IT COULD HAVE SAVED THE FILM!!! (Rent Alternate Ending)

[CapnHook]

Chris's justification for not using the alternate ending on the DVD is BS!!

This could have saved the f-ing film. Sorry if this has been dicussed in the other threads, but this should be discussed seperately.

I've said since my original review on MovieMusicals.net that the film is without closure because they opened it with "Seasons of Love" on stage. There is no further references to the stage throughout the film, thus you're going into the story with that on your mind "what was that all about?" and you slowly get sucked into the story later on.

In my idea before we saw what this alternative ending was: the ending of the film is everyone on stage in the chorus line as we saw in "Seasons of Love" except Angel is not there. Instead, it is either empty with a blue spotlight or there is a barstool with his drumsticks and/or blue nail polish on it. Thus, providing a closure. "This was our story about four seasons of love. How will we go on? By remembering there is no today but today."

With the film's ending as shown in theatres, its sappy. Sad...yes. Heartfelt...yes. But leaves you empty.

When I saw the alternate (and original ending as Chris first envisioned it, as explained on the DVD), I was immediately set back emotionally and cried for a good ten minutes. Then I realized it wasn't in the theatres. WHAT THE HELL, CHRIS? THAT COULD HAVE SAVED THE FILM!!

Seriously, I think if they would have kept it, critics would have loved it more. Horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible decision. It ruined everything!

[EverythingIsRENT]

Okay the other ending was cute but I prefer the ending we have.

[RentBoy86]

the whole film is a mess, they shouldn't have let the director of Mrs. Doubtfire direct this!

[EverythingIsRENT]

this is never going to end, is it? *headdesk*

[angelrock25222]

I am inclined to agree about the ending. Everytime I have seen Rent live, Finale B has been "spine tingler" kind of song. However, none of the many times I saw the film, did that song ever give me that feeling; when I saw the alternate ending, though it did. Im going to have to go with my spine here..

[luvtheEmcee]

I don't agree at all. I thought the alternate ending was beautiful, and I cried when I watched it, but I think Columbus made the right choice (even if it wasn't the choice he would've liked to make) in using it the one he picked.

A lot of people seem to be saying that it's an homage to the stage version, but so is the ending we have -- they're sitting just as you see them when the show ends on stage. The alternate ending just looks like a stage production.

That, to me, is its weakness. I think having it would've taken audiences too far out of the story. It looks like a curtain call, or something that is very, very theatrical. To me, that ending says to the audience "we're actors, playing characters. We're just telling you a story." That's an inevitable thing in theatre, and a very stage-y notion, to see the actors return out of character once the story has finished, but I think on film, it's too much of a leap. For everything they did in trying to make the transition from stage to film smoothe and believable, the alternate ending is entirely too theatrical.

To me, Mark's movie was the perfect way to end that film.

To justify, from my original post after seeing the film:

I loved the life and spirit that came through in watching his movie, because these were things that you saw happen over the past two hours -- that you felt like you were present for in these peoples' lives. You could look back on the tears and the smiles right along with the characters, and you see it as a person there actually would've seen it in Mark's movie -- not as shot for the cinema, like you do for the first time, if that makes sense. As the movie ends, the frames speed up almost to an incomprehensible rate. You see all of these images just pass before your eyes, not even for a split second each. And that's... that's life. Right there. I don't want to ruin the very, very end, but it's gorgeous.

I still hold to that. To me, the movie was a perfect way of them saying what you see stated in the altnerate ending, Capn -- like "this is our story." That's their story -- in something of a tangible form.

[Katt]

I thought the alternate ending was beautiful also. I watched it quite a few times, and I couldn't stop smiling through it, which was what I did every time I saw Seasons of Love in the theater. But, I feel that critics would have been even more negative had it been used, considering that most of them seemed to dislike how Seasons of Love was set.

People also would have asked: "Is Angel still alive? Why is he back? Why are they all back on the stage? Is this part of Mark's movie?"

There were people who couldn't get over the idea of them singing in a movie. It would have just made it worse to have them removed from the movie at that point, and back on stage because many people can't accept those kinds of things in a movie.

Although, I really loved this other ending. I was happy with both of them.

[lovinlife]

I just dont like the movie either way!!!

[CapnHook]

I hate that the only reason for doing the stage is having it be an "homage to the stage version." Screw that. If they wanted to do a homage, just film the stage production. Get the OBC back and film it on the stage, as seen on Broadway.

