Rent
**I also wrote about “Rent” as part of Film for Thought’s “Ultimate Choice” blog on favorite musicals here.
Life, death, love, hate, energy, dejection, positive, negative, change, more of the same, prejudice, understanding. 525,600 minutes. A year in the life of love.
Ultimately, all of these things are what Jonathan Larson wrote about in “Rent,” his 1996 musical about the life he lived in New York, working at a restaurant, and working as an independent composer who’s dream was to make it to the big time and bright lights of Broadway. “Rent”- a story about eight friends, and a year filled with all of the things I listed above- was his lasting legacy to the world. Sadly, he wasn’t able to see its’ phenomenal impact on American culture- the night before its’ premiere, he died of a heart disease at the age of 35.
In 2005, “Rent” hit movie screens- after several aborted attempts- under the watchful eye of director Chris Columbus. Yeah, he’s best known for the first two “Harry Potter” films, “Home Alone,” “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Adventures in Babysitting,” and writing “The Goonies,” “Gremlins,” and “Young Sherlock Holmes” (he’s also got “I Love You, Beth Cooper” this summer; this week even), but “Rent” shows an uncommon gift for heart and adult humor. He treats Larson’s vision of his life and times with due respect and rough reality- it’s his best film to date.
Larson’s music has a lot to do with that. I’ve never seen the show on Broadway, but growing up with an acute awareness of AIDS, be it with the knowledge of Ryan White, Magic Johnson, and “Philadelphia,” it’s always been on my mind. When Columbus’ film came out, it took me a while to finally get to seeing it, but when I did, the film had me from the first chords of “Seasons of Love,” and Larson’s driving and emotional narrative riveted me until the final notes were sung 135 minutes later. It had a profound effect on me- a film right for the moment. I was having a tough time of it with my own emotions, so I found solace and strength in what Larson and Columbus had to offer.
I wrote the following in a blog entitled “‘Rent,’ ‘Faith’ & Life” that I wrote on MySpace in 2006:
“This isn’t a movie review- those don’t go deep enough. This isn’t a movie essay- those aren’t personal enough. This is an open monologue- comments, as always, are welcome- of self-examination from a hopeless romantic, a starving artist, and an amateur scholar of the arts he loves most- music and movies- wanting to say the things he’s longing to say but afraid to while discussing his favorite topic- movies, and two in particular that’ve mattered most to him recently.
This past Friday, I bought the DVD of “Rent”. I’ve never seen the show on stage, but when I saw the Chris Columbus film on its’ last day at the movie theatre I work at, Jonathan Larson’s extraordinary interpretation of “La Boheme” dug deep, and stayed there. I was glad my mother- who only saw the film this weekend- had bought the soundtrack- I couldn’t imagine not being able to hear “One Song Glory,” “Another Day,” “Will I,” or any other of the unique and unforgettable songs from Larson’s memorable score immediately after (my finances have been tight recently). The more one listens, the more one finds in Larson’s personal and tragic story an undeniable joy and thirst to live life to the fullest, regardless of whatever obstacles it throws at you. When I put it on my list of favorite films of 2005, I said of the story that I felt it could honestly make someone change their outlook on life. The feature-length documentary on the DVD (where we’re told of letters sent to the late Larson’s friends, family, and colleagues) only solidified that belief, as has watching- with open heart- Columbus’ film, which captures the raw feeling of rock n’ roll, the healing power of art, and the defiant spirit of people with every reason to fall into despair but don’t because, whether you live until you’re 25 or 105, life’s too short. As is sung throughout the film, “Forget regret, or life is yours to miss.” For some of us, that’s easier said than done.
As is said in the documentary, “Rent” resonates with people- as all great stories do- because people can see a reflection of themselves in the characters. I can attest to that, but Roger- the rocker wanting to write that “one song to leave behind”- is the one whose journey most reflects my own. He’s faced mortality in his life- he has AIDS, and a former love died from it; I almost died when I was born, and I basically watched my grandfather die of cancer in the summer of 2000. He longs to find the inspiration that translates into lasting art in the form of a great rock song; I yearn to tell stories of lasting artistic and emotional resonance- be it through music or my own films- that are personal and imaginative in their execution. And though he interacts with his closest friends with ease and confidence, he shuts his emotions down when it comes to new social interaction (namely, the free-spirited and self-destructive Mimi) out of fear of opening old wounds, or expressing his deepest emotions. I can relate. Though past opportunities have presented themselves for deeper dialogues about my most personal experiences and feelings, I find it difficult to find the confidence to just lay all my cards on the table, usually out of fear of embarrasement or alienating the person who’s listening. This is where the artist can find a singular outlet in their art, but what happens when you feel the feelings, but can’t find the right way to express them artistically? That is Roger’s dilemma, and in pasts both recent and distant, it has also been mine. That type of block is hardest, because it can lead to self-doubt, which can only add further layers of emotional complexes that can prove difficult to untangle. Roger eventually finds that artistic expression through his love for Mimi; how will it come to me?
