'Rent' Movie Review (Unmarked Spoilers)

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Chris Columbus is, d'uh, a hack.

I think if he were a hack, he would have cast Jessica Alba and Paul Walker as Mimi and Roger. I think he is a total fan of the show wanting to preserve what was on Broadway. And, in my opinion, he did. Now I can watch it forever and ever on DVD in about three months or so.

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Edited to add: It seems that the moviegoing public agrees with my take on the material: Despite being arguably more famous in the current pop cultural climate than 'Chicago' was ... 'Rent' performed dismally at the box office and is one pathetic weekend away from being a certified bomb.

The reason 'Rent' isn't doing well has little to do with what you said. Close minded America doesn't want to see gays in films unless they are the funny best friend or die a la 'Braveheart' for laughs. They don't want to see a film about AIDS. It's easier to turn a blind eye on it. They don't want to see a film that portrays homosexuality as being normal. That's why it didn't do well. This is the same reason 'Brokeback' won't do well either. Gay only pays for the straight actors playing gay.
A way to explain the following of 'Rent' on Broadway is to compare it to the following 'Hair' had. It's Gen X's 'Hair'. But I won't go as far as saying 'Rent' the movie is like 'Hair' the movie... now that would be a low blow.