''Rent'' is a 2005 American musical

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by Chris Columbus. It is an adaptation of the 1996 Broadway musical of the same name, in turn based on

Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini ( Lucca, 22 December 1858Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long ...

's 1896

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

La bohème ''La bohème'' (; ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '' quadri'', '' tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giusep ...

''. The film, which features six of the original Broadway cast members reprising their roles, depicts the lives of several

bohemians Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Beer * National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst * Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...

and their struggles with sexuality, drugs, paying their rent, and life under the shadow of AIDS in the gritty East Village of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

from 1989 to 1990.

Plot

On Christmas Eve 1989, aspiring filmmaker Mark Cohen, and his roommate, Roger Davis, learn that the rent previously waived by their old friend and now landlord, Benjamin "Benny" Coffin III, is due ("Rent"). Their former roommate Tom Collins shows up and gets mugged. Mark and Roger meet with Benny, who tells them he plans to evict the homeless from the nearby lot and build a cyber studio ("You'll See"). He offers them free rent if they get Maureen, Mark's ex-girlfriend, to cancel her protest against his plans, but they refuse. A street drummer, Angel, finds Collins and they bond since they are both HIV positive. Roger, who is HIV-positive and a former drug addict, tries to compose his one last great song ("One Song Glory"). He's visited by his downstairs neighbor, Mimi, an erotic dancer and heroin addict who tries to convince him to do heroin together despite her own HIV+ status ("Light My Candle"). On Christmas Day, Mark and Roger are visited by Collins and Angel, now in full drag, bearing gifts ("Today 4 U"). They invite Mark and Roger to attend Life Support, an AIDS support group. Roger turns them down, while Mark goes to fix Maureen's sound equipment. He runs into Joanne, Maureen's new girlfriend, who bonds with him as they discuss Maureen's promiscuity ("Tango: Maureen"). Mark arrives at the Life Support meeting ("Life Support"). He films the meeting for the documentary that he's making about people living with HIV/AIDS. Mimi visits Roger ("Out Tonight"). Roger, whose ex-girlfriend died by suicide after discovering she (and Roger) were HIV positive, rebukes her advances and throws her out ("Another Day"). The next day, he joins Mark, Collins and Angel at a Life Support meeting ("Will I?"). Leaving the meeting, the group imagines what it would be like to move to

Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe ( ; , Spanish for 'Holy Faith'; tew, Oghá P'o'oge, Tewa for 'white shell water place'; tiw, Hulp'ó'ona, label=Tiwa language, Northern Tiwa; nv, Yootó, Navajo for 'bead + water place') is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. ...

("Santa Fe"). Roger and Mark leave to help Maureen set up for her performance, and Angel and Collins reveal they are falling in love ("I'll Cover You"). Maureen performs her song that calls out Benny for changing who he was when he got married and blames him for trying to shut down the tent city ("Over the Moon"). The performance starts a riot because Benny called in police to make sure the protest stayed peaceful, but it escalated into violence. Once the protest is over, the group goes to The Life Cafe and celebrates Mark selling his riot footage to a local news station (" La Vie Bohème" or "La Vie Bohème A"). Roger and Mimi reveal they are falling for each other, and reveal they are HIV positive ("I Should Tell You"). They kiss, start a relationship and continue celebrating with their friends ("Viva La Vie Bohème!" or "La Vie Bohème B"). On New Years Day, Benny has padlocked the apartment, but Angel breaks the lock with a garbage can. Mark takes a job at Buzzline, the television news program that he sold his riot footage to. After another fight, Maureen proposes to Joanne; the relationship ends when Maureen flirts with another woman at the engagement party ("

Take Me or Leave Me "Take Me or Leave Me" is a song from the musical '' Rent'', written by American composer Jonathan Larson. In the original 1996 Broadway production, the song was performed by Idina Menzel as Maureen and Fredi Walker as Joanne. Film version In the ...

