RENT w/The 'Rents

Now that we have the "RENT" DVD in our homes, some of us are finding the opportunity to watch the film with our parents for the first time... like I did tonight.

After the film, I asked my mother: "So what'd you think?"
She shrugged: "Meh... I liked 'Tommy' better."
Me: "Well this is my generation."
She: "And 'Tommy' was mine."

My mom and dad aren't much for words late at night. And while they weren't wow-ed by the movie, I found something else incredibly important in the moment.

I just came out to my family in December. Tonight, neither my mother nor my father left the room or said a word during the entire length of the film. That is the first time that's EVER happened in my life that I can remember.

We haven't said or had too many "gay" conversations since Christmas because I live away from home, I'm very independent, and they trust me and who I am. But tonight was a silent testament. They sat and watched the whole thing, patiently with me, knowing: "If it's important to my 20 year old gay son, then it's important to me."

So in hind-sight, this movie screening in my childhood home was a success. You can't expect all parents to understand or enjoy something as particular as "Rent" but please...

Will any of you share whatever positive experiences you may have had, either in the theatre or on-screen, watching "Rent" with your parents for the first time?

Updated On: 3/11/06 at 03:03 AM

I actually came on here to start this thread.

Note: Disregard the name, I really need to change it lol...

Anyways I took my parents to see Rent (movie) and I was nervous. My mom knows I'm gay, but she's uber Christian so you know the deal. She loves me, but she doesn't like that I'm gay.

She made this known when Angel first called Collins "honey". She verbally said "HONEY?" which kind of pissed me off. Especially because I was still in mounrning for Angel lol.

She sat in silence for most of the movie, unless something outrageous happened like Idina making out with that woman on Tango Maureen or Angel humping Collins during La Vie Boheme. She definitely clutched onto my stepdad's leg for dear life.

In the end, she said she liked it. I know she really didn't. She doesn't like musicals, especially musical movies, and it had way too much in-your-face things like drugs, AIDS, and homosexual issues for her...It's not that she can't watch and enjoy gay characters. She watches Will & Grace religiously.

I don't know. My stepdad enjoyed it; he even had favorite parts: Tango Maureen & Take Me or Leave Me.

My family didn't like it.

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JesusUnlimited--what?! Weren't you saying that RENT and Wicked have Satanic messages? Were you just kidding??

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My family LOVED both the stage and movie versions - like, to the point of obsession. However, at the same time, they are constantly making the typical derogative comments towards gays. It really makes me so irritated.

However, that said, thank you for such a wonderful post, Eug. It's nice to hear that the RENT movie touched someone's life, even though its not particularly well done.

Jesus Unlimited, you're a pain the the ass. Last week you were a mother protecting your poor daughters...not your a kid, talking about your ultra conserative mother? PLease.

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My father saw Rent with me on stage my first time, nearly four years ago. He fell asleep. The only thing that he remembers is Jai Rodriguez as Angel; when Queer Eye premiered, he was like "isn't that the guy in the santa suit?" He picked up on little things over time, I guess. I'd play the CD in the car, and on Roger's songs, he'd go "isn't that the guy from Aida?"

My mother has never seen Rent on stage. For a long time she sort of wanted to, then she said she would do it for me, which is still says, but she just "hasn't gotten around to it yet."

My Spring break began the day after the first time I visited the NYC set, and when I got home, my parents asked how it was. I think I talked for like an hour, or something, and, this is stupid to admit, but there were tears. My parents rarely see me cry unless I'm like.... fighting with them. But certainly not over something like this because it's had a very large impact on me.

So all of the time went by leading up to the movie, and I'd mention in passing that I was going to something Rent-related, and even though my mom had no idea what it was about Rent that people -- me included, obviously -- love so much, she understood that it was important to me, for more reasons than Adam Pascal, his ass, and his arms. I truthfully do think that for a long time, she thought and tried to pass it off on some silly crush. I don't know why. I think she was shocked when I called her after seeing the film, and was quite literally speechless.

I was spending Thanksgiving with some family out-of-town; I had already seen the film, my parents had not. When I got up the day the Life magazine issue came out, someone had left it for me. Some member of my family who vaguely knew I liked Rent. But the night before, someone had mentioned it... asked me if I was "one of those Rent lovers." My mom, who I didn't think paid attention at all, was like "they're called RentHEADS." We had a short conversation about it, and I was really surprised when my entire immediate family and those I was visiting came to watch their episode of The View with me. My aunt kept asking who was who, and my dad sat next to her and explained; pointed out the actors, told her who Adam was and what else he had done -- he was in Aida, he writes music. For someone who fell asleep during the show, and often seems to be asleep when you talk to him about something with any passion, he sure was trying. And he was *interested*.

I took my parents to see the film the following day. I sat between the two of them so I could see their reactions. My father paid such close attention; he even shushed people throughout the film. It was so clear that he was really going to try and make a conscious effort to understand what this was for me. My often-kind-of-insensitive, possibly a little homophobic father. That meant a lot to me, and was entirely baffling to see. After the movie, he hugged me and said he loved it. He even said it was better than the show.

My mother's a cynic. She said she wanted to tell them all to shut up and get jobs. She said she mostly did this for me, and that it hadn't given her any further desire to see the show on stage; if it weren't for me, she'd not be interested in the least.

Maybe she'll come around.

I got a phone call from my father about three weeks ago, to tell me that he was staying at a hotel in the city for business. He wanted to tell me that he had some sort of Broadway channel and that there were old Rent clips playing on it: "Adam and that blonde guy you know!" He was so excited to tell me. When I saw him last week, he asked if I'd bought the DVD yet, and if I would bring it with me next time I went home, because he wants to see it. Something's changed, and that's so, co cool.

Wow, sorry for the length; I had to condense four years!

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Updated On: 3/11/06 at 11:00 AM

Gay people and straight people see the movie differently. Gay people see a movie about love and hope. Most Straight people (Who are un-comfy with gay themes) only see bad relationships, bums that don't work, HIV AIDS and death!


If you just came out to your family this isn't the first movie I would show them! I WOULD SHOW THEM THE CELLULOID CLOSET

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Updated On: 3/11/06 at 01:33 PM

Just most straight people thats what they see

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Don't generalize. It's hugely offensive. I doubt you're at authority to make that kind of judgement. Plently of straight people see love and hope; Rent isn't excluve to or only about sexuality.

Those with closed minds and cynicism see lazy bums.

But I guess that's all straight people.

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Updated On: 3/11/06 at 01:44 PM

Excuse me? You've GOT to be kidding. You just made a statement about the great majority of straight people, AND claimed that Rent is exclusively gay. That's absurd.

At least I'm not too young to know how to spell.

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Listen lady straight people ( who don't like gay themes) only see the negatives in the movie version of Rent. I deal with this type of crap daily!

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Fine. Straight people who are against homosexuality. But not ALL straight people, which you first implied, and it's bullsh*t. You don't want to deal with that crap daily? Comments like your broad generalization perpetuate it. That's so self-righteous.

Broaden your effing vocabulary.

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Updated On: 3/11/06 at 01:52 PM