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IMDb > My Own Private Idaho (1991)
My Own Private Idaho
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My Own Private Idaho (1991) More at IMDbPro »

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My Own Private Idaho (1991) -- The movie is set in Portland. Many local characters are included as both personalities and actors.
My Own Private Idaho (1991) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   15,701 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
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Director:
Writers:
William Shakespeare (play)
Gus Van Sant (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for My Own Private Idaho on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
29 September 1991 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
This road will never end. It probably goes all around the world. more
Plot:
The movie is set in Portland. Many local characters are included as both personalities and actors. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
8 wins & 4 nominations more
User Comments:
. This road will never end. It probably goes all around the world. more (133 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for strong sensuality, language and drug use.
Runtime:
104 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Alphacine)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The reason the lead characters were named Mike and Scott is that when Gus Van Sant was writing the script, he met two actual street hustlers with those names and the lead characters were fictionalized versions of them. One of those hustlers appears in the cafe scene. more
Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible: When Bob approaches Scott in the bar near the end of the film, two marks of black gaffer tape can be seen on the floor. more
Quotes:
Scott Favor: Look Mike, sandwiches! more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Nun Freut Euch more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
97 out of 109 people found the following comment useful.
. This road will never end. It probably goes all around the world., 9 July 1999
Author: Mike Salvati (mikesalvati@yahoo.com) from New Jersey, USA

This movie isn't about being, or even about being a hustler. "My Own Private Idaho" is about finding a home. In his finest performance, River Phoenix plays Mike, a narcoleptic street hustler with false memories of a terrific childhood. Mike wants to find his mother and family, but how or why he left them is never discussed. This is a movie that shows life at the lowest rung, and is very similar to Kerouac's "On the Road" and especially John Rechy's "City of Night." (In fact the line about becoming a fairy is straight from "City of Night"). Mike and Scott (Keanu Reeves) are both male prostitutes in Oregon. Why either of them have drifted into this profession is anyone's guess. Scott is clearly not gay, but Mike might be and their relationship is what holds the movie together. The film works on many levels, but does have its flaws. It's faux-Shakespearen scenes make the film drag in the middle. Van Sant directed the movie like a dream, which is what Mike's life basically is.

This is a haunting and very sad tale about friendship and finding a home. The performances, especially Phoenix and Udo Kier and Van Sant's dream-like direction are what you remember. "My Own Private Idaho" may be a flawed film, but in my opinion, it is one of the very best of the '90's.

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