"). After being persuaded by Mimi, his ex-girlfriend, Benny gives the group back their apartment. Over the following year, Roger grows distrustful of Mimi due to her massive usage of drugs, and their relationship ends ("Without You"). Angel becomes more ill and eventually succumbs to AIDS. At Angel's funeral on Halloween, the group goes their separate ways after a bitter argument, although Maureen and Joanne reconcile in the process ("I'll Cover You/Goodbye Love"). Roger sells his guitar, buys a car, and moves to Santa Fe. He soon returns to New York because he still loves Mimi. Mark quits his job at Buzzline to pursue his own film ("What You Own"). On Christmas Eve 1990, Mark and Roger reunite with Collins, who reveals that he has reprogrammed an ATM to dispense cash when someone inputs the code: A-N-G-E-L. Joanne and Maureen find Mimi on the streets, near death. Mimi and Roger reconcile, and he sings the song that he has written over the past year ("Finale A/Your Eyes"). Mimi appears to die but suddenly awakens. She tells them that she was heading to the light, but Angel told her to go back. As Mark's documentary is shown for the first time, the friends reaffirm that there is "no day but today" ("

Finale B ''Rent'' is a rock musical with music, lyrics, and book by Jonathan Larson, loosely based on Giacomo Puccini's 1896 opera ''La Bohème''. It tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and create a life in L ...

").

Cast

Main characters

Anthony Rapp Anthony Deane Rapp (born October 26, 1971) is an American actor and singer who originated the role of Mark Cohen in the Broadway production of ''Rent''. Following his original performance of the role in 1996, Rapp reprised it in the film versio ...

as Mark Cohen, a struggling Jewish

filmmaker Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, castin ...

and Roger's roommate. He was dumped by Maureen for Joanne. *

Adam Pascal Adam Pascal (born October 25, 1970) is an American actor, singer, and musician, known for his performance as Roger Davis in the original 1996 cast of Jonathan Larson's musical '' Rent'' on Broadway, the 2005 movie version of the musical, and the ...

as Roger Davis, an

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...

-positive ex- addict

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

; Mimi's love interest. *

Rosario Dawson Rosario Isabel Dawson (born May 9, 1979) is an American actress. She made her feature-film debut in the 1995 independent drama ''Kids''. Her subsequent film roles include ''He Got Game'' (1998), '' Josie and the Pussycats'' (2001), ''Men in Bl ...

as Mimi Marquez, an

-positive heroin addict and stripper; Roger's love interest. *

Jesse L. Martin Jesse Lamont Martin ('' né'' Watkins; January 18, 1969) is an American actor and singer. He originated the role of Tom Collins on Broadway in the musical ''Rent'' and performed on television as NYPD Detective Ed Green on '' Law & Order'' and ...

as Thomas B. "Tom" Collins, an

anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not neces ...

and gay

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

professor with AIDS; former roommate of Maureen, Roger, Mark, and Benny; Angel's love interest. *

Wilson Jermaine Heredia Wilson Jermaine Heredia (born December 2, 1971) is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Angel Dumott Schunard in the Broadway musical ''Rent'', for which he won the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musica ...

as Angel Dumott Schunard, a drag queen and street musician who is suffering from AIDS; Collins' love interest. *

Idina Menzel Idina Kim Menzel ( ; ; born May 30, 1971) is an American actress and singer. Particularly known for her work in musicals on the Broadway stage and having achieved mainstream success across stage, film and music, Menzel has garnered the honorif ...

as Maureen Johnson, a

bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...

performance artist and Joanne's girlfriend; Mark's ex-girlfriend. *

Tracie Thoms Tracie Nicole Thoms is an Emmy-nominated American television, film, and stage actress and singer. She is known for her roles in ''Rent'', ''Cold Case'', '' The Devil Wears Prada'', ''Death Proof'', and the short-lived Fox television series ''Wo ...

as Joanne Jefferson, a lesbian Harvard-graduate

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

and Maureen's love interest. *

Taye Diggs Scott Leo "Taye" Diggs (born January 2, 1971) is an American stage and film actor. He is known for his roles in the Broadway musicals '' Rent'' and '' Hedwig and the Angry Inch'', the TV series '' Private Practice'' (2007-2013), ''Murder in th ...

as Benjamin "Benny" Coffin, III,

landlord A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, land, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant (also a ''lessee'' or ''renter''). When a juristic person is in this position, the ...

of the building in which Mark, Roger, and Mimi live and ex-roommate of Collins, Roger, Maureen, and Mark.

