Some RENT questions...for the experts.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 1:06am

All right all you RENT fans. Just a couple of questions…
These are based only on the film. If things were different in the stage version please fill me in…

Did anyone in the “family” know either Angel or Mimi before the film starts?
I know she says she had a thing with Benny, but how deep was it, how long did it last and how long ago? Wouldn't Roger or Mark have met her if they were all so close? How did Mark know where she works? How long has she been living below them? (On a side note, did it seem to anyone else that the Cat Scratch Club was a bit too nice? I mean even a junkie could afford an apartment with the kind of crowd and clientèle that place has. And Mimi seemed to be a pretty popular attraction, I am sure she made very good money)

And if no one knew Angel before Christmas morning, why does it seem as if they are all best friends from the minute she struts into the room?

Why is Maureen’s Performance Art Piece referred to as a “demonstration?” There are no signs or protesters. It is just a terrible performance art exhibit that really means nothing. Why would Benny and his “benefactors” be so desperately opposed to it? And was Maureen as broke when she and Mark were together? Or is all the money for the performance Joanne’s? You would think they would put the money to better use. It could not have been cheap to rent all that tech equipment for a one-night “protest”, no to mention all the posters plastered on the walls in the neighborhood.

At the funeral scene it was rather obvious that Angel didn’t have any real family present. This leads me to believe that his friends, or “Family” made all the arrangements for the service. Do you really think that the Wilson’s head shot was the best photo to use on the casket? I would think that if nothing else there would have been a FABULOUS picture of Angel, if not even more fabulous decorations or SOMETHING to say how different this person was.

There are many other questions like this that have been bugging me since I saw the film. There are many others, but let’s start there. Could some one enlighten me?
Thanks.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 1:19am

In the film, anyway, it's established in the very beginning that Mimi and Angel do in fact know each other. Mimi very specifically tells Roger that she and Benny had a thing "two years ago," but that's the only time it's really spoken of -- other than speculation, there's little concrete as to how serious they were, how long they lasted, if it was steady or on again/off again, etc.

A lot of the questions you ask, unfortunately, are very ambiguous and open to interpretation -- as I'm sure is pretty obvious, because the characters are written with such a realistic sense of depth and individuality, it's easy to speculate and think of what may have happened to them prior to the small window of time we get to spend with them in the lapse of the story. Some of the things you bring up are also some of the plot-holes that mark the imperfections of the piece. In the movie, it seems as though Angel may have known Maureen prior to her performance; but would he not, then, have ever met Mark before?

Benny's opposed to Maureen's show because she considers it to be a protest against his project. Her performance is an abstract representation of what Benny is doing/proposes to do the community, by building up and evicting the homeless in tent city. He says, in one way or another, that he is opposed to it because -- in his opinion at least, that she simply doesn't want to lose her performance space. She says she's doing this to protest against Benny's attitude, and flippancy toward the homeless, who he will soon evict. Again, where the money for Maureen's performance comes from is probably ambiguous and up to speculation. I've often wondered how she ever made any money, too. We don't really know that much about her, truthfully -- although we don't know where she lives now that she and Joanne are together (is she mooching off of Joanne's lawyer's salary?) she *used* to live with Mark (and Collins and Benny, as the line tells it -- I'm not sure why when Benny says "you, me, Collins and Maureen," he leaves Roger out, but perhaps that was when Roger was in rehab, or something).

At the funeral scene in the movie, if you look toward the left of the screen, there is an older Latina woman, presumably a member of Angel's family -- maybe his grandmother, or aunt, or something. How many people would attend the funeral, and who those people were, was an important decision that was made during the process of the film -- it was a detail that could be shown more realistically, and the way it ended up being presented was very telling. If you look around the church, you see Angel's friends, and then mostly those left of his Life Support group. Who else would care, we might ask ourselves. In the show, Benny pays for the funeral -- the implication might be that he, then, made the arragements. The scene explaining the payment for the funeral was cut from the film, unfortunately. The photo could be a point of personal taste -- I like the photo they used -- there's something beautiful and touching in its simplicity.

Sorry to not be of too much help, and to bail out on ambiguity on a few of those points, but I hope that was somewhat helpful.

Updated On: 12/1/05 at 01:19 AM

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 1:24am

Just wanted to say that Angel's grandmother is listed in the credits, as well as his sister, so presumably they're both in the funeral scene.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 1:37am

Thanks. That does answer some of the questions.
But how is Maureen's performance piece so threating to Benny and his backers? I mean it is a pretty silly song that's really so muddy in it's target that I wasn't really sure what it was about. I know what they SAY it is about.
And I wasn't questioning the absence of Angel's family at the funeral. I did notice a few others there, but it might have been a nice touch to have the others acknowledge his Grandmother in some way.

