The wait is over! The teaser trailer for the highly anticipated screen adaptation of Rent is finally online, courtesy of Moviefone.
Rent, the hit play by Jonathan Larson, centers around a group of young impoverished bohemians living in the East Village of New York City. It's a touching story about life, love, and the other unfortunate 4-letter word, AIDS. I will admit that I am obsessed with this show, having seen it three times and planning on a fourth visit, so I have my concerns about whether the movie can truly capture the essence of the play. But I'll take my chances.
For a long time, Spike Lee was attached to the project, a director I think would have handled it in an effective, raw fashion. But instead of him, Chris Columbus has jumped into the shoes. The master of sentimental schlock, Columbus has directed Mrs.Doubtfire, Stepmom, and Home Alone. We'll never know how many crackpipes the studio smoked before handing him the baton, but he will have an awful lot of fans throwing feces at his house if he butchers the material.
Rent will include most of the original cast plus a few newbies, including Rosario Dawson (Sin City). It will be interesting to see how this pans out, considering the actors are now about 10 years older than their original age in the play. I think the teaser shows potential, although I have just one question-- why are people standing on an auditorium stage singing "Seasons Of Love"? This is the movie version, set in New York, and that immediately took me right out of it. Also they seem awfully happy and bouncy at times for people that are essentially living off pocket change and dying from disease.
The movie will hit theaters November 11th of this year. To help pass the time, feel free to watch the teaser 525,600 times.
