Bejesus, these are going up fast! I am so happy (I know I keep saying this, but WOW). This account really touched me, for certain reasons that I am sure I will reveal when I do my account (which I shall when I have more time). For now, enjoy!
I went in to watching RENT knowing everything that happened. My cousin had told me earlier in the summer the entire plotline, and I kind of WTFed at it,considering I got very very confused while listening to her. No offense meant to my cousin, who I know is gonna read this.
However, she convinced me to watch it. I carried our copy of the DVD, which had been out at our beach house for at least a year, around with me the rest of the summer. It wasn't really high on my priorities list, so I didn't wind up watching it until about two months later, at my grandma's house in Maryland.
So, I was a bit bored that day, tired of random RPing and reading. So I dug in my backpack for something else to do and unearthed the RENT DVD. I popped it in the DVD player, fought with it for several minutes trying to turn off the stupid subtitles, gave up, and settled down to watch.
I was fascinated, if a little confused. My grandma came in about halfway through the song "Rent" and was like, "What're you watching?" "Rent." "Hm…" She sat in the desk chair and watched with me.
I didn't move for most of the movie, except to slide off the couch so I was closer. I was fascinated by it, though I WTFed at Mo's protest like a lot of people seem to do the first time. I loved La Vie Boheme, of course. From the beginning, I was fascinated by Angel. She seemed so happy and genuinely loving, it didn't bother me one bit that she was a drag queen. I don't think I even thought about it at all. I also remember my grandma asking if the person playing Angel was really a guy, which I said I was pretty sure he was, and she commented on his beautiful face (makes me happy remembering that).
I cried during Angel's funeral, of course, though not nearly as much as I have since I got to know the character better. I loved What You Own. (who doesn't?)
And then the finale came
I honestly don't remember what I was thinking during the finale, except that I knew Mimi didn't die (but that's okay, it was still potent). However, near the end of Finale B, I started crying. Tears were streaming down my face for probably the second half of the song, and then, after that last frame, I just sat there on the couch.
And I cried. I didn't even really understand why. I just sat there, staring at the credits, and cried. My grandma, who'd been in and out sporadically, came over and hugged me and we sat there on the couch for a while, me crying into her shoulder. I remember her talking about the power in that movie, how it really stirred your emotions, and I remember hiccupping and nodding some. Eventually, she went to do some laundry. I just kind of sat there, staring at the wall and thinking. Images from the movie kept flashing in my mind.
Later that day, I went to Six Flags with my cousins, so I didn't really think about it much after that. But for the next few days, I couldn't stop thinking about it. It kept popping into my head, and I decided I had to watch it again.
I guess that's where my passion/obsession really started, the second time I watched it on my little brother's portable DVD player on the car ride home. I remember taking off my headphones, wiping my eyes and saying. "Wow." Just wow.
I went online and found out as much as I could about the movie, the show, anything. I recommend it to anyone I know, and quote/babble about it often, much to some people's annoyance. I even once convinced this one guy that Angel was a 'she', but that she was comfortable with the body she was given. He even said afterwards that there was really no way he could call her a he anymore. (anyone else confused by that sentence?)
And, well, here I am. Four months later, much wiser, still just as obsessed as when I started. And it's not going away anytime soon, I guarantee that. And I AM SEEING RENT THE SHOW ON TOUR THIS FRIDAY!!! HOW AWESOME IS THAT!!!???!?!?
By Erin aka Before The Sun Sets