Minor characters

* Aaron Lohr as Steve *

Daniel London Daniel London (born 1973) is an American actor, best known for his roles in ''Patch Adams'', ''Rent'' and '' Old Joy''. Life and career Born and raised in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, London began writing and acting in plays in high school. Whil ...

as Paul * Wayne Wilcox as Gordon *

Chris Chalk Christopher Eugene Chalk (born December 7, 1977) is an American actor. Early life Born in Asheville, North Carolina, studied at Asheville High School and graduated in 1996 and went to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Career Chalk ...

as Street Vendor *

Mackenzie Firgens Mackenzie Firgens is an American actress. Biography Firgens studied theatre at the Goodman School of Drama at DePaul University. She has performed with the Tony Award winning San Francisco Mime Troupe. Firgens made her feature film debut starr ...

as April * Corey Rosen as Cafe Manager * Shaun Earl as Waiter *

Rod Arrants Rodney Allen Arrants (September 5, 1944 – February 21, 2021) was an American actor. Arrants was born in Los Angeles, California, on September 5, 1944. He acted on the daytime programs ''The Young and the Restless'', '' Another World'', ''Day ...

as Mr. Hansen * Mike Garibaldi as Mr. Grey *

Jennifer Siebel Newsom Jennifer Lynn Siebel Newsom (born June 19, 1974) is an American documentary filmmaker and actress who is the current first partner of California as the wife of governor Gavin Newsom. She is the director, writer, and producer of the film ''Miss ...

as Receptionist (at Buzzline) *

Sarah Silverman Sarah Kate Silverman (born December 1, 1970) is an American comedian, actress, and writer. Silverman was a writer and performer on ''Saturday Night Live'', and she starred in and produced '' The Sarah Silverman Program'', which ran from 2007 to ...

as Alexi Darling (at Buzzline) * Daryl Edwards as Mr. Jefferson *

Anna Deavere Smith Anna Deavere Smith is an American actress, playwright, and professor. She is known for her roles as National Security Advisor Dr. Nancy McNally in '' The West Wing'' (2000–06), hospital administrator Gloria Akalitus in the Showtime series ''N ...

as Mrs. Jefferson * Kevin Blackton as Mr. Johnson * Bettina Devin as Mrs. Johnson *

Joel Swetow Joel Swetow (born January 30, 1951) is an American actor. Select filmography Film Television Videogames Audio books References External links * 1951 births People from New York City Living people American male film actors Am ...

as Mr. Cohen *

Randy Graff Randy Lynn Graff (born May 23, 1955) is an American actress and singer. Career Graff was born in Brooklyn, New York City and is a graduate of Wagner College. She is a cousin of actors Todd Graff and Ilene Graff. Graff has been in feature films ...

as Mrs. Cohen

Alternate ending

In addition to four

deleted scene A deleted scene is footage that has been removed from the final version of a film or television show. There are various reasons why these scenes are deleted, which include time constraints, relevance, quality or a dropped story thread. A similar o ...

s, the

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

release of the film includes an alternate ending, showing all the main characters (including Benny, who was not present in the other ending) except Angel standing in the positions where they were during the "

Seasons of Love "Seasons of Love" is a song from the 1996 Broadway musical ''Rent'', written and composed by Jonathan Larson. The song starts with an ostinato piano motif, which provides the harmonic framework for the cast to sing "Five hundred twenty-five thou ...

" opening, all standing in a line of spotlights, with Angel's spot empty. Later in the scene, she enters from the side and walks down the line to take her place, stopping as she passes Collins to take his hand for a moment. Although this tableau is used in the finale of the musical, it was dropped from the film for fear that audiences may have wondered why Angel had returned or why the characters were lined up on stage again. In the commentary, Chris Columbus adds that he "didn't want audiences to think that everything was okay and Angel was alive again."

