I gave this a ten because of how important this play is to me. It's one of my favorite "movies", despite its flaws. I watched it for the first time almost ten years ago in school. I loved it since then and have watched it once or twice a year ever since.
This is my favorite version of Rent. While the original cast is OBJECTIVELY the best, since this was the first production I watched, this is my favorite cast. They all capture their characters so well. The movie is good too, but they cut a lot out of the play version, and this one has it all ("Goodbye Love", "Halloween", etc.)
Speaking of which, I LOVE THE SONGS!! Seriously, the lyrics and music are so so good. I love the rock vibe, they're all so catchy and fun, my favorites being "What You Own", "One Song Glory", and "Another Day".
The story is raw, gritty, and real. It is so sad and emotional, but uplifting at the end. It shows we have to live in the moment, and we have to live every moment like its our last. This play captures real life: poverty, illness, love, sex, addiction, depression, etc. It focuses on being an artist, either diving into work to block out the pain or, in contrast, doing NOTHING. Roger and Mark are two sides of the same coin and must learn to meet in the middle, to pursue their artistic work without "giving up" or "selling out."
Speaking of characters, Roger is my favorite. His depression is so real, after getting over his addiction, he now has aids, and knows he will die soon. A lot of the characters have aids, and they all have different perspectives in their illness (whether to give up or live it up). Roger and Mimi could be considered toxic, but to me, they are so REAL. They are my favorite couple, but let's also mention all the gay couples!! This was a big deal when this play came out in the 90s. While there are some stereotypes in here, the fact that there are openly queer characters in this is amazing. This was when I first learned about gay people (shocking, I know). Also, I am queer myself, so this movie was not only a wake-up call, but an awakening.
So, this play is NOT perfect at all. But it is so meaningful to me. The message is so important, the songs are all great, the acting in this version is AMAZING, the characters are all so REAL, and the story is what stands out. My favorite musical hands down, and one of my favorite "movies" (I'm so glad this was filmed!!)
Thank you, Jonathan Larson!
This is my favorite version of Rent. While the original cast is OBJECTIVELY the best, since this was the first production I watched, this is my favorite cast. They all capture their characters so well. The movie is good too, but they cut a lot out of the play version, and this one has it all ("Goodbye Love", "Halloween", etc.)
Speaking of which, I LOVE THE SONGS!! Seriously, the lyrics and music are so so good. I love the rock vibe, they're all so catchy and fun, my favorites being "What You Own", "One Song Glory", and "Another Day".
The story is raw, gritty, and real. It is so sad and emotional, but uplifting at the end. It shows we have to live in the moment, and we have to live every moment like its our last. This play captures real life: poverty, illness, love, sex, addiction, depression, etc. It focuses on being an artist, either diving into work to block out the pain or, in contrast, doing NOTHING. Roger and Mark are two sides of the same coin and must learn to meet in the middle, to pursue their artistic work without "giving up" or "selling out."
Speaking of characters, Roger is my favorite. His depression is so real, after getting over his addiction, he now has aids, and knows he will die soon. A lot of the characters have aids, and they all have different perspectives in their illness (whether to give up or live it up). Roger and Mimi could be considered toxic, but to me, they are so REAL. They are my favorite couple, but let's also mention all the gay couples!! This was a big deal when this play came out in the 90s. While there are some stereotypes in here, the fact that there are openly queer characters in this is amazing. This was when I first learned about gay people (shocking, I know). Also, I am queer myself, so this movie was not only a wake-up call, but an awakening.
So, this play is NOT perfect at all. But it is so meaningful to me. The message is so important, the songs are all great, the acting in this version is AMAZING, the characters are all so REAL, and the story is what stands out. My favorite musical hands down, and one of my favorite "movies" (I'm so glad this was filmed!!)
Thank you, Jonathan Larson!