Rent | |
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Theatrical release poster
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Directed by | Chris Columbus |
Produced by |
Jane Rosenthal Robert De Niro Chris Columbus Mark Radcliffe Michael Barnathan |
Screenplay by | Stephen Chbosky |
Based on |
Rent by Jonathan Larson |
Starring |
Rosario Dawson Taye Diggs Wilson Jermaine Heredia Jesse L. Martin Idina Menzel Adam Pascal Anthony Rapp Tracie Thoms |
Music by | Jonathan Larson |
Cinematography | Stephen Goldblatt |
Edited by | Richard Pearson |
Production
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Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date
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Running time
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135 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $40 million |
Box office | $31.6 million |
Rent (Original motion picture soundtrack) | |
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Soundtrack album by Rent | |
Released | 23 September 2005 |
Recorded | 2004-2005 |
Genre | Musical, Soundtrack |
Length |
95:00 (2-Disc Movie Soundtrack) 64:38 (Selections Soundtrack) |
Label | Warner Bros. |
Producer | Rob Cavallo |
Singles from Rent (Original motion picture soundtrack) | |
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Rent is a 2005 American musical drama film directed by Chris Columbus. It is an adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name, in turn based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème. The film depicts the lives of several Bohemians and their struggles with sexuality, drugs, paying their rent, and life under the shadow of AIDS. It takes place in the East Village of New York City from 1989 to 1990. The film features six of the original Broadway cast members reprising their roles.
On Christmas Eve 1989, aspiring filmmaker Mark Cohen, and his roommate, Roger Davis, learn that the rent previously waived by their old friend and landlord, Benjamin "Benny" Coffin III, is due ("Rent"). Their former roommate Tom Collins shows up and gets mugged. Mark and Roger meet with Benny, who tells them he plans to evict the homeless from the nearby lot and build a cyber studio ("You'll See"). He offers them free rent if they get Maureen, Mark's ex-girlfriend, to cancel her protest against his plans, but they refuse.
A street drummer, Angel, finds Collins and they bond since they have AIDS. Roger, who is HIV-positive and a former drug addict, tries to compose his one last great song ("One Song Glory"). He's visited by his downstairs neighbor, Mimi, an exotic dancer and heroin addict ("Light My Candle").
On Christmas Day, Mark and Roger are visited by Collins and Angel (in drag), bearing gifts ("Today 4 U"). They invite Mark and Roger to attend Life Support, an AIDS support group. Roger turns them down, while Mark goes to fix Maureen's sound equipment. He runs into Joanne, Maureen's new girlfriend, who bonds with him as they discuss Maureen's promiscuity ("Tango: Maureen"). Mark arrives at the Life Support meeting ("Life Support"). He films the meeting for the documentary he's making about people living with HIV/AIDS.