vacation, nonstop, in just under four minutes] Took a charter flight on a DC-10 to London. Landed at Heathrow. Took a cab to the city center. Don't let people lie to you: hostels are for the ugly. I'm staying in Home House, the most beautiful hotel in the world. Called a friend from school who was selling hash, but she wasn't in. Met a couple of Brits who take me to, of all places, Camden Street. I flirt a bit at the Virgin Megastore, buy some CDs, then follow some girls with pink hair. I wandered around trying to get laid, until it started to rain, then went back to Home House. Ministry of Sound is dead, so I go to Remform - but it's Gay Night. I find the one hetero girl in the place and we dry hump on the dance floor. We cab it back to Home House. I strip her clothes off, suck her toes, and we fuck. I hung out for four or five days. Met the world's biggest DJ, Paul Oakenfold. Kept missing the Changing of the Guards. Wrote my mom a postcard I never sent. Bought some speed from an Italian junkie who was trying to sell me a stolen bike. Smoked a lot of hash that had too much tobacco in it. Saw the Tate. Saw Big Ben. Ate a lot of weird English food. It rained a lot, it was expensive, and I'm jonesing... So, I split for Amsterdam. The Dutch all know English, so I didn't have to speak any Dutch - which was a relief. I cruise the Red Light District. Visit a sex show. Visit a sex museum. Smoke a lot of hash. I meet a Dutch TV actress and we drink absinthe at a bar called Absinthe. The museums were cool, I guess. Lots of Van Goghs and the Vermeers were intense. Wandered around. Bought a lot of pastries. Ate some intense waffles. We bought some coke and I cruised the Red Light District, until I found some blonde with big tits that reminds me of Lara. I gave her a hundred guilders. In the end, she pulls me out, and I cum between her tits, even though I'm wearing a rubber. Afterward we made small-talk about AIDS, her Moroccan pimp, and herself. I wake to the sound of a wino singing. It's 8 AM and hot as blazes. I pretend to ice-skate around Central Station, while someone plays the sax. Trade songs with a Kiwi girl... Then split for Paris by train. Wander the Champs-Elysees. Climb the Eiffel Tower for only seven francs, because the ticket machine was broken. Got the hang of the Metro, took it everywhere. Went to a Ford model party and hooked up with a Romanian model named Karina. She chugs my cock at the Mariott Champs-Elysees, which is good. We played billiards, went shopping. I think she gave me mono. Drove a Ferrari that belonged to a member of the Saudi royal family. Made out with a Dutch model in front of the Louvre. Saw the Arc de Triomphe and almost became road-kill crossing the street... "Oakie" invites me to Dublin, so I catch an Aer Lingus flight and stay at the Morrison. Dublin rocks like you can't imagine. Oakenfold lets me spin some discs with him. Irish girls are as small as leprechauns. I swap hickeys with a drunk woman. After groping my abs and calling me "Mr. L.A.", she strips for me in the bath room of the club. Sneak into the Guinness factory and steal some stout so good my dick goes hard... I fly to Barcelona, which was a low-rent bust. Too many fat American students. Too many lame meat markets. I dropped acid at the Sagrada Familia, which was a trip to say the least. Cruise up the coast to the Museo Gala Dali, but had no more acid, which sucked. Some girl from Camden calls me on my cell, so I let her listen to the church bells in Cadaques. Canta Cruz is beautiful, but there are no girls here, just old hippies... So, I went to Switzerland where I, ironically, couldn't find anyone who had the time. Took the Glacier Express up the Schilthorn, which is beautiful in a way I can't describe... Euro Pass into Italy and ended up in Venice, where I met a hot girl who looks like Rachael Leigh Cook and speaks better English than I do. She's living for a year on only five dollars a day. We gondola around, buy some masks. She think's I'm a capitalist, because my hotel room costs more for one night than she's spending her entire trip. But she doesn't mind it so much when I pay the bills... I ditch her and hook up with a couple who obviously want a 3-some. Too much tension there, but the doofus offers to drive me to Rome, an offer I jump at. Traffic is bad and we're stopped for hours without moving. The wife turns out to be a freak. The guy starts to wig out on me. It's like a Polanski film... We stop for a while in Florence, where I see some big dome. A bomb goes off and I lose the weird couple, which is probably for the best... Ended up in Rome, which is big and hot and dirty. It was just like L.A., but with ruins. I went to the Vatican, which was ridiculously opulent. Stood for two hours to get into the Sistine Chapel, which - now that it's been cleaned - looks fake. I meet two under-age Italian girls who I try to talk into fucking each other while I jack off onto them. Bored, I buy them some ice cream instead. My hotel has a gym, so I work out. I bump into some guy from Camden who says he knows me, but I'm sure that he's a fag, so I lose him. I try to fart and instead shit my pants. Back in my hotel room, I masturbate and have a pain in my groin. That night, I dream about a beautiful girl, half in water, stretching her lean body. She asks me if I like it and I tell her she can clean fish with it. I don't know what it means, but I wake well-rested, masturbate in the shower, and check out... I make my way back to London and hang out in Piccadilly Circus. Hmm. Palakon. I swap shirts with some upper-crusty Cambridge chick. Hers was an Agnes B., mine a Costume Nationale. She acts stuffy and prudish, but is really wild underneath it all. She barely looks at my abs, though she wants to. The next day, I drop some acid and get lost in the subway for a full day and can't find my way out. I meet a cute girl who lets me jack off onto her as long as no cum gets onto her Paul Smith coat. We get stoned while listening to Michael Jackson records and the next morning I wake up talking to myself. I have a big bump on my head from flailing in my sleep. I get my stuff and barely make my plane back to the United States... I no longer know who I am and I feel like the ghost of a total stranger.

    • Crazy credits
      The credits run backwards, starting with the disclaimer ("Any similarity to persons living or dead...") and rolling upwards to end with the cast.
    • Alternate versions
      The French 2-Disc Special Edition entitled 'Les Lois De L'Attraction' is the longest possible version available. It has a couple of scenes not in the UK & US DVDs and also includes more of the suicide scene (including the girl actually cutting into her wrists, instead of just seeing her reaction) It also includes more relevant commentary tracks than the other DVD's available.
    • Connections
      Edited into Glitterati (2004)
    • Soundtracks
      Anna Begins
      Performed by James Van Der Beek

      Words by Adam Duritz

      Music by David Bryson, Marty Jones, Toby Hawkins, Lydia Holly and Adam Duritz

      Published by 1993 EMI Blackwood Music Inc./Jones Falls Music/Knucklevision Music/Puppet Head Songs/Siren Says Music (BMI)

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    FAQ26

    • How long is The Rules of Attraction?Powered by Alexa
    • Is 'The Rules of Attraction' based on a book?
    • Was "The End of the World" party scene really filmed on September 11th, 2001?
    • What is meant to be said before and after the opening and closing dialogues?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 11, 2002 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Germany
    • Official site
      • Official Director's site for the film. (United States)
    • Languages
      • English
      • German
    • Also known as
      • Atracción
    • Filming locations
      • University of Redlands, Redlands, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Kingsgate Films
      • Roger Avary Filmproduktion GmbH
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $4,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $6,532,619
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $2,532,410
      • Oct 13, 2002
    • Gross worldwide
      • $11,832,822
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 50 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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    James Van Der Beek, Jessica Biel, Kate Bosworth, Kip Pardue, Ian Somerhalder, and Shannyn Sossamon in The Rules of Attraction (2002)
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