My Own Private Idaho (1991)

Two best friends living on the streets of Portland as hustlers embark on a journey of self discovery and find their relationship stumbling along the way.

Director:

Gus Van Sant

Writers:

William Shakespeare (play), Gus Van Sant

Stars:

River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, James Russo

12 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
River Phoenix	...	Mike Waters
Keanu Reeves	...	Scott Favor
James Russo	...	Richard Waters
William Richert	...	Bob Pigeon
Rodney Harvey	...	Gary
Chiara Caselli	...	Carmella
Michael Parker	...	Digger
Jessie Thomas	...	Denise
Flea	...	Budd
Grace Zabriskie	...	Alena
Tom Troupe	...	Jack Favor
Udo Kier	...	Hans
Sally Curtice	...	Jane Lightwork
Robert Lee Pitchlynn	...	Walt
Mickey Cottrell	...	Daddy Carroll

Storyline

Surreal character study focusing on the friendship between two male hustlers, Mike and Scott, in Portland, Oregon. They live on the streets, do drugs, and sell themselves to men and women. Mike is quiet, gay and suffers from narcolepsy. Abandoned as a child, he is obsessed with finding his long-lost mother. Scott is the rebellious son of a high-ranking family, who lives this life mostly to embarrass his father. Mike is in love with Scott, who still maintains he is straight and insists that his wild lifestyle on the streets is only temporary. Together, they embark on a quest to find Mike's mother, traveling from Portland to Idaho to Italy, with Scott picking up a beautiful girl along the way.

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Plot Keywords:

portland | hustler | narcolepsy | friendship | idaho | 

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Taglines:

This road will never end. It probably goes all around the world.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sensuality, language and drug use

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

29 September 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Caminho de Idaho

Filming Locations:

Maupin, Oregon, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$6,401,336 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Alphacine)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title of the film was based on The B-52's' song "Private Idaho" released in 1980.

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Goofs

(At 12.45) As Mike goes to look out the window at the back garden in the old ladies house the boom mic is visible reflected in the window.

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Quotes

Scott Favor: But how could you see green if it was so dark you could not see your own hand?

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Connections

Referenced in My Own Private Oshawa (2002)

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Soundtracks

"Nun Freut Euch"
Music Composed by Thomas Stoltzer
Performed by Bruce Van Buskirk

User Reviews

. This road will never end. It probably goes all around the world.

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.