Rent

[annettemarie]

Anyone else see it? What did you think? I thought the casting rocked and for the most part it was awesome. The scene changes were really awkward, though, IMO.

[minicooper]

Saw it
Loved it
Bawled through it
I'd never seen any other version of it so... I can't compare it to it's original format.

[annettemarie]

You didn't find the five second blackouts between scenes to be annoying? I kept thinking the film broke or something. I saw it on stage, but I thought the screen adaptation was excellent as well. My favorite scene was La Vie Boheme- I thought that was really, really well done. Although frankly I am shocked it only had a PG-13 rating.

[MamaBug]

I am going to see this tonight, but I am guessing they did those black outs to make it more like a play. Also except for 2 ppl this is the original Broadway cast, that is why they rocked! I can't wait to see it!

[annettemarie]

You'll love it- it was really well done, and the transition from stage to screen went well. The musical itself (from what I remember anyway) was fairly seemless. The blackouts just didn't really work in a theater- you didn't have wild applause to cover the awkward silence. I look forward to hearing what you think!

[hallesmom]

I can't wait to see it!!!!!!! Don't know if I will get to go to it or not but I've been to see it on broadway twice and loved loved loved it-but the last time I went was in 2002!!! I want to go soooooooooo baaaaaad!!!!!!!!!!

[Lucysmama]

I saw it tonight. I thought it was ok. Not great. I was super annoyed at some of the songs they cut - and it pissed me off that they just spoke the lyrics instead....it was just so obvious and I didn't like it at all. ESPECIALLY the opening number. WTH??? I think that is such a great beginning, Anthony Rapp singing, "December 24th, 9pm, Eastern Standard time, from here on in I shoot without a script..." It drove me bonkers that he was just speaking all of that.

I really thought it could have been done better.

The cast was pretty good, Rosario mostly pulled off the songs, and 'Angel' was fantastic, as was Jesse L. Martin. Adam Pascal sure can sing but I think his acting is so-so.

Anyway, that's my little take on it.

The whole experience was dampered by 3 homophobic teenagers sitting next to me who were uncomfortable and audibly disgusted at the same-sex romantic parts.

[annettemarie]

Originally Posted by Lucysmama

The whole experience was dampered by 3 homophobic teenagers sitting next to me who were uncomfortable and audibly disgusted at the same-sex romantic parts.

I can totally get that. My theater experience was dampened by an outraged soccer mom and her two teenage daughters sitting in front of me acting affronted the entire time. Apparently, they thought they were coming to see a musical about the joys of property management.

[MamaBug]

Having never seen the Broadway production, I thought it was very well done, and I was unaware of any missing songsas I didn't know the whole score. I didn't cry like I thought I would, though I was very moved when Angel was dying. HE was wonderful. I thought Rosario did a really good job and all the singing was awesome, though in the opening scene it was kind of hard to hear the lyrics above the instrumental. All the performers were very talented IMO. I was amazed by Jesse L Martin the most. And a bit disappointed in Taye Diggs, thought he would be better.

All in all it was a good movie, though I DID want to start singing sometimes! :

[kofduke]

We saw it yesterday and I really enjoyed it!

[ErikaDP]

I saw it yesterday with my oldest son(22) and we thought that it was great!
And I am really glad that the audience that I viewed it with enjoyed it too!
I will probably go again next week with some girlfriends.

Take Care,
Erika :
"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail..."
"Knowledge without compassion is useless"-SCW
"I am learning all the time, the tombstone will be my diploma"- Eartha Kitt

[MamaBug]

Did anyone notice how so silent it was before the movie started. I mean there was a silence onscreen but it was like the audience in my theater was holding it's breath, kwim?

[SaraC]

DH and I saw it on Thanksgiving and liked it ok. We have seen it twice in the theater and it rocked both times. I felt a little distracted by the scene changes and that the timeline was messed with a little bit. Probably to make it flow more smoothly. But I think the songs were great and wanted to sing along the entire time. We will probably buy it when it comes out on DVD.

[wildmonkeys]

DH and I saw it last night. We loved the stage version and were pretty happy with the screen version...tough to live up to a live performance. I did miss some of the pieces from the stage version (I thought the bit with the homeless singing added much to play's overall message)

I thought it was great that they used most of the original cast

Sorry that some of you had poor audience participation, that can really ruin a movie - I still remember the homophobic stepford wife bookclub that next to me during "The Hours"

Seeing it did sort of make me sad though - I remember how much closer we were to many of the "ideals" when we saw it nearly 10 years ago. We are still left of mainstream, but I felt a bit like a hypocrite going to see it in the nice suburb we moved to for the public schools

BJ
Barney & Ben

[bu's mama]

I loved it. I saw the play in probably '92 so it was hard to remember how closely it paralleled. I Jesse Martin & thought he was wonderful. I was really pleased with all the performances though it did seem to skip some of the songs. I also thought the play had a lot more of the phone messages from Rudd's mother, I remember they were hilarious in the play.

[DreamsInDigital]

I actually took my kids to see this movie. They LOVED the music.

[indigolilybear]

I went five times and LOVED it....am nervous about the movie though I won't see it til video....

What songs did they cut? TBH, I can't imagine this easily being made into a successful movie.....

[Holiztic]

Went alone this afternoon as DH would probably have been too embarrassed to go with me (he didn't actually SAY that). Why, you ask? Oh, 'cuz I mouthed/whisper sang almost the entire thing!!! I was a little bothered by the 'speaking' parts and how they changed the words only to make it NOT rhyme (as that would sound hokey being spoken, I guess)

Overall I LOVED it. I have seen the stage version in Chicago in 98 and in London in 99 (that was fun... the guy that played Roger had a Scottish accent that he slipped into regularly!)

Anyway, I really enjoyed the "Open up a Restaurant in Santa Fe" subway scene as well as La Vie Boheme.

As I never saw the broadway cast, I didn't realize it was going to be so many of the original cast members until I heard the songs and it sounded exactly like the CD.

Last note: There were some pretty young teens in there that I thought were a little young for the topics. I didn't sit close enough to hear any reactions (except the teens that laughed EVERY time Mark and Roger's answering machine said "SPEAK" (every time-it apparently never got old!)