Dear Mr. Columbus

Dear Mr. Columbus,
I have now seen your wonderful film, RENT, four times. I have enjoyed the film each and every time I've seen it. I want to applaud your decision to keep the movie true to the play, and your excellent choice in casting. The six original cast members have a spark that truly makes their characters real, and the two new cast members were perfect fits for the already outstanding cast. Overall, I truly feel that the film was very well done.

I do have one critique to make, however, and I hope you'll forgive me. I honestly feel that it was a mistake to cut "Halloween" and the rest of "Goodbye Love," from the film. Every time I see the film, I become more confirmed in my conviction that the argument between Mark and Roger really needs to be in the film to make it complete. There are too many holes otherwise. You spent a lot of thought, I am sure, in how to stage every aspect of the film, including Mark and Roger's hug at the end of "What You Own." I believe that the embrace between those two friends could have been one of the most powerful moments in the film, but instead it fell a bit flat, due to a lack of follow through in explaining what terms the two parted on.

Also, each time I see the movie, I feel more and more that additional emotion is needed, beyond the key scene in the film that precedes "Halloween" and "Goodbye Love." We need to deal with the emotions of the other characters too. Roger's car coming around the bend came too soon...we needed more time to deal with the pain...and so did the characters. I read that you and your editor felt that it was too much emotion for the screen. I disagree, and I think that is exactly why those scenes SHOULD have been in the film. There was more to mourn...the breaking up of a family, Mimi's goodbye, Mark and Roger's fight... the film as is leaves so many loose ends, and didn’t allow the audience to face some realities with the characters they have grown to know.

Mark and Roger, especially, really had a chance to shine here.

Mark and Roger had important messages for each other in "Goodbye Love." Despite them being said in anger, the messages were critically important. "Mark hides in his work, from facing your failure facing your loneliness...Your always preaching not to be numb, when that's how you thrive...." is but one example.

You said that the scenes would be on the DVD, but as deleted scenes and not as part of a completed film. I beg you to reconsider and have an option on the DVD so that those of us who believe with their hearts that these scenes must be there, because they are so important, can watch it whole and complete. For some people, it will be to hear Mimi say goodbye to Roger, for others, like me, it is too see the fullness of the relationship between Mark and Roger be brought to a deeper level.

Please, reconsider, and include an option on the DVD that has the full movie with all of the scenes.

Again, I really want to say that I appreciate with the deepest sincerity your work on this film, and they way you honored and immortalized the original work. I think you did a brilliant job.