RENT SCREENPLAY- Page 9
RENT SCREENPLAY
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/7/04
Rhyming Dialogue#200
Posted: 11/23/04 at 8:49pm
ABOUT ADAM- He is Adam...he will pull it off...or he'll just let us all down and have us hugging our sporks to get it over with
Thank you; I needed to spit out coffee all over my desk.
Rhyming Dialogue#201
Posted: 11/23/04 at 10:14pm
When I read the screenplay, I too thought that it relies A LOT on acting. lol, and for some reason, Adam was the only one that worried me, as I've been told he is not the best actor.
However, then I got an image in my head (actually, the one that is now Emcee's icon lol), and figured that if he could pull off the Emcee, it might not be so bad.
Slight changing of the subject, now that I'm listening to the Phantom soundtrack, I'm eagerly waiting for a possible new Rent one. I love the new orchestrations on this, I'd love to hear something a little different with the Rent music! (don't get me wrong, its already great, but I'd bet it'd be spruced up for the movie)
Rhyming Dialogue#202
Posted: 11/24/04 at 4:17am
"ABOUT ADAM- He is Adam...he will pull it off...or he'll just let us all down and have us hugging our sporks to get it over with"
HA! The spork has returned. Sorry, I just finished catching up on the discussion on the "RENT Welcome Wagon". That's so great.
~Chris(tie)
Featured Actor Joined: 11/24/04
Rent#203
Posted: 11/24/04 at 1:11pm
Hey guys,
This is my first post here, and thought I would say hello. My name's John and I make the RENT broadway bear every year for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. This year I'm doing Idina as Maureen, and we're having a ball putting her together. I know I won't have any problems getting people to "moo" with me at the auction in February, right?!
Anyway, I've just finished the October draft of the Chbosky/Columbus movie script, and when I mentioned it to Anthony yesterday on the phone, he said he had just received the most recent draft. I don't know about you guys, but the script had me in tears. I'm usually an emotional mess (depending on the cast) during 90% of act II, but this version of the movie script really had a bigger emphasis on celebrating life. Angel's last words to Collins had me crying here at work...
I didn't think to ask Anthony about the changes in the latest draft of the script...since we were talking bears. I'm also in charge of doing Anthony as Charlie Brown for the 2005 auction. Looks like I'll be busy in the coming month...
Anyway, I've written a book here. I enjoy reading everyone's posts...
Take care and I hope to talk again soon!
John
Rent#204
Posted: 11/24/04 at 2:39pm
i enjoyed your book 
any way of seeing pictures of the BCEFA bears when you're done? i'm really anxious to see the idina/maureen one 
"I'm usually an emotional mess (depending on the cast) during 90% of act II"
^^ same haha
if you talk to anthony soon, do you mind asking him about any major changes, like HAVE THEY PUT HALLOWEEN OR CHRISTMAS BELLS BACK IN? you don't have to ask, but i'm sure it would make many people very happy to know...
~ rebecca
Rent#205
Posted: 11/24/04 at 7:07pm
Hey Beka!!!!
ITS MEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
(danni1352)
xoxo
Lil Elphie
(i cant wait for the RENT movie! Idinas going to be back in it)
Rent#207
Posted: 11/25/04 at 10:08am
yup!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!
xoxo
Lil Elphie
MiniMenzel <----shoulda been my username LOL
Rent#208
Posted: 11/25/04 at 11:42am
"Anthony as Charlie Brown for the 2005 auction."
hmmm because I am very stupid...anyone care to explain this to me?
Rent#209
Posted: 11/25/04 at 4:22pm
Sally- Anthony Rapp played Charlie Brown in YAGMCB
Glad I could bring the sporks back.
Rent#210
Posted: 11/25/04 at 5:31pm
"Sally- Anthony Rapp played Charlie Brown in YAGMCB"
bwaha I def. know that! lol my question was about the 2005 auction part
Rent#211
Posted: 11/25/04 at 10:45pm
hey i'm heather..i've been posting occasionally but not in this thread.. but after reading the screenplay..the one thing i was kinda iffy on was how often roger goes out of his apartment. in the play mimi is what got roger out of the house FINALLY towards the end of act 1. and in the beginning of the movie he's going out already? any reactions?
also question: how do you guys have the quotes under your posts? i've been trying to do that but have no idea? hehe thanks<33
Rent#212
Posted: 11/25/04 at 11:04pm
welcome renthead04
and btw, to make a quote or change your sig., go to he side bar where it says "Logout" underneath that button, click "your settings" scroll all the way down and click "Edit your settings" then find "message Board Signature" and type w/e
hope that helps
Rent#213
Posted: 11/25/04 at 11:07pm
Hey guys. Beka and I will most likely "officially" restart the discussion in this thread sometime tomorrow...we've kind of been holding off because of the holiday and to see if Fredi will be joining us.