Roger’s roommate Mark- an aspiring filmmaker- faces his own dilemmas. Like Roger, he wants to make art that matters- in his case, a documentary about the reality of living in New York in the early ’90s. But practical matters of life- basically, a fancy way of saying being able to pay the bills- rear their ugly head, and he must make that choice every artist dreads and take a job he doesn’t want to just survive. Now by and large, I enjoy my job at the theatre, especially when I’m in the projection booth. I enjoy many of the people I work with, and even the people whose work habits I question, I like them as people. Unexpected friendships have emerged in my four-plus years there and possibilities I didn’t see coming have presented themselves, for which I am grateful.
But recently, it’s felt more stressful than it should. Things not getting done- being left for others. Many things piling up on top of each other, making for a stressful shift at a job that should be laid back. More than anything else, though, I dread the thought of doing this for the rest of my life, barely able to make ends-meet and still living with my parents (I have not spent wisely over the years). What’s the alternative, though? Find a job that is more lucrative, but also- possibly- without interest? Go back to school on student loans you’ll be paying back this side of forever for a degree that’s more practical but not a passionate undertaking? (Yes, business school has come up with the parentals in the past.) What I want to do is film music. But not only is my personality not compatible per se with schmoozing and making connections, but to move to the places best suited for such a pursuit would cost money I don’t have. That leaves gaining experience and producing examples of your talent- not easy when you don’t have experience to begin with. Getting such projects seen by the right people is no small task, either (although the ‘net could help out with that). I’ve taken opportunities to do what I want in the past year, and I feel more than ever I have what it takes. But a little branching out further never hurt anyone (I HAVE considered pursuing a Masters in Composition in the future), as I’ve discovered in trying to write my entry to this year’s Turner Classic Movies’ Young Film Composers Competition. I have less than three weeks before the deadline for entries and little in the way of ideas, but I don’t want to give up. This is the challenge of any art- to make it personal AND accessible- and this art in particular- using your creativity to sometimes create sonic solutions to visual problems. Making it personal and accessible when forced by reality to put his dream on hold is Mark’s problem; how he solves it is a tribute to his own creativity.”
Larson’s music struck a chord with a generation, and Columbus’ film struck a chord with me. I’ve eschewed a traditional review because, simply, “Rent” deserves more than just your run-of-the-mill write-up. The performances by the film’s cast- most of whom had been on the original Broadway show (except Rosario Dawson as Mimi and Tracie Thoms as Joanne)- are lived in and alive with force and feeling. The stand-out, and the heart and soul of the story, however, is Wilson Jermaine Heredia as Angel, the compassionate drag queen-street performer who comes to love Jesse L. Martin’s Tom Collins, and brings the cast together in love of life. Her death as a result of AIDS is the start of an emotional downward spiral for our characters- her funeral allowing them to get their passion out with an emotionally-charged performance of “I’ll Cover You” led by Collins, and filmed by Columbus as a slow-burn to an emotional high before the fall, when drugs and building resentments will splinter this found family.
Ultimately, “Rent” the film works for the same reason “Rent” the musical worked- because behind any artifice in its’ creation, at its’ core lies fundamental truths about life. How we live. How we hurt. How we hold onto the past. How we manage to let go of it. How we love. And how we die. AIDS is always the elephant in the room, but if the story were just about that, it wouldn’t have had the lasting impact it has had. In spite of it all, Mark will stay true to his own vision of how the world works. Maureen and Joanna will take each other rather than leave one another. Tom will find happiness through the pain after Angel’s death. Roger will find the inspiration to write his song in Mimi. And Angel will watch over them with a simple message- no day but today.
A good message we can all live by.
