Revisiting The Rules of Attraction (2002)
The Bret Easton Ellis adaptation starring James van der Beek
Welcome to OH, REALLY, ALICIA?, a Substack dedicated to the greatest era of Young Hollywood: 1996-2004. Do you long for the days of The WB? Would you rather rewatch 10 Things I Hate About You for the millionth time instead of something new? Do you get excited to see Josh Hartnett pop up in things again? Well, hello, fellow millennial! This Substack is here for you!
I have a lot of fond Young Hollywood related memories, but watching The Rules of Attraction is not one of them. I remember reading the book by Bret Easton Ellis when I was approximately 16 years old and the movie adaptation was in production. I did not like it, just as I didn’t like his American Psycho either. His work is very nihilistic, and back then, I was just obsessed with Dawson’s Creek, Buffy and everything else on The WB. I guess you could say I didn’t fit the target audience of his work at all.
So now I’m 40 (OMG) and I noticed Prime Video recently added the movie to its collection. Even though I can’t keep up with my ever expanding watchlist (or this newsletter), The Rules of Attraction kept drawing my attention. It just kept calling to me to rewatch it, even though I didn’t like it the first time. Is it the power of James van der Beek? Shannyn Sossamon’s impeccable face card? Ian Somerhalder and Russell Sams jumping up and down to the George Michael classic ‘Faith’? Kate Bosworth’s d*** sucking lips? (sorry, that last one is a terrible reference to the book and movie)
Let’s talk The Rules of Attraction
tw: sexual assault, suicide
You know, those first 10 minutes, I really did regret watching it. Somehow, I totally blanked on the fact that the character of Lauren Hynde (played by Shannyn Sossamon) gets introduced via sexual assault. She decides to lose her virginity to a NYU film student at a party, gets drunk, passes out, only to wake up being raped by some rando while the aforementioned film student videotapes her. It just pisses me off. It feels so lazy; using this for shock value to grab people’s attention. And there’s that nihilism again: nobody cares this happens, Lauren barely cares even though losing her virginity is a recurring plot point.
Then we move on to Paul Denton, played by Ian Somerhalder, who was best known for the short lived WB series Young Americans with Kate Bosworth at the time. Paul and his perfect cheekbones are in love with drug dealer Sean Bateman (James van der Beek). I have no clue why Paul is into him, but it’s kinda amusing to see how he has formed this relationship with Sean in his head, while Sean is utterly clueless. I guess this movie is trying to say: we can’t help who we are attracted to, because there is nothing redeeming about Sean.
Speaking of the devil: Sean is the younger brother of the infamous Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. While Patrick doesn’t appear in The Rules of Attraction, he does get referenced during a phone call. Sean isn’t as bad as his brother, but still pretty bad, punching poor Lara (Jessica Biel) in the face. He spends the movie obsessing about Lauren, while she is in love with another college dude named Victor (Kip Pardue), the main character from Ellis’s novel Glamorama.
And that it’s really. There is no plot, no growth. The Rules of Attraction is a slice of life movie about the college experience. If Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some!! (2016) is the spiritual sequel to his Dazed and Confused (1993), then The Rules of Attraction is its antisocial cousin. The movie even features a song by Dazed and Confused actress Milla Jovovich called The Gentleman Who Fell, which seems like too much of a coincidence.
Honestly, I really expected to hate this movie, but I ended up liking it despite that horrible opening. Lauren, Paul and Sean are interesting characters and relatable in their own, self absorbed ways. Pursuing love in all the wrong places and trying to fill a void with meaningless sex. There’s a small storyline about a girl who sends Sean anonymous love letters, but unalives herself when she sees him with another girl. It such an extreme reaction to perceived rejection, as Sean has no clue who this girl is. Maybe he would like her if she tried talking to him. Or maybe she would see what a complete jackass he is and move on with her life.
I guess when you’re young and really living in that college (or high school) bubble, rejection seems like the end of the word because - in your self absorbed mind and not fully developed brain - it is your entire world. Take Lauren’s obsession with Victor for example. Lauren was dating douch-y Victor before he left for his Eurotrip. She eagerly awaits his return, only to find out he doesn’t remember her at all. It’s similar to Paul who creates a relationship with Sean in his head and is surprised to find out that Sean doesn’t think about him that way at all.
Director Roger Avary, who won a screenwriting Oscar for Pulp Fiction alongside Quentin Tarantino, really knows how to capture the ugliness of the college experience. He also gives us this great split screen sequence which ends with Sean and Lauren coming together. I also love Victor’s high speed montage of his Eurotrip. Now I feel kinda bad Avary’s version of Glamorama featuring Victor (and starring Kip Pardue) never got made.
If you’ve never seen The Rules of Attraction or disliked it 20 years ago, I recommend giving it (another) chance! Even if it’s just for this very Young Hollywood cast.
Thanks for reading my newsletter and ramblings about The Rules of Attraction!
xoxo Alicia!