This is a FILM ADAPTATION. ADAPTATION being the key word. Having the film open with "Seasons of Love" on the stage is an artistic decision. It should have been incorporated in an artistic way - not to pay tribute to the Broadway show.

[ShuQ]

The alternate ending may be beautiful...but that doesn't mean it's what needs to be at the end of the film. Who do you think needs to be trusted? A message board fan or a multi-million dollar film director who is supported by six original cast members?

[Katt]

Well, I did agree with the ending he made, but just because he is a multi-million dollar film director doesn't mean he makes the right decisions. Cutting an integral part of the story out because he was too "emotionally numb" at that point is a good example of that. I'm not disagreeing with you, but the cast members didn't have a say in what was cut out of the movie or what wasn't. They only found out after he did it.

I felt when listening to the commentary that both Anthony and Adam didn't agree with Chris's decisions, but they didn't want to argue with him about it.

[luvtheEmcee]

I think you misread, Capn. I'm saying that I've seen people justify their preference for the alternate ending by saying that it's an homage to the stage version, because the actors are singing from a stage. I don't agree that that's the only reason to think the alternate ending is better, because you could say the actual ending is just as much an homage -- it's the same staging, and pretty much looks just like Finale B looks on stage. The alternate ending starts out with the scene, but I don't like that it removes you from it -- the real one keeps you there, in the story.

I think the ending they chose is hopeful in a way that the alternate one is not, if you consider that the alternate ending doesn't really portray them *as much* in character. The real ending shows them looking back on their lives, but still getting on, very much in character. Putting them on a stage, standing in a line -- in a totally unnatural setting -- doesn't really have the same impact.

[Unmasked05]

I liked both endings but I too prefer the ending they had in the movie theatres. I loved the movie and I've seen the stage version and the movie and I respect them both.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Capn, don't you think its a bit extreme to say that ONE single scene would have saved the film?

[luvtheEmcee]

I was just about to add that, BroadwayGirl.

[muscle23ftl]

The film after all was a top 5 box office hit. That is a success to me.

[luvtheEmcee]

agh, not again with all of the different definitions of success....

[sweetestsiren]

I posted this in the other thread, but I think that the alternate ending is just too far removed from the rest of the movie, which I think you can do with Seasons of Love as an introductory number but not with the finale. Aren't the actors out-of-character during the Seasons of Love sequence? It's not as emotional to me to have Wilson walk up because he isn't Angel then.

[downtowndiva84]

I'm still torn over the ending issue. I would need to see how someone with no familiarity with the show would have reacted to the original ending.

I don't think the ending would have saved the film though. I think "Goodbye Love" would have.

[HoshiForever]

Wow. A lot of good things have been said here.

I too, really like both. I think the end product of the theatrical ending was better though. I think it shows their lives as changed, and despite loosing Angel, they're still happy. And everything Emcee said....pretty much...

The Alt. ending, as much as I loved the concept of it I don't feel worked as well as it could have. It was cut badly and felt just choppy and thrown together to me.

I'm a small time editor and am actually going to work on cutting my own ending that's a mix of the two...b/c that Collins/Angel moment in the Alt is a tear jerker!

[sanda]

Why it need to be saved? I think the movie is good enough to stand on its own.

Talked about business success, which musical movie in recent years is a hit except Chicago?

[orangeskittles]

I haven't even seen the alternate ending yet, but as soon as the first person online mentioned it, I didn't like it. It is far too theatrical for movie audiences to be able to understand it in the context of the movie. Movie audiences want things that are (relatively) realistic on screen. They don't have the same amount of tolerance for suspended-reality that theater audiences do, so this ending would leave them seriously confused.

And is the all-caps title *really* necessary?

[TheQuibbler]

I pretty much agree with emcee. I think that the alternate ending is cool to see, but, within the context of the film, would have felt awkward. I can justify Seasons of Love being on stage because the story hasn't started yet. Returning to the stage, though, removes the audience from the story. Again, it just didn't feel right. I think the right decision was made.

Goodbye Love, on the other hand, would have improve the movie a great deal.

[BroadwayGirl107]

"Why it need to be saved? I think the movie is good enough to stand on its own.

Talked about business success, which musical movie in recent years is a hit except Chicago?"

Did you really just open THAT can of worms?

[sanda]

What "can of worms"? Sorry if I miss something because I didn't follow all the discussion about Rent movie.