Updated On: 12/1/05 at 01:37 AM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 1:44am

The biggest threat may in fact be that he suspects she's going to get people riled up. From the way he talks about her -- in a sort-of taunting manner -- he doesn't really seem to be too fond of her, does he?

I remember posting recently that a lot of Over the Moon was still totally confusing to me. Of course, some parts of it are very obvious, when she explicitly speaks of that dog called Benny, and how everything is dry in CyberLand -- the land of the rich man in the suit. Everything's processed and commercialized -- Diet Coke, she says. But, on her posters -- though I can't remember exactly what they said -- there's something of a short slogan/description, and it's about saving the homeless from evicition. So, people who were going to see her perform (and presumably join in her cause) knew what she was making such a scene about, even if it's really far out-there.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 1:48am

Ironically, though, Over the Moon captures that era of the really bad performance art very well. Even though it was written to make a statement, it comes off now as a parody of the crap that was being performed back then. I laughed, but I am not sure for the right reasons.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 1:52am

I think the intention is that you laugh because she takes so seriously her kooky piece, that is admittedly not very good, even though it gets people riled up. She's trying to make a statement, not explicitly trying to make people laugh. I think I called her comic relief, without the intention of being funny. You look at her and sort of go "oh, what a weirdo -- and she's totally okay with it!" Depends, obviously, on how it's played by whom, but yes, a lot of times it comes off as goofy comedy to get laughs, and that's not as powerful as laughing at (almost with) someone who's a little crazy, but a lot passionate.

[ajayspak2]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 4:31am

In the stage version Mimi and Roger meet during Light My Candle, Roger only knows her from The Cat Scratch Club as the song says but never personally met her. Mark and Mimi meet in Christmas Bells which is cut in the movie. Mimi and Angel don't even interact with each other in the stage production until La Vie Boheme. In the stage production all of this takes place on Christmas Eve (entire Act I) and not during a span of days. Maureen's performance mocks the terrible performance art that took place in the late 80's in NYC and unfortunately still continues in SF. In the stage production, Maureen only has a digital delay and nowhere is it indicated that she is on a stage with all the TV's and other expensive equipment shown, but whatever equipment she does have is obviously something she has acquired and had for quite some time and possibly could have gotten help from Joanne. In the stage version The Cat Scratch Club is implied to be a sex club "they used to tie you up", "it's a living", not a strip joint. In the stage production, it is apparent that Mark is enamored by Angel from the first moment he meets him not to mention he hands all of them wads of cash (not Roger as much cos he is much angrier and distraught due to the horror he has just come from 6 months prior also not mentioned in the film, April his ex, slits her wrists and leaves a note saying "We've got AIDS" so in one moment Roger is dealt a double blow, losing his love to suicide and also finding out he has AIDS) this is not even discussed in the film and is glossed over by that awful flashback shot of Roger comforting April when she receives her HIV positive test results. The lack of these motivating factora are what make the Roger character bland in the movie, in the stage production he is motivated by the horror I just described and is very angry, reclusive and distraught, he has lost all faith in the world. He does NOT go to Life Support in the stage play which in the movie is utterly ridiculous because it goes completely against his character. Any other questions feel free to ask.
Updated On: 12/1/05 at 04:31 AM

[Anakela]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 4:57am

(I've only seen the film once, hoping those who have seen it more can help)

I too noticed that "Angel's Grandmother" and "Angel's Sister" were listed in the credits- were these actual speaking parts that were cut or something? Or did they speak and I missed it?

I thought that those identified in the credits are usually speaking parts, and/or very identifiable non speakers (ie: "Pawn Shop Dealer"), and not just randomly letting you know oh hey, these two extras at the funeral, yeah well they were supposed to be these two characters. I could guess the grandmother, but which one was "Angel's Sister," as opposed to "Mourner"?

[Marquise]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 7:16am

In the film, anyway, it's established in the very beginning that Mimi and Angel do in fact know each other. Mimi very specifically tells Roger that she and Benny had a thing "two years ago," but that's the only time it's really spoken of -- other than speculation, there's little concrete as to how serious they were, how long they lasted, if it was steady or on again/off again, etc.

in the show Mimi and Benny had a "fling" 3 months prior. this is revealed when Benny confronts Mimi in the Life Cafe. since it happened 3 months prior to the events in the show not two years as in the movie.

[renthead92]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 7:22am

Just another question:
How many people watching the movie do you think actually thought Angel was really a girl?

[Marquise]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 7:29am

if any did they weren't close attention when he took off his wig in the life support meeting. also, he has no breasts.