Differences between the stage and film versions

* "Goodbye Love" was filmed in its entirety, but the second half was cut from the film because Columbus considered it somewhat of an emotional overload, as he states on the DVD's commentary track. * The film leaves ambiguous the death of Roger's girlfriend April, who dies before ''Rent'' begins. In the film, she is seen reading a doctor's report that she is

HIV positive The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immu ...

; it is stated that she has died, but nothing more is said. In the stage version, Mark explicitly states that April ended her life by slitting her wrists in the bathroom, and Roger found out about his HIV status in the suicide note. Chris Columbus states in the DVD commentary that a scene featuring April lying in the bathtub with her wrists slit was filmed, but cut because he thought it would be "too much".

Soundtrack

''Rent: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' is the soundtrack album to the 2005 film of the same name. The two-disc soundtrack, containing 28 tracks, was originally packaged in eight different slipcovers, each featuring one of the eight most prominent characters in the film.

Track listing

" – Joanne, Collins, Mimi, Roger, Maureen, Mark, Angel & Benny #"Rent" – Mark, Roger, Collins, Mimi, Benny & Tenants #"You'll See" – Roger, Mark & Benny #"One Song Glory" – Roger #"Light My Candle" – Roger & Mimi #"Today 4 U" – Angel & Collins #"Tango: Maureen" – Joanne & Mark #"Life Support" – Roger, Angel, Collins, Gordon, Steve, Paul, Ali, Pam & Sue #"Out Tonight" – Mimi #"Another Day" – Roger, Mimi, Collins, Mark & Angel #"Will I?" – Roger, Angel, Collins, Mark, Gordon, Steve, Paul, Ali, Pam & Sue #"Santa Fe" – Angel, Collins, Roger & Mark #"I'll Cover You" – Angel & Collins #"Over The Moon" – Maureen #" La Vie Bohème" * – Cast of ''Rent'' #"I Should Tell You" – Roger & Mimi #" La Vie Bohème B" * – Mimi, Mark, Angel, Collins, Maureen, Joanne & Roger #"Seasons of Love B" – Cast of ''Rent'' #"

" – Maureen & Joanne #"Without You" – Mimi & Roger #"I'll Cover You (Reprise)" – Collins & Company #"Halloween" – Mark #"Goodbye Love" * – Mimi, Roger, Benny, Maureen, Joanne, Mark & Collins #"What You Own" – Roger & Mark #"Finale A" – Mimi & Roger #"Your Eyes" – Roger #"

* " – Cast of ''Rent'' #"Love Heals" – Cast of ''Rent''

Remixes

In promotion for the film, Warner Brothers had dance remixes of several of the songs commissioned. These were sent to clubs, and were also made of available for purchase on CD and download.

Seasons of Love: The Remixes (CD)

Source: # Seasons of Love (Gomi's Lair Club Mix) – 8:22 # Seasons of Love (Monkey Bars Club Mix) – 7:20 # Seasons of Love (L.E.X. Theatrical Club Mix) – 8:11 # Seasons of Love (Eddie Baez's "Payin' The Rent" Club Mix) – 10:13 # Seasons of Love (Gomi's Lair Radio Edit) – 3:44 # Seasons of Love (Monkey Bars Remix Edit) – 4:48 # Seasons of Love (L.E.X. Theatrical Club Mix Edit) – 4:57 # Seasons of Love (Eddie Baez's "Payin' The Rent" Club Mix Edit) – 4:59

Seasons of Love: The Remixes (Digital Download)

Source: # Seasons of Love (Gomi's Lair Radio Edit) – 3:44 # Seasons of Love (Monkey Bars Remix Edit) – 4:48 # Seasons of Love (L.E.X. Theatrical Club Mix Edit) – 4:57 # Seasons of Love (Eddie Baez's "Payin' The Rent" Club Mix Edit) – 4:59

Take Me or Leave Me: The Remixes (CD)

