today for you

My roommate and I bought the movie Rent last night. We didn't really have the money for it, much less the time to watch it considering we're both amidst our first round of tests. But, keeping in theme with the film, we figured there's "no day but today" and made a movie night.

"No day but today." That's the tagline for promotions of the musical and movie (see the poster on the right,) and a prominent phrase spoken throughout the script. It's undoubtedly the over-arching theme and, I would argue, the reason the story has become so popular in mainstream culture. Quite literally, the plot screams "Carpe diem!" which is an easy message for the masses to digest and the status quo to embrace.

As I watched the movie for the second time (I've seen the stage version once as well,) I realized that there's more to that live-for-the-moment, seize-the-day theme. I think most Rent-lovers just cling to the cliche and miss the deeper meanings.

To me, it's no day but today...

... to fight AIDS. Many of the characters have the virus and considering the setting (1989-1990 in New York City), it should be obvious that the play is making a statement. Since the AIDS epidemic is downplayed and seen as less of a threat over all, though, I think this message is lost. The death of the most beloved character, Angel, is tragic because of the disease she dies from. The virus kills Angel regardless of her selflessness and loving free spirit - that's the battle, the tragedy of AIDS. As the cast shouts in the second act finale, La Vie Boheme: "Actual reality - Act up - Fight AIDS!"

... to start accepting. One of my favorite duets is the exchange between Joanne and Maureen, Take Me or Leave Me. It's a great break-up song, full of that uncharacterizable emotion that comes when your hurt and angry with the one you love. It really applies to the musical as a whole, though, too. The high-society Broadway audiences saw homeless tent cities, gay and lesbian kisses, the horror of heroin and probably fell in love with Angel, a drag queen. Whether your taking your lover with all her flaws or opening your mind to alternative lifestyles and the realities of poverty and addiction, now's the time for acceptance.

... to uphold what you believe. This might be my favorite, because this idea has been on my mind a lot as of late (you can probably expect a whole post on this soon.) Take starving artists Roger and Mark: they have the option to have a year's worth of rent forgiven if they get Maureen to stop her protest. From the starving perspective, this sounds like a pretty good deal, but they still reject it. They believe in Maureen's position, that its wrong to wipe out the homeless for business. That's something about faith, about standing up for yourself. Rationally crazy, maybe, but to believe in something that much... what a romantic, admirable quality.


Next time you see the movie or musical, really listen. The characters thrive on living outside the mainstream, rejecting the status quo and cliches. In order to benefit from the tale, the audience has to, too.