About

Rent is a 2005 American film adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohEme. The film depicts the lives of several Bohemians and their struggles with sexuality, cross-dressing, drugs, life under the shadow of AIDS, and paying their rent. It takes place in the East Village of New York City from 1989 to 1990. The film, directed by Chris Columbus, has six of the original Broadway cast members reprising their roles.

Plot (Spoilers)

'Rent' tells the story of one year in the life of friends living the Bohemian life in modern day East Village, New York City, 1989-1990. Among the group are our narrator, nerdy love-struck filmmaker Mark Cohen; the object of Mark's affection, his former girlfriend, Maureen Johnson; Maureen's Harvard-educated public interest lawyer and lesbian lover Joanne Jefferson; Mark's roommate, HIV-positive musician and former junkie, Roger Davis; Roger's new girlfriend, the HIV-positive drug addicted S&M dancer, Mimi Marquez; their former roommate, HIV-positive computer genius Tom Collins; Collins' HIV-positive drag queen street musician/lover Angel; and Benjamin Coffin III, a former member of the group who married for money and has since become their landlord and the opposite of everything they stand for. Shows how much changes or doesn't change in the 525,600 minutes that make up a year.

Source

characters

	MARK • • Anthony Rapp as Mark Cohen, a struggling Jewish filmmaker and Roger's roommate. Was dumped by Maureen for Joanne
	ROGER • • Adam Pascal as Roger Davis, an HIV-positive ex-junkie rock musician.
	ANGEL • • Wilson Jermaine Heredia as Angel Dumott Schunard, a gay drag queen street musician who is suffering from AIDS
	MAUREEN • • Idina Menzel as Maureen Johnson, a bisexual performance artist and Joanne's girlfriend; Mark's ex-girlfriend
	MIMI • • Rosario Dawson as Mimi Marquez, an HIV-positive heroin junkie and nightclub dancer
	JOANNE • • Tracie Thoms as Joanne Jefferson, a lesbian Harvard-graduated lawyer and Maureen's girlfriend
	TOM • • Jesse L. Martin as Tom Collins, an anarchist philosophy professor suffering from AIDS; former roommate of Maureen, Roger, Mark, and Benny
	BENNY • • Taye Diggs as Benjamin "Benny" Coffin III, Mark, Roger, and Mimi's apartment building landlord and ex-roommate of Collins, Roger, Maureen, and Mark

Soundtrack

"Seasons of Love" - Joanne, Collins & Cast of RENT
"Rent" - Mark, Roger, Collins, Benny & Tenants (including Mimi and Angel)
"You'll See" - Roger, Mark & Benny
"One Song Glory" - Roger
"Light My Candle" - Roger & Mimi
"Today 4 U" - Angel
"Tango: Maureen" - Joanne and Mark
"Life Support" - Gordon, Roger, Steve & Cast of RENT
"Out Tonight" - Mimi
"Another Day" - Roger, Mimi, Collins, Mark & Angel
"Will I?" - Steve, Gordon & Cast of RENT
"Santa Fe" - Collins & Company
"I'll Cover You" - Angel & Collins
"La Vie Bohème" - Cast of RENT
"I Should Tell You" - Roger & Mimi
"La Vie Bohème B" * - Mimi, Mark, Angel, Collins, Maureen, Joanne & Roger
"Seasons of Love B" - Cast of RENT
"Take Me Or Leave Me" - Maureen & Joanne
"Without You" - Mimi & Roger
"I'll Cover You (Reprise)" - Collins & Company
"Halloween" - Mark (cut from the film; included on the DVD as a deleted scene)
"Goodbye Love" * - Mimi, Roger, Benny, Maureen, Joanne, Mark & Collins (Cut from film after the line 'I can't believe this is goodbye'; included on the DVD as a deleted scene)
"What You Own" - Roger & Mark
"Finale A" - Mimi & Roger
"Your Eyes" - Roger
"Finale B " - Cast of RENT
"Love Heals" - Cast of RENT (bonus track on the soundtrack, which did not appear in the film)

Source