History TearJerker / Rent

* The song "Without You". [[SarcasmModeIt gets better in the movie]]. First, there's the montage of the support group, with each member who dies slowly fading from view as the camera pans over them, and then there's the inclusion of [[spoiler:Angel]]'s death at the end, shown in its blunt, harsh, painful reality, as [[spoiler:Collins]] cries holding their body. This replaces the MindScrew original version of the death from "Contact", and was included by WordOfGod because of the age of the musical: by the time the movie was made, AIDS research had progressed enough that the disease is no longer an automatic death sentence and a lot of modern people wouldn't get why such a big deal is made out of contracting it. By showing [[spoiler:Angel]]'s death, the pain and sorrow and loss and suffering is brought home to the viewer in a way "Contact" never could have, and pairing it up with "Without You" makes it even more poignant and heart-wrenching. It certainly works.

* The song "Without You". It gets better in the movie. First, there's the montage of the support group, with each member who dies slowly fading from view as the camera pans over them, and then there's the inclusion of [[spoiler:Angel]]'s death at the end, shown in its blunt, harsh, painful reality, as [[spoiler:Collins]] cries holding the body. This replaces the MindScrew original version of the death from "Contact", and was included by WordOfGod because of the age of the musical: by the time the movie was made, AIDS research had progressed enough that the disease is no longer an automatic death sentence and a lot of modern people wouldn't get why such a big deal is made out of contracting it. By showing [[spoiler:Angel]]'s death, the pain and sorrow and loss and suffering is brought home to the viewer in a way "Contact" never could have, and pairing it up with "Without You" makes it even more poignant and heart-wrenching. It certainly works.

* The song "Without You". It gets better in the movie. First, there's the montage of the support group, with each member who dies slowly fading from view as the camera pans over them, and then there's the inclusion of [[spoiler:Angel]]'s death at the end, shown in its blunt, harsh, painful reality, as [[spoiler:Collins]] cries holding the body. This replaces the MindScrew[=/=]TrueArtIsIncomprehensible original version of the death from "Contact", and was included by WordOfGod because of the age of the musical: by the time the movie was made, AIDS research had progressed enough that the disease is no longer an automatic death sentence and a lot of modern people wouldn't get why such a big deal is made out of contracting it. By showing [[spoiler:Angel]]'s death, the pain and sorrow and loss and suffering is brought home to the viewer in a way "Contact" never could have, and pairing it up with "Without You" makes it even more poignant and heart-wrenching. It certainly works.

* The live concert that aired for the audience, after Roger's actor Brennin broke his foot and needed to use a wheelchair, has some moments. During "Will I?" he looks like he's about to burst into tears as everyone else stands up singing, "Will I lose my dignity, will someone case, will I wake tomorrow from this nightmare?"

** the "I'll Cover You" reprise.

** the "I'll Cover You" reprise

* The song ''Without You''. It gets better in the movie. First, there's the montage of the support group, with each member who dies slowly fading from view as the camera pans over them, and then there's the inclusion of [[spoiler:Angel]]'s death at the end, shown in its blunt, harsh, painful reality, as [[spoiler:Collins]] cries holding the body. This replaces the MindScrew[=/=]TrueArtIsIncomprehensible original version of the death from "Contact", and was included by WordOfGod because of the age of the musical: by the time the movie was made, AIDS research had progressed enough that the disease is no longer an automatic death sentence and a lot of modern people wouldn't get why such a big deal is made out of contracting it. By showing [[spoiler:Angel]]'s death, the pain and sorrow and loss and suffering is brought home to the viewer in a way "Contact" never could have, and pairing it up with "Without You" makes it even more poignant and heart-wrenching. It certainly works.