So...yeah, I'll talk to you guys sometime tomorrow.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Rent#214
Posted: 11/25/04 at 11:09pmthank you very much sally!! happy thanksgiving everyone!
Ugh#215
Posted: 11/26/04 at 3:51am
Ohk, I'm just going to come straight out and say I'm completely disappointed with the screenplay. I think the script loses everything that Jonathan Larson's brilliant ROCK OPERA stood for. It butchers every one of the themes, characters, and songs. This is exactly why I was afraid of ever having a "Rent" movie.
First of all, "Rent" is a rock opera, so all of the lines, except for certain scenes and monologues, are meant to be sung. Making dialogue from song lyrics I think is the lamest thing. Especially when the lines still rhyme. Come on, every person who knows "Rent" was hearing the melodies of the now spoken dialogue when reading the screenplay. I mean some of the scenes are nice, like the hospital scene. But that's about it. I think it loses so much when the music is cut.
Which brings me to my next point. Why are so many crucial songs cut?! WHY IS "HALLOWEEN" CUT?!?!?! And most of "Goodbye Love" also, why?! "Christmas Bells" definitely is important, too. And don't you think it would be a really cool film sequence? I also miss the "Tune Up"s and the "Voice Mail"s. Those little snipets make it so much more interesting. I feel "You'll See" is important because it shows Benny's side, the only time the audience can relate to him. I also miss "Happy New Year" and "We're Okay," the latter shows Joanne outside of the core group, which I think should be shown. I just don't understand why the score is chopped up. Why would a sung-through movie be any less believable? I mean, they already are breaking out into song, which is not something bohemians or anyone else does on a regular basis, unless you're a musical theatre person. And look, the sung-through method worked for "Evita" and it's being done in the upcoming "The Phantom of the Opera." So why can't they just leave it sung-through? It works. But the whole dream sequence for "Tango: Maureen"? Ohk, it works, but then again it's been done before. And much too recently.
Another thing I don't understand is the character changes. Most of the characters (save Roger and Mimi) seem utterly pointless now. Maureen is now dull and not needed for the second half of the film. Benny is not important at all and doesn't advance the plot at all. Joanne's also pretty much useless. I would say that to a degree, Collins and Angel's characters are somewhat diminished unnecessarily. And wait, I thought Mimi was the reason for Roger getting out of his apartment, not Mark and company. O, and WHY ISN'T MARK THE OMNISCIENT NARRATOR?!?! That was the whole point of his character! He was on the inside but not, looking in but staying on the outside. And Mark is the reason why all of the characters are connected, he is the link between the other seven people, and they cut this entire point out. This is shown through "Halloween," which is unfortunately cut (why o why?).
Which would then make one wonder, what ever happened to "one magic night"?!?! The first act of "Rent" shows how so much can happen in one night, how lives can change in the blink of an eye, and the second shows how fast it can all come crashing down in the course of the year. I know that in a movie, there is no intermission to split these two sections, but that's where the good screenwriter comes in and makes that transition smooth. And making the action of the first act covered in about three days or so is NOT the answer!
And why is "Rent" now set in the mid-1980's? Although no specific year is indicated in the show, it is clear that the action takes place in the mid-1990's. Society and AIDS in the 1980's are so different than in the 1990's. For example, AZT was far less accessible in the 1980's (anyone read or see "Angels in America"?). Also, the wardrobe and style of music is definitely 90's. The music is not 80's at all.
Jonathan Larson's "Rent" was meant to be controversial, but not political. The inclusion of gay marriage is totally wrong and not the in the style of the show. Although homosexuality is a theme in "Rent," it is understood to be accepted from the very beginning of the show. Pushing gay marriage is the total wrong direction and will make many many people very angry. With the same-sex couples, I feel the idea of being married is inferred without actually showing it. And would gay marriage fit in the 1980's? Don't get me wrong, gay marriage is a wonderful thing, but just not in "Rent."
I believe Chris Columbus made some poor decisions in this draft of the script. It loses many of Larson's original and obvious intentions. I honestly can't see why he was chosen to direct and supervise the production over someone like, say, Baz Luhrman. At least Baz has successfuly directed a movie musical ("Moulin Rouge") and a modernization of a classic ("Romeo + Juliet"), and he's also directed a stage version of "Rent"'s source ("La Boheme"). Now that I think about it, Luhrman would be perfect for "Rent." Why o why is Chris Columbus doing everything to potentially ruin my favorite musical?
Please don't think that I'm writing this just because I'm a purist and complete Renthead. Although I am a purist and a Renthead, I feel that sticking more closely to the script would not only make Jonathan Larson proud, but it would still make a good movie. See, it seems that Chris Columbus wants to stick to the show but make it different, but I feel that with "Rent," it's either one or the other. Either you make it almost exactly like the show or you make it completely different. This version of the script is somewhere in between. It will make purists angry for not being like the show enough. It's also not different enough to have its own artistic value, like the movies of "Chicago" and "Cabaret." Columbus should make up his mind, and he should decide to lean towards the first scenario, making the movie more like that show.
