THE RULES OF ATTRACTION, based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, stars James Van Der Beek (DAWSON'S CREEK) as Sean Bateman, campus drug-dealer and 24-hour-a-day reveler at affluent Camden College. A senior at the New England school, Sean is caught up in a nihilistic love triangle. He has a crush on Lauren (Shannyn Sossamon), an arty virgin who is saving herself for a vapid, vacationing ex-boyfriend, while Paul (Ian Somerhalder), a beautiful bisexual, has a crush on Sean. Every night is a party at Camden, where students celebrate with a "Dress to Get Screwed" theme and teachers appear more often on the dance floor than in the classroom. Director Roger Avary conveys the individual angst of the three lovelorn main characters in a series of vignettes, using their different perspectives to weave together a complex tale of misunderstanding, drug binges, alienated sex and violence, and above all, extreme loneliness. Equal parts fantasy and reality, THE RULES OF ATTRACTION, like other Ellis adaptations LESS THAN ZERO and AMERICAN PSYCHO, is a deeply observant, daring antiestablishment film. Camden College and its characters resonate with the very real despair and rebellion of many generations of university students.
Theatrical Release: OCTOBER 11, 2002
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Letterbox - 1.85
Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary: Cast & Crew "Revolving Door" Commentaries
Preview of Roger Avary's film GLITTERATI
Featurette: Sundance Channel's ANATOMY OF A SCENE
Trailers:
1. Teaser
2. TV Spots
Interactive Features:
Interactive Menus
Scene Selection
Stars
James Van Der Beek: Actor, DAWSON'S CREEK, VARSITY BLUES (1998)
Jessica Biel: American Actress, ULEE'S GOLD (1997)
Ian Somerhalder: American Actor, "Lost"
Shannyn Sossamon: Actress, 40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS (2002), WRISTCUTTERS: A LOVE
Clifton Collins: Actor
Kip Pardue: Actor, REMEMBER THE TITANS
Eric Stoltz: American actor, MASK, PULP FICTION
Fred Savage: American actor, director
Director
Roger Avary: Director/writer
Producer
Greg Shapiro: Producer, INVESTIGATING SEX (2002)
Screenwriter
Roger Avary: Director/writer
Director of Photography
Robert Brinkmann: director of photography
Executive Producer
James Deutch: Executive Producer, RULES OF ATTRACTION (2002)
Executive Producer
Jeremiah Samuels:
Executive Producer
Marc Butan: Exectuvie Producer, RULES OF ATTRACTION (2002)
Executive Producer
Marsha Oglesby: Film Producer, THINGS YOU CAN TELL... (2001)
Executive Producer
Michael Paseornek: Director/Screenwriter
Executive Producer
Roger Avary: Director/writer
Executive Producer
Samuel Hadida: PRODUCER
Executive Producer
Tom Ortonberg: Executive Producer, RULES OF ATTRACTION (2002)
Source Writer
Bret Easton Ellis: Writer
Music
Tom and Andy: Composers, THE HILLS HAVE EYES (2006)
Review 1:
"...[The] cast performs bravely....[The] technical aspects are outstanding..."
Source: Variety
p.22 10/07/2002
Review 2:
"...It's a party-hearty teen flick that scalds like acid. The cast is a pitch-perfect assemblage..."
Source: Entertainment Weekly
p.52 10/25/2002
Review 3:
"...THE RULES OF ATTRACTION gleefully shakes up chronological order and makes copious use of such techniques as split screen and slow motion....Technically impressive..."
Source: Sight and Sound
p51-2 04/01/2003
Review 4:
"...Sossamon exudes the beguiling, off-the-cuff charm that is her forte....It is a film of small pleasures and private moments..."
Source: Film Comment
p.73 09/01/2002
Review 5:
"...Roger Avary's movie has a refreshingly acerbic edge; the filmmaking is stylish, and the cast is alluring..."
Source: Movieline's Hollywood Life
p.40-1 10/01/2002