The Rules of Attraction

The Rules of Attraction (2002)

Runtime: 110 minutes

Directed by: Roger Avary

Starring: James Van Der Beek (RIP), Shannyn Sossamon, Ian Sommerhalder, Jessica Biel, and many other famous faces

From: Lions Gate 

RIP James Van Der Beek

People my age will be AGHAST to hear that I barely watched Dawson’s Creek and never saw Varsity Blues. This doesn’t mean I did not find it sad that Van Der Beek had cancer or that he passed away at an age only a few years higher than mine. I won’t address the controversies over how much his healthcare cost, how he allegedly treated his cancer, or his family’s GoFundMe.

Rather, I can finally revisit a movie that was watched during my college days; naturally, me and a pal-young and dumb-guffawed at the debauchery in this film devoted to a gaggle of sleazy, reprehensible characters, mostly college students themselves. Their version of university life wasn’t like ours… except for the barfing and promiscuous sex! There were no nude parties nor outdoor bashes where Wicker Man-esque effigies were burned, regrettably.

The film is full of sleazy, unlikable college students who engage in bad behavior. While naive, the one clearly designated as the most charming was Lauren, as portrayed by Shannyn Sossomon. There’s someone I should have better appreciated at the time. The main plot thread is a messed-up love triangle involving a guy, a girl, and a bisexual guy. Of course, I’ve never read the book so a comparison can’t be made there; however, the obvious comparison to American Psycho can be made-despite the change of setting from “late 80’s” to “early 2000’s” Van Der Beek’s character is still Sean Bateman, and still the brother of Patrick.

Of course, American Psycho eclipses Attraction and Christian Bale as Patrick is impossible to equal… although Van Der Beek still does a pretty good job of playing a deranged person as pathetic as his brother. Psycho is more darkly amusing and slicker... in fact, that had a clear, crisp sound and a sheen of consummate professionalism that gave it a big boost! This doesn’t seem like the right time for me to discuss why I don’t love everything about Roger Avary; he should just not have a Twitter account, and I’m not just referring to his embarrassing attempts to defend his friend Tarantino…

This was an independent production & I did not love everything Avary did as director-there’s a surprising amount of footage ran backwards and even running the end credits backwards was not a decision I agreed with. On the other side of the coin, there were things I did appreciate. There’s an eclectic soundtrack that sounds even more fresh in 2026 than it did at the time. There were several split-screen moments that were well-done, especially one involving a Saturday morning class. In addition, the cast is full of recognizable faces, including some that would find more fame in later years.

I do understand why many rate this film higher than I, regardless if they’ve read the novel or not. Me, I was not surprised that before last night, only a few moments that were retained through all these years: a scene shot guerilla-style in Europe that was a great soliloquy from a character named Victor (still the highlight), some vulgar dialogue involving underaged women, a suicide-there’s a trigger warning for anyone that needed it-and a minor character known as Richard but wants to be known as Dick.

While I wish it wouldn’t have taken the death of someone far too young for a revisit years in the making, The Rules of Attraction still brought back memories of a time I can’t accept as true was literally half a lifetime ago for me. It also reminded me what a buffoon I was for not checking out American Psycho during those halcyon college days.