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

Writer:

Gus Van Sant (screenplay)

Stars:

River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, James Russo

9 wins & 9 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

Mike Waters lives on the street and befriends the somewhat older and streetwise Scott Favor who shows him what is necessary to survive. Waters suffers from narcolepsy and can fall asleep at any moment and in almost any circumstance. Favor comes from a rich family and is rebelling against his own background. They travel together extensively - Waters is driven by the need to find his biological mother - and spend time in Italy. Later in life however, Favor has joined mainstream society and has little time for his old friend.

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Plot Keywords:

homoerotic friendship | male hustler | narcolepsy | street life | portland oregon | 

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Taglines:

Some people take your heart, others take your shoes, and still others take you home.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sensuality, language and drug use

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian German

Release Date:

20 July 1991 (Japan)

Also Known As:

A Caminho de Idaho

Filming Locations:

Oregon, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$68,542, 6 October 1991, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$6,401,336

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Alphacine)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Norton Commando motorcycle used in the film, was Keanu Reeves' own. He later showed it off in an episode (not listed on IMDb) of Zoe R. Cassavetes's and Sofia Coppola's show Hi Octane (1994).

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Goofs

When Mike and Scott are biking it to Idaho, and Scott is having trouble starting the bike, the bike is steady on its stand in the front shot, when Scott is still astride it. When Scott hands the bike over to Mike, and the shot is from behind, Scott's hands are back on the handlebars, they were on the tank, and the bike is not on the stand.

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Quotes

Richard Waters: That guy. He was your real dad, Mike.
Mike Waters: Don't fuck me in the head anymore man! I know the fucking truth! I know who my fucking real dad is!
Richard Waters: Who?... Who?
Mike Waters: Dick, you. Richard, you're my dad. I know that.
Richard Waters: You know too much.

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Connections

Referenced in Lost: Dave (2006)

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Soundtracks

Blue Eyes
Music Composed by Elton John
Lyrics by Gary Osborne
Performed by Elton John
Courtesy of Geffen Records and Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

User Reviews

Uneven, uncertain, untenable

I had heard some good recommendations on this film but am lost as to why the overall rating (6.9) on IMDb is so high. Am I missing something?

I watched the whole movie intently, even though my attention was flagging a lot. Those long (metaphoric?) cloud scenes with houses falling apart, reminiscent to me of the Kansas tornado in the Wizard of Oz, lonely stretches of road reminding the protagonist (over and over) of a face, yeah we get it, we don't care. And on. River Phoenix, in the lead playing Mike, is remarkable and eerie too - so much of James Dean in him, the short intense and talented life.

This is loosely based on Shakespeare's Henry IV part one, and it transfers huge chunks of the play into the movie script, some of it sounding forced and odd. An experiment that for me, fell flat on its face.

Keanu Reeves, playing Scott, plays a street hustler in an act of rebellion against his father the mayor of the town. He befriends Mike, a narcoleptic prostitute who falls asleep on the job all the time, and who to all intents and purposes falls in love with him. They go on a road trip to find River's mother who abandoned him when he was small.

The details of Mike's parentage are appalling and the road trip takes them to a rather weird Italy and then back again to the streets where Scott turns his back on his old ways, abandoning Mike.

Uneven and actually frustrating, the dialogue was very muddy and hard to understand at times and the shifting of script from modern to Shakespeare not successful.

4 out of 10. Could be to some tastes, but not to mine.