Can't WE SAVE GOODBYE LOVE?!!

Ok, from what I hear, cutting the 2nd half of Goodbye Love seriously hurts the film--it seems that, naturally, it leaves the audience very confused as to what happens with these characters and what there motivation is. SURELY Chris Columbus can see this?! Why in the world would he make such a stupid cut--what was he thinking! Maybe there is something that we just don't know, but it sure looks like he just needed to get the film under a certain time, so he cut what he thought was the 'least essential to the plot.' They keep saying how much they value the fans opinions and how much they couldn't have done this without us, so isn't there SOMETHING we Rentheads could do to get them to see that Goodbye Love MUST STAY!? (and Halloween for that matter)...I'm just so mad!! It already appears that this film has not been done justice to (I say that from the multiple reviews I've read, mostly on this board). I know it seems radical and 'what can we do?' but surely a show with this big of a fan base can atleast make our opinion known! They want the Rentheads' opinions, well lets give it to them! Any suggestions? or is it a lost cause...

Yes it's upsetting. But as you yourself said, theres nothing we can do. Unless you want to push the movie date so it's even farther away.

We can't fully judge it until any of us have seen it, anyways. Why spend time worrying about it.. it's not going to make it any better.

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Updated On: 11/9/05 at 03:24 PM

I'm at least happy they recorded it. It's beautiful on the CD. I mean, it might have been better in Chris Columbus's mind to take it out. Or, like other people said, it might have just been filmed all wrong and would be embarrassing to keep in. I don't know, there are a number of reasons why it was cut. He wouldn't cut it just because. Essentially, it really is his decision and not ours. After all, he's the director. So we'll just have to deal, I guess, and wait for the DVD to come out.

~Steven

Perhaps he'll release a director's cut later on to get more people to see it in theatres? I don't know, haha...

~Steven

Well, the lesson here is DO TEST SCREENINGS. I know RENT had a few early showings of the film, but we are talking all within the past six weeks. If they had started screenings several months ago, they might have pinpointed some of these problems and perhaps even have had time for reshoots.

Case in point, MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, which began screenings about three months ago and screened poorly. But the creative team apparently got the feedback they needed to fix the film, and now the buzz on it is great.

But all this is heresay. Perhaps Columbus is happy with the film as is. Maybe its just everyone else who is concerned.

I saw the movie and while I enjoyed it, I think it would fare a lot better with Goodbye Love intact.

They COULD conceivably reinsert the scene at this point, and I can NOT imagine a situation in which that would "mess up" the movie.

The creative team has claimed to have been watching fan reaction all along - now I guess we'll get to see exactly how closely they are paying attention.

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They've already cut half of the musical material from the show for film what difference does it make if they cut one more?

I agree. All the other cuts make perfect sense to me - and this is coming from a girl who's favorite song from Rent is "Halloween"

But "Goodbye, Love" explains SO much - that I feel that even those unfamiliar with the story will be confused by the sudden jump in action.

If there is ANY way they could fix this at this point... they should do so.

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I wonder if he (Columbus) actually knows how the fans feel about the cut for those who have seen advance screenings. If he has heard complaints or concerns, I'm sure he would take them into consideration. But I don't know... Hmm....

~Steven

I like Goodbye Love. I wish that Jonathan Larson had fleshed the song out a bit more. I think it would have been really dramatic had the song been introduced in Act 1 and reprised in Act 2. (I would have liked to have seen Roger sing it in Act 1 and then Mimi sing it back to him in Act 2).

I wish they would leave as much of the song in the movie as possible.

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joliz, apparently the it was deemed too melodramatic for the film.

Which is silly, if you ask me. If that's the problem...reshoot, or make for for what you've lost with dialogue. But don't take out some of the best, most insightful material in the show because it didn't film well that time.

It does sound like reactions are being taken into account -- or at least heard. Feedback is being collected in a more official way than reading angry posts on a message board. Whether that'll be taken to heart is anyone's guess, but Columbus *does* think that things work better without it.

The reason he cut it is because the direct confrontation was too melodramatic on camera. Too much for film. To cut it down to bare-bones, that's why.

It'll be on the DVD. Personally, I hope there's an extended cut of the movie, rather than just an option to watch the deleted scenes are stand-alone pieces.

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"The reason he cut it is because the direct confrontation was too melodramatic on camera. Too much for film."

And with Dreamgirls coming up, you have to wonder how Bill Condon will handle one of the most melodramatic songs "And I Am Telling You".

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