My Own Private Idaho (1991)

Directed by

Gus Van Sant

Genre

drama film, independent film, buddy film, road movie, LGBTQ-related film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 42m

Rated

R

Rating

7.0 of 10 from 1,247 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

Two young street hustlers travel from Oregon to Idaho and then to Rome. One of them is searching for his mother while the other grapples with his family legacy.

melancholicdreamlikewanderingrawunsettlingtenderbleakatmospheric

What happens

My Own Private Idaho is a 1991 American independent adventure drama film written and directed by Gus Van Sant, loosely based on William Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1; Henry IV, Part 2; and Henry V. The story follows two friends, Mike Waters and Scott Favor, played by River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves, respectively, as they embark on a journey of personal discovery that takes them from Portland, Oregon, to Mike's hometown in Idaho, and then to Rome in search of Mike's mother. My Own Private Idaho had its premiere at the 48th Venice International Film Festival, and received largely positive reviews from critics, including Roger Ebert and those of The New York Times and Entertainment Weekly. The film was a moderate financial success, grossing over $8 million, above its estimated budget of $2.5 million. Phoenix received several accolades for his performance in the film, including the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the 1991 Venice Film Festival, Best Male Lead from the Independent Spirit Awards, and Best Actor from the National Society of Film Critics. My Own Private Idaho is considered a landmark film in new queer cinema, an early 1990s movement in queer-themed independent filmmaking. Since its release, it has grown in popularity and been deemed a cult classic, especially among LGBT audiences. The film is notable for its then-taboo subject matter and avant-garde style. In 2024, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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