[dramaparoxysm23]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 8:15am

“We don't know where Maureen lives now that she and Joanne are together (is she mooching off of Joanne's lawyer's salary?) she *used* to live with Mark (and Collins and Benny, as the line tells it -- I'm not sure why when Benny says "you, me, Collins and Maureen," he leaves Roger out, but perhaps that was when Roger was in rehab, or something).”

I assumed that Maureen lived with Joanne. “Are we packed?” “Yes, and by next week I want you to be.” (La Vie Boheme B)

When Benny says “You, me, Collins, and Maureen”, he is talking to both Mark and Roger, so the “you” actually means both of them.

My question is this: Shouldn’t One Song Glory have been Roger’s one song glory?! That drives me crazy.

Renthead92, my friend saw the Angel cover of the movie soundtrack and I asked her what she thought. She said "She's very pretty, but that's not a good picture." I told her it was a guy and she said "WHAT? Really?? He looks so...pretty, though!" (What the eye sees...)

[Fantabulous428]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 9:25am

yea...the OSG thing seems to come up a lot. But just think, if OSG was Roger's one song, we wouldn't have Your Eyes. And then......we wouldn't have Adam Pascal's huge face up on a 20 ft. screen to oooo at.

[Wax Lion]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 9:30am

Ajayspak--

Wax Lion just wants to let you know that you're a bit wrong about Angel and Mimi. They interact on stage during the title song. There is a point where Angel is counting his dog murdering money and high five's Mimi. This was kept in the movie (to some degree) in that **amazing** shot at the end of "RENT" where Angel points his drumsticks up at Mimi on the fire escape, and the camera trucks over to Benny and the Range Rover bum. Beautifully shot...just beautiful.

Love,
Wax Lion

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 10:18am

All of these responses lead me to the conclusion that the problems with the film are brought on by Columbus and the screenwriter. Thanks for enlightening me.

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 10:18am

you thought the flashback was "awful"?! I think everything about Rogers chaarcter came though, regardless of the suicide.

[Feathah]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 10:29am

Yeah I didn't think the omission of April's suicide changed too much about Roger's character or his grief over losing her.

[RENThead414]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 10:38am

ditto some other people...i liked the flashback during glory, it made me cry lol but just assume that anytime Roger was crying during the movie, i was too.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 10:49am

What I was upset by more than people not *getting* that Angel was a man was these obnoxious pre-teens who LAUGHED at him when he removed his wig -- one of the singular most most moving momnents, and they laughed at him.

No, OSG shouldn't have been Roger's "one song." He's LOOKING for his one song. His song is Your Eyes.

I think Roger still feels guilty, even without the suicide; by showing him helping April with the needle, I think it's implied that he feels like he had a hand in her illness, and therefore her death. I loved the flashbacks; I cried like a baby.

[kasim]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 10:50am

btw .... is this movie already in international theatres???

I See a bunch of movie posters from Israel on ebay on there. Is it already overseas??

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 10:53am

There are international posters, but the international release isn't until early next year.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 10:56am

I think the flashbacks were unnecessary and just seemed to be letting the audience know "Don't worry, Roger didn't get AIDS from gay sex, he shared a needle, so he's NOT GAY! Okay?" I mean they didn't show how Angel got AIDS, no flashback for Collins...also, am I wrong, or has Benny been with his wife/girlfriend for a very short time...after he was with Mimi. It would be nice if they addressed his risk for HIV.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 11:01am

I don't think the flashback is so much to explain the AIDS, while that is *part* of it. If you didn't know the part of Roger's story about the life and the love he used to have, you wouldn't understand an enormous part of who he is -- without knowing that about him, you might look at him and go "what a loser. So he feels sorry for himself, and he just sits around." That's why you need that storyline for him, and not necessarily for Angel or Collins; Angel clearly isn't depressed due to his illness, but he lives every day like his last for it. Because of the flashbacks, (in in the case of the stage show, dialogue that verbalizes Roger's loss) we know that he feels culpable for what happened to April. That's why I love the shot of him walking to Life Support -- you can see on his face how much he hates himself.

I'm not sure how long Benny and Allison have been married; I assume not that long, but again, I'm pretty sure it's not mentioned and up to speculation.

Updated On: 12/1/05 at 11:01 AM

[kasim]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 11:01am

"I think the flashbacks were unnecessary and just seemed to be letting the audience know "Don't worry, Roger didn't get AIDS from gay sex, he shared a needle, so he's NOT GAY! Okay?" I mean they didn't show how Angel got AIDS, no flashback for Collins...also, am "

-- WEll in the musical they talked about how he got it, they changed it i thik for the movie. Like i took it from the musicals song that she killed herself and left a note saying hey we got AIDS sorry. Whereas that made April a bit cold, and this made it more humanizing and why he missed and loved her soo much and also emphasised why he hated Mimi's drug dealer and drugs in general.

So yeah unlike angel it was necessary for the plot.