* A meta example: Jonathan Larson [[AuthorExistenceFailure unexpectedly died]] just before the show's off-broadway premiere. Anthony Rapp said in his autobiography that the next night, the cast did a performance for Jonathan's close friends and family - even though he and several others were crying too hard to even sing some of the songs properly. And then they sang again at the memorial service. Where, in addition to group songs, Adam Pascal performed ''One Song Glory.'' You know, the song about ''writing one last important, meaningful thing before you die?''

* The Rent Live performance on Fox ties "Seasons of Love" into a Life Support meeting, as opposed to just the cast standing on stage for it out of character, and has the different group and cast members take lines, giving the song more significance.

* The fact that maybe five, ten years down the line the only surviving members of the friendship group will be Mark, Joanne and Maureen. Despite the happy ending, there's still the lingering spectre of Roger, Mimi and Collins' impending deaths. In the original version in which Maureen also had AIDS, that would leave just Mark and Joanne alive.

* The final shot of Angel in the movie, her nails are painted blue. The same colour that Mimi was painting them in [[spoiler: the hospital when she was dying]]. The implication is heartbreaking- Mark shot that in some of [[spoiler: Angel's final days]]

* The fact that, despite how much they love each other and how happy they are, [[spoiler:Angel and Collins don't even get a full year together. Bear in mind, the first act takes place over a single day; Angel and Collins meet, and they click ''instantly'', falling madly in love -- and, as we see in act two, ''it sticks''! (Not to mention, they lack the constant bickering and drama of Mimi/Roger and Maureen/Joanne.) They were great together and had found real, true love... only for it all to be taken away, so soon. [[StarCrossedLovers It's just... so unfair.]]]]

* The end of the movie, when we get to see some of Mark's documentary, ending on [[spoiler:a shot of a happy, healthy Angel gazing into the camera]].

** In the 2008 version, [[both Mark and Maureen are crying during their funeral speeches.]]
** [[Mark messing up Angel's pronouns while trying to tell a story about her at her funeral.]]

* The final performance of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_ZOlH71YgA Seasons of Love]] on Broadway, including former cast members.

* In addition to the aforementioned "Halloween," when Roger accuses Mark of hiding behind his camera and Mark retorts "Perhaps it's because I'm the one of us to survive!" To hear him finally confess to his best friend how terrified he is of watching him die, especially in the middle of an argument, is just heartbreaking.

* ''How do you leave the past behind when it keeps finding ways to get to your heart? It reaches way down deep and tears you inside out until you're torn apart (RENT!) How can you connect in an age where strangers, landlords, lovers, your own bloodcells betray? What binds the fabric together when the raging, shifting winds of change keep ripping away?''

* The song ''Without You''.
** Seconded. This troper can just about hold himself together during I'll Cover You Reprise, but Without You NEVER fails to have him blubbering like a baby.
** It gets better in the movie. First, there's the montage of the support group, with each member who dies slowly fading from view as the camera pans over them, and then there's the inclusion of [[spoiler:Angel]]'s death at the end, shown in its blunt, harsh, painful reality, as [[spoiler:Collins]] cries holding the body. This replaces the MindScrew[=/=]TrueArtIsIncomprehensible original version of the death from "Contact", and was included by WordOfGod because of the age of the musical: by the time the movie was made, AIDS research had progressed enough that the disease is no longer an automatic death sentence and a lot of modern people wouldn't get why such a big deal is made out of contracting it. By showing [[spoiler:Angel]]'s death, the pain and sorrow and loss and suffering is brought home to the viewer in a way "Contact" never could have, and pairing it up with "Without You" makes it even more poignant and heart-wrenching. It certainly works.

* There's something about Roger's anguished "Mimiiiiii!" at the end of "Your Eyes," especially the 2008 version, that just rips this troper's heart out. ''Chills,'' man.

* ''How do you leave the past behind when it keeps finding ways to get to your heart? It reaches way down deep and tears you inside out until you're torn apart (RENT!) How can you connect in an age where strangers, landlords, lovers, your own bloodcells betray? What binds the fabric together when the raging, shifting winds of change keep ripping away?''