Pride 5: Rent.

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- Rent. (2005. Dir. Chris Columbus)

The highs and lows of a tightly-knit group of friends from the winter of 1989 to that of 1990. A celebration of life through evictions, AIDS, riots and the end of the 80’s. All told as a heartfelt musical!

The screen adaptation of Jonathan Larson’s stage musical proved as controversial as the original —hated on one side for daring to show queer characters who defend their dignity and right to do as they please, and hated on the other for not being ‘deep’ enough. 

Neither argument is interesting once you actually watch the film. Also like the stage musical, it remains part of queer history. Perhaps that is the true reason for the supposed controversy. Anything that becomes part of a specific history is often met with contempt and with people frustrated for it not going as far as they want in one direction or in the other. We always seek who did it better, or at least closer to what we personally want. 

The actual movie in any case, is also an energetic musical, by turns funny and moving, with several memorable performances (most through not all of the cast is from the stage version in fact) and locations. The characters remain memorable and the story quick-paced, even with the necessary inclusion of new scenes and the snipping of a few details here and there.

The best course of action, then, is to watch and decide by oneself, unencumbered the opinions of others. 

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