Fans of Rent's Screenplay. . . For your consideration

[WickedlyPerfect]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 11:13am

I wasn't sure how many people like Stephen Chbosky's screenplay of the movie "rent". If you did then I would like to point out that Stephen is a talented writer of books as well. My favorite book of his is: "Perks on Being a Wallflower". check it out! THANKS

[Steeler Jim]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 11:17am

The music was great. Screenplay....not so much.

Thanks, though.

[kates422]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 12:08pm

THat was an amaaaaaazing book. One of my favorites! :)

[lukeboy25]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 12:12pm

that was like the first novel I read....still keep it close to me. I dont think the adaptation of Rent was his best but, it worked.

[Marquise]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 12:15pm

not a fan of how rent was adapted for the screen.
the roger/mimi/benny triangle wasn't *fleshed* out and came out of left field in the film
and that's just *one* of the problems i had with it.

[DAME]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 12:18pm

Consieration for what? Oscar? It will never, ever, EVER, happen. EVER!

Updated On: 11/30/05 at 12:18 PM

[Kringas]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 12:18pm

Not to mention the glaring anachronisms and huge plot holes. The screenplay should have fixed the plot holes in the stage version, not let those grow bigger and throw in a bunch of new ones.

[kates422]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 12:20pm

I think it meant consideration to read Perks of Being a Wallflower, not an oscar.

[karlean7]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 12:24pm

Stephen Chbosky wrote a much better screenplay back in 2001. It had some serious issues, yes, but nothing that couldn't be fixed, and what was good was REALLY F*CKING GOOD.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure that Chris Columbus cowrote this one, and just failed to mention that in the official credits. Updated On: 11/30/05 at 12:24 PM

[Behind_the_Spotlight]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 1:04pm

AMAAAAZING book! I loved it endlessly, and it's falling apart from the number of times my sister re-read it. :)

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 1:10pm

DAME, are you an Oscar insider or something?

[Cages or Wings]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 3:59pm

Chbosky's Screenplay was preceded by this introduction...

In New York, you see it all the time. Street performers. Homeless performers. Rock Clubs. Protests. Young artists jamming. Any season, any year. This city sings. So, when reading the following pages and trying to see the wet streets and alleys, young faces, and Christmas lights, I encourage you to try and HEAR the movie as well. The soundtrack mixed like a rock concert, not a film. The performers not lipsynched. But vibrant. The emotional and visceral sensation we all had going to our first concert. Our ears ringing. Our cheeks red. So God Damn happy. Imagine that sensation as you get to know Mark, Roger, Mimi, Angel, Collins, Benny, Maureen, and Joanne. The sound in the red. Blasting over the cold wet streets. Alive. This movie, like the show it was based on, and opera, and short story, is a celebration. A celebration of young people struggling to make art and live life in the face of heavy obstacles, both inside and out. A document to the idea that youth is fleeting, we only live once, and there is no day but today.

It was good. He gets it. Too bad so much was changed.

[brdwaybaby17]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 4:05pm

Dang...
If he had made this movie... can you even imagine the possibilities?
Don't get me wrong, I loved it... but... wow...
That's amazing.

[karlean7]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 4:19pm

That screenplay is one of the reasons why I had a hard time listening to everyone who kept screaming about all the changes that were made. As if the stage play was this holy text that was NOT TO BE CHANGED, EVER and HOW DARE COLUMBUS EVEN THINK ABOUT IT. And the problem with Columbus being such a big fan of the original is that he fell into the same trap.

Of course, the irony is that if they had kept it exactly the same as the stage play, it probably would have been better than what ended up on the screen. The movie had it's moments, and I enjoyed myself for the most part, but it definitely ended up in this hell place between too faithful and not faithful enough.

[Cages or Wings]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 4:28pm

Although Chbosky changed a lot in his screen play, he kept the show's spirit so alive. The characters were so vibrant. Much deeper than what we saw on film. Don't get me wrong I really enjoyed the movie, but this screenplay was so good. With some tweaking it would have been great. If you can find it read it. It's wonderful (and what I'm reading right now).

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 6:39pm

The screenplay used for the current movie seems like its actually Chris Columbus', but since he took ideas from Chbosky's 2000 draft, he credited Chbosky as well. I don't know if that's REALLY how it was, but it seems that way.

I think Chbosky's 2000 draft would have just made an incredible film, though I think it took out too much of the music, and almost strayed from this being an adaption. I think if more ideas from Chbosky's screenplay had been used with more of the music intact than in Chbosky's draft, the film could have been brilliant.

The ending of the draft confused me, though. Perhaps it was my reading it over very late at night, but I wasn't exactly sure of what was going on there...

And while we're talking about Chbosky, does anyone know exactly how to pronounce his name? I have an idea, but I feel silly everytime I try to talk to someone about him...

[joliz]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 6:45pm

Does anyone know where I can read Chbosky's 2000 draft? You all speak so highly of it I would love to see what it was like

[Marquise]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 6:46pm

Ch-Boss-Ski
Updated On: 11/30/05 at 06:46 PM

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 6:49pm

Thanks, Marquise. I figured that, but it's a pretty funny last name, and I always thought "Yeah, I can't be pronouncing this right."

[Marquise]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 6:55pm

i had issues with the cuts they made to the libretto that justified the Roger/Mimi/Benny triangle

Benny to Mimi in the Life Cafe:

"Mimi - I'm surprised
A bright and charming girl like you
Hangs out with these slackers (who don't adhere to deals)....

Benny and Mimi's interaction after "La Vie Boheme A":

Benny: Your new boyfriend doesn't know about us

Mimi: We're taking it slow

Benny: Don't you think that we should discuss...

Mimi: That was three months ago... etc.

Even the exchange that was originally part of "Happy New Year B" between them could have been retained as dialogue.

Unfortunately all of it was cut. They might as well should have finished the job by cutting out that whole plotline out.

They did a half-@ssed job of adapting it.



Updated On: 11/30/05 at 06:55 PM

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 7:02pm

I agree about that Marquise. That also made the "Excuse me, did I do something wrong?..." part of La Vie Boheme A come across as a bit awkward.

I think in the old draft, however, the relationship was dealt with more clearly. Or maybe my brain is much between the film, the draft and the stage show.
Updated On: 11/30/05 at 07:02 PM

[Cages or Wings]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 9:06pm

After re-reading it Chbosky's draft is quite flawed in some parts, but it is brilliant in many. The flaws were easily repairable, and this should of been the skeleton for the movie.

[greenegirl87]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 9:37pm

i knew I knew that name from somewhere! I loved that book in middle school!

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 10:46pm

I didn't care for his screenplay, but THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER is amazing.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 10:56pm

I actually love Chbosky's first draft of RENT. It was way too long and had some major issues, and too much dialogue, but I thought in spirit and feel it was much closer to what the film of RENT should have been (in my mind anyway).