My Own Private Idaho (1991)

My Own Private Idaho is an extremely bizarre film. I remember watching this film when I was younger and I didn't like it much. I think I didn't understand Gus Van Sant's imagery and the story line dealt with difficult situations. I liked the film a lot more this time around, although I do still feel it's a difficult film to watch.

My Own Private Idaho follows the lives of two male hustlers and best friends, Mike and Scott. Both live on the streets and sell themselves to both men and women. Mike's life has been much different than Scott's. He was abandoned as a child and is obsessed with finding his mother again. He also suffers from narcolepsy and suffers from narcoleptic attacks on a regular basis. Scott, on the other hand, comes from a well-to-do family, and one day he will inherit a lot of money. Together, Mike and Scott set out on an adventure in order to find Mike's mother and other answers to life. One finds what he is looking for and the other continues to live the life of a homeless hustler.

I cannot get over how incredible River Phoenix was as an actor. His performance is what makes My Own Private Idaho worth watching. He seemed to have truly felt the emotions that Mike would have been facing. Keanu isn't too bad in this film either, except for when he was reciting Shakespearean style quotes, but I don't think that's his fault, it's the script's fault. I like Gus Van Sant's filming style/vision that is shown in this film. The scenery is beautiful throughout most of the film, especially when they are out on the road. I think this film is worth watching, but may require more than one viewing in order to recognize the beauty of it.