While I did not see the much acclaimed stage version of Rent, I suspect the film version is another example of where stage does not translate well to film -- The music should have been the bind that ties a busy plot together, instead it seemed mostly bland and uninspired (perhaps because there was no real audience providing feedback support?) -- Fortunately, the then reality of the HIV/AIDS plague has much ameliorated -- A positive diagnosis of HIV is mostly not now a certain death sentence -- Rent, though, is definitely an essential film of gay heritage (see Roger Ebert's review, in Links section).
Interesting to note-- Rent has entered the high school theater market. It is being performed at my local high school February 2019. I suspect it is the school edition.