My Own Private Idaho

My Own Private Idaho is one of those films that you either love or you hate. Obviously it's full of very strong adult themes and is definitely not for people who are uncomfortable with sex or sex workers. Also not something to watch with your parents!The film itself, the way it is shot, is beautiful and thoughtful. The acting from River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves is powerful, meaningful and emotive. The story is certainly something and deals with important themes.All in all, My Own Private Idaho has a lot to say for itself and left me thinking about society and our choices. It's worth a watch if you have an interest in cinematography, thoughts about humanity and society and the most obvious reason: if you are a big fan of either River or Keanu.

My Own Private Idaho (1991) is an independent drama film directed by Gus Van Sant (Drugstore Cowboy, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Under the Bridge). It stars River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, James Russo, Flea, Udo Kier, Jim Caviezel, Brian Wilson, and Grace Zabriskie. It is films like My Own Private Idaho that have cemented his reputation as one of the most acclaimed independent film directors, along with such luminaries as Jim Jarmusch. Idaho is one of Phoenix's last films and is arguably his most acclaimed, along with the Stephen King adaptation of Stand By Me (1986).Phoenix plays Mike; Reeves plays Scott. They are two friends who each embark on a personal journey in order to discover their true 'Self'. The film opens with Mike on a deserted stretch of highway. In Idaho. Along this weird and wonderful road trip they encounter all kinds of people and problems. Mike is poor, Scott is rich. They are best friends. They are street hustlers. They are also both messed up. They sleep with men and women for money, although Scott hardly needs to for he will inherit a fortune.Part of their journey sees Mike trying to locate his long lost mother, firstly through his older brother (James Russo) and then in Italy. Things get messy towards the end and Mike finds he has come full circle on a lonely stretch of highway. Idaho marked a major turning point in the career of Phoenix, who would have gone on to star in Interview with the Vampire (1994); Reeves did star in a vampire film after Idaho, Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). Phoenix had previously been nominated for an Oscar for his role in Running on Empty (1988).My Own Private Idaho is loosely based on William Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, and Henry V.

I can only say that I ADORE this film. It is one of my favourite films of all time. And I really like film. However, it is a slightly peculiar indie film. It is certainly not for everybody. Maybe I'm just weird enough to 'get' it.Gus Van Sant's direction is impeccable. The glorious landscapes, the grime of the city and some of it's more unsavoury inhabitants, and the characters all add up to a stunning piece of film making. I'm not going to give any spoilers for those who haven't seen it. Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix are both outstanding. But it is River who steals the show, perhaps predictably, but his character is the main protagonist and as such, the story hinges around him. He was a stellar young actor who could have gone on to achieve great things, to have such a sad end is truly heartbreaking. However, even though he was so young, he left some excellent films behind him and this is most certainly one of them.

I decided to watch this film out of curiosity after seeing a programme about River Phoenix. No, the story isn't dressed up like Pretty Woman glamourising the seedier sides of society, but stick with it and it will leave you thinking about it for days afterwards. River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves are amazing in this. You really feel for all the characters in this film.

This is brave movie making. Gus Van Sant took a giant risk with this masterpiece about rent boys. The two stars (Reeves,Phoenix) took a major gamble as starring as said Rent boys. The risks paid off. 'My Own Private Idaho' is a great little off-beat movie.I watched it 20 years ago (loved it), and i watched the dvd version again recently, and even after all those years this movie still mesmerises me. One aspect of 'My Own Private Idaho" that I thought was interesting was its use of Shakespeare's Henry IV (I think, but i could be wrong), with Keanu Reeves taking the role of the dissolute Prince Hal, who at the end of the film rejects his prostitute friends to emerge like 'the sun, as if from behind clouds' in order to properly inherit his father's kingdom. Reeves cruel rejection obviously destroys the character played by River Phoenix.Outstanding film! River Phoenix was an extra-ordinary actor. Having watched the campsite scene again in My Own Private Idaho, I noticed Phoenix's body-language, and his improvisation acting skills and intonation, and i realised that he (Phoenix) was one of the greatest actors in the history of motion pictures. And there are certain scenes in Running On Empty in which he steps completely outside the box (to use a contemporary cliche).Gus Van Sant is supposed to have fallen in love with him. Don't know if that's true or not, but in Van Sants book (available on this site) one character falls in love with another character who plays a rent Boy in a movie.

This film is very typical of gay love stories in the nineties- struggles and unrequited love. That being said, a movie about male escorts, loosely based on Shakespeare, where some of the speech is Shakespearean but spoken by a group of ritalin rats is definitely unique. It's not a bad unique, the film is great.The gay bit of me also wants to add that Keanu Reeves, shirtless, in skinny jeans and a choker is very hot.