Independent Films, Film Profiles

The Rules of Attraction (film)
by Roger Avary

The Rules of Attraction (2002) is a dark satirical film directed by Roger Avary, based on the novel of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis. It stars James Van Der Beek, Shannyn Sossamon, Ian Somerhalder, Jessica Biel, Kip Pardue and Clare Kramer.The film takes place at the fictional Camden College, a liberal arts school in northeastern New Hampshire (the film was actually shot at the University of Redlands in California).The opening sequence introduces the three main characters - Lauren (Sossamon), Paul (Somerhalder), and Sean (Van Der Beek), in turn. They are three college students at an "End of the World" party, and although they don't interact at the party, they share a certain apathy about the situations they end up in.