Ultimately, if this is the script that will be filmed, the movie will be mediocre at best. It won't please the musical theatre buffs and it won't please the movie critics. It's only in between. It's really not going to catch anyone's eye. And that's a shame because I think a "Rent" movie has the potential of being really great. But not this "Rent" movie.
And that just plain sucks.
~Steven
Updated On: 11/26/04 at 03:51 AM
Ugh#216
Posted: 11/26/04 at 10:58amI agree that the screenplay IS NOT the stage show in any way...but the stage show is just that: A STAGE SHOW...something that MIGHT not translate well to film. I am sure that the script will be tweaked and everything will be fine...afterall most of the OBC is working on it and I am sure that they want to keep Mr. Larson's views intact.
Ugh#217
Posted: 11/26/04 at 11:29amThank you, jacob. Couldn't have said it better myself.
Ugh#218
Posted: 11/26/04 at 12:29pmWith the cast they have, there is no way they will stand for ruining what Rent is and what it stands for. One important benefit of having people that knew Jonathan in the cast.
Ugh#219
Posted: 11/26/04 at 12:56pm
"With the cast they have, there is no way they will stand for ruining what Rent is and what it stands for. One important benefit of having people that knew Jonathan in the cast."
exactly!
Ugh#220
Posted: 11/26/04 at 1:00pm
let me put this simply for anyone who wants to say something about this or ask another question about this again:
LARSON'S SCRIPT = FOR STAGE
COLUMBUS'S SCRIPT = FOR SCREEN
stage and screen are completely different mediums, and a new script had to be written. as total rentheads we want it to be as close to the stage version as possible since that's what we fell in love with and are still in love with, but we must realize that columbus and his team are working on that. however, they are also interested in making money and having the movie be accessible to all audiences. to make money off the movie everyone has to understand it. this means there must be some dialogue to explain what regular non-rentheads wouldn't understand.
larson's script also merely wouldn't work on the screen. there are many, many liberties that are taken on the stage due to poetic license. you can't just have people run off the side of the screen like they're running off stage. and you can't have angel just appear on screen like he appears on stage after he died. there are many things that just can't be done, because people believe a lot less of screen due to the technology that we have.
BASIC POSITIVES TO COLUMBUS'S SCRIPT AND THE RENT MOVIE THAT EVERYONE SHOULD CONSIDER:
1. the OBC (or as much as possible) are reprising their roles. COME ON PEOPLE! THE OBC! no matter how utterly horrendous the script is, the original characters are reading it. and they knew jonathan, so i'm sure they won't allow columbus to stray TOO far from larson's original ideas. (especially anthony, who has worked with columbus before in adventures in babysitting)
2. none of the major storyline was changed, meaning that everyone that was supposed to die, dies and everyone that was supposed to live, lives. imagine how pissed off we would be if mimi died, simply because this is not what larson wanted.
3. no MAJOR songs were cut. it's true that Christmas Bells, Contact, and Halloween were cut, and i'm pushing for these songs to be put back in as much as the next person, but again, THINK OF THE POSITIVE! la vie boheme wasn't cut! out tonight wasn't cut! take me or leave me wasn't cut!
4. just as the stage version of rent reached thousands, maybe millions of people, the screen version will reach even more. now everyone that can afford a movie ticket, not a broadway or tour ticket can see rent. larson's legacy will be spread even farther! and even more important, AIDS awareness will be spread father.
if you read this far, THANK YOU! the past 10 minutes of my life weren't wasted! i'll give you a biscuit!
~ rebecca
Ugh#221
Posted: 11/26/04 at 1:02pmthank you BEKA and you are right my apologies if I said anything that might do against this
Getting back on track...#222
Posted: 11/26/04 at 1:05pm
Yay, thank you Beka.
On that note...shall we restart our discussion of the screenplay? I think this thread would do better if we keep our discussion to pieces of the screenplay, rather than classifying the entire thing as "good" or "bad". We've done that debate to death, for god's sake.
Getting back on track...#223
Posted: 11/26/04 at 1:09pm
true.
okay so
i have a question
how do you think they're going to do the whole dancing through the streets in the very beginning? like ppl are just gonna randoly get out of their houses and dance?
i liek it when ppl dance it streets in movies..its fun lol
Getting back on track...#224
Posted: 11/26/04 at 1:13pm
this thread is now open again, for anyone who wants to DISCUSS (not throw yes/no around like confetti) the screenplay in a constructive manner... so... SSSPPPEEEAAAKKK!
(sorry, couldn't resist...
this is your brain
this is your brain on rent ::BEKA531 bursts into Tune Up #1 and continues through to Finale B, with a 15 minute break after La Vie Boheme B for intermission:: 
)
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