Source: # Take Me or Leave Me (Tracy Young Radio) – 3:35 # Take Me or Leave Me (Tracy Young Remix) – 8:35 # Take Me or Leave Me (Gabriel D Vine's Big Band Disco Remix) – 6:16 # Take Me or Leave Me (Jackie And Jorio Club Mix) – 7:09 # Take Me or Leave Me (Tracy Young Dub) – 10:09 # Out Tonight (Mark!'s Redux Club Remix) – 8:32 # Light My Candle (Monkey Bars Remix) – 6:27

Take Me or Leave Me: The Remixes (Digital Download)

Source: # Take Me or Leave Me (Tracy Young Radio) – 3:35 # Take Me or Leave Me (Tracy Young Mixshow) – 6:44 # Take Me or Leave Me (Jackie and Jorio Club Mix) – 7:09 # Take Me or Leave Me (Gabriel D Vine's Big Band Disco Remix) – 6:16 # Out Tonight (Mark!'s Redux Club Remix Edit) – 4:55 # Light My Candle (Monkey Bars Remix) – 6:27

Musicians

Tim Pierce Tim Pierce (born 1959 in Albuquerque) is an American session guitarist. He has worked for artists such as Joe Cocker, Crowded House, Goo Goo Dolls, Michael Jackson, Beth Hart, Roger Waters, Alice Cooper, Johnny Hallyday, Phil Collins, and the ...

(acoustic guitar, electric guitar) *

Jamie Muhoberac Benjamin Edward "Jamie" Muhoberac is an American session keyboardist with numerous credits. He is best known for his work with Seal and Was (Not Was). Biography Muhoberac has worked with acts including The All-American Rejects, Fleetwood Mac, B ...

(piano, organ, keyboards) * Paul Bushnell (bass guitar) *

Dorian Crozier Dorian may refer to: Ancient Greece * Dorians, one of the main ethnic divisions of ancient Greeks * Doric Greek, or Dorian, the dialect spoken by the Dorians Art and entertainment Films * ''Dorian'' (film), the Canadian title of the 2004 film ' ...

(drums, percussion, programming) * Tim Weil (piano) * Gregory Curtis (organ) *

Greg Suran Greg Suran is the lead guitarist in the B-52s, a role he has performed since 2013. He replaced Keith Strickland on the road after Strickland announced in December 2012 that he would no longer be touring with the B-52s but would continue as a me ...

(acoustic guitar, electric guitar) * Suzie Katayama (cello, accordion)

Recording engineers

* Doug McKean (Chief Engineer) * Charles Williams (Assistant Engineer) * Elan Trujillo (Assistant Engineer)

Critical response

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, the film has an approval rating of 46% based on reviews from 175 critics, with an average rating of 5.90/10. The site's critic consensus reads, "Fans of the stage musical may forgive ''Rent'' its flaws, but weak direction, inescapable staginess and an irritating faux-boho pretension prevent the film from connecting on screen." On another review aggregator,

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

, the film received a score of 53 out of 100 based on 35 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

Yahoo! Movies: Greg's Preview for ''Rent''

Tuesday Night Movie Club: ''Rent'' Script Review

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20050403205013/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/88747.html Playbill: ''Rent'' Film Aims to Start Production in Spring 2005 for Late-Year Release
"Seasons of Love" Press Release
August 2, 2005

Broadway World: Success of ''Rent'' Promises Good Tidings for Upcoming Broadway Films

External links

* *
Official blog
* * * *

with

and

and also Stephen John Ramirez {{DEFAULTSORT:Rent (Film) 2005 films 2005 LGBT-related films 2000s musical drama films African-American LGBT-related films African-American musical films American LGBT-related films American musical drama films American rock musicals Bisexuality-related films Cross-dressing in American films Columbia Pictures films Films based on musicals Films based on Scenes of Bohemian Life Films directed by Chris Columbus Films set in 1989 Films set in 1990 Films set in New York City Films shot in New Mexico Films shot in San Francisco HIV/AIDS in American films Lesbian-related films Gay-related films LGBT-related musical drama films Revolution Studios films Films with screenplays by Stephen Chbosky Films produced by Chris Columbus Films produced by Robert De Niro Films produced by Michael Barnathan 1492 Pictures films Transgender-related films 2000s Christmas films 2005 drama films Female bisexuality in film 2000s English-language films 2000s American films