Any would-be filmmaker can tell you how nerve-racking it is to meet with potential producers and then wait to hear back about whether they're going to make your movie. Sign In. Winning three, it tied with Rambling Rose for the most awards.[50]. [28][29], The film achieved critical acclaim. Mike Waters, the young drifter played by River Phoenix in Gus Van Sant's "My Own Private Idaho," is a narcoleptic. To director Gus Van Sant-You made a masterpiece in "My Own Private Idaho" with River shining his brightest, and to River Phoenix- You are the greatest River of them all and may all your tributaries spread throughout this earth and beyond. It helps that Sara Burton knows how to manage locations, distinguishing each setting in this film in a way that doesn't simply immerse you into handsome environments, but gives you a sense of dynamicity that, of course, defines the sense of adventure that drives this drama's narrative. Outstanding film! $6.4M, Runtime: Though Reeves sometimes struggles to immerse himself fully into the character, his screen presence is riveting. The film is notable for its then-taboo subject matter and avant-garde style.[2][3]. Scott Favor is the rebellious son of a mayor. Mike is in love with Scott, who still maintains he is straight and insists that his wild lifestyle on the streets is only temporary. It really rings true. [15] He got an offer of $2 million from an outside investor but when he put off production for nine months so that Phoenix could make Dogfight, the investor and his money disappeared. [19] Several cast and crew members, including Michael Parker, Phoenix, Reeves, and Flea, lived together in a house in Portland during filming. [19], The film was not storyboarded and was made without a shot list. It really rings true. and the Gus Van Sant. Van Sant was also working on a "My Own Private Idaho" short story that he intended to film. Scott Favor is the rebellious son of a mayor. [6] Rechy's novel inspired Van Sant to change the setting to Portland. That's those independent film guys for you. ", Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead, National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, "Kiefer Sutherland turned down the lead role in My Own Private Idaho to go skiing", https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/my-own-private-idaho, "Essential Gay Themed Films To Watch, My Own Private Idaho", "Timothe Chalamet Wins Indie Spirit Award for Best Actor, Becomes Third Youngest Winner in History", "Toronto International Film Festival (1991)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=My_Own_Private_Idaho&oldid=1146891849, American avant-garde and experimental films, Films about male prostitution in the United States, LGBT-related adaptations of works by William Shakespeare, Modern adaptations of works by William Shakespeare, Pages using multiple image with manual scaled images, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Most Promising Producer in Theatrical Motion Pictures, Vana O'Brien as Sharon Waters, Mike's mother, Jean Poulot and Jamie Haggerty "Bachu Ber", Elliot Sweetland, Richard Letcher and Vernon Dunn ", Lori Presthus, Hollis Taylor and Kim Burton "The Funerals", Conrad "Bud" Montgomery "Getting Into the Outside", This page was last edited on 27 March 2023, at 15:50. - Bob Pigeon: I'd give a thousand dollars to be able to run as fast as you can. At precisely those moments when he is called to rise to the occasion, he goes to sleep. What Mike wants is love, and by love what he really means is someone to hold him and care for him. As big an issue as anything is a disjointed structure that, whether intentional or accidental, takes advantage of all of the simultaneous bloating and lack of flesh-out to jar between tonal extremes almost as badly as it jars between stages in the plot whose inconsistency gets to be so considerable it's all but unreal. River Phoenix - Mike Waters. Although the central characters are prostitutes, the movie is not really about sex, which does not interest either Mike or Scott very much. Scott grew up in a house of privilege as the son of the current Portland mayor, with his street life a manifestation of the rebellion against the oppression of that privilege. The new high-definition transfer is presented in 1080p/24hz and comes from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative (the DVD was a high-definition scan of an . , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes. Overall, it's a moving story about the unrequited love of the narcoleptic hustler, Mike, for the rich young rebel, Scott. Mike is quiet, gay and suffers from narcolepsy. Scottie leaves the streets because he inherits his money. Carmela and Scott fall in love and return to the US, leaving a brokenhearted Mike to return on his own. It can reshape political sensibilities in case a person feels the necessity of changes. My Own Private Idaho -the title reportedly came from a song by the rock band the B-52s-was nominated for six. Mike's vision of Scott cradling him at the foot of a monument called The Coming of the White Man takes some creative liberties. He did so much for us on social issues with animals and people at his young age. My Own Private Idaho is certainly not typical Hollywood fare. Mike (River Phoenix), a teenage hustler given to bouts of narcolepsy, and Scott (Keanu Reeves), a slumming preppy prince, are huddled over a campfire. Together, the two travel from Portland, Oregon to Idaho and finally to the coast of Italy in a quest to find Mike's estranged mother. It loosely adapts Shakespeare's "King Henry IV: Part 1" in combination with Orson Welles's "The Chimes at Midnight." The main characters of "My Own Private Idaho" loosely parallel the characters of "King Henry IV: On the 25th anniversary of its release, it reminds us of the risks. River Phoenix is just fantastic, and Van Sant really knows his stuff. Together, the two travel from Portland, Oregon to Idaho and finally to the coast of Italy in a quest to find Mike's estranged mother. In his review for Rolling Stone magazine, Peter Travers wrote, "Van Sant's cleareyed, unsentimental approach to a plot that pivots on betrayal and death is reflected in magnetic performances from Reeves and Phoenix. [8] In essence, this method involves various story fragments and ideas mixed and matched together to form a unique story. Purchase My Own Private Idaho on digital and stream instantly or download offline. There is no mechanical plot that has to grind to a Hollywood conclusion, and no contrived test for the heroes to pass; this is a movie about two particular young men, and how they pass their lives. It's a long scene." Navigating a volatile world of junkies, thieves, and johns, Mike takes Scott on a quest along the grungy streets and open highways of the Pacific Northwest, in search of an elusive place called home. My personal opinion is that this is definitely an Art Film, somewhat temerarious. Mr. Phoenix (Dogfight) and Mr. Reeves (of the two Bill and Ted comedies) are very fine in what may be the two best roles they'll find in years. It follows two hustlers named Mike and Scott (River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves) as they leave Portland in search of Mike's mother. He misses most of the crucial developments in his own life, and must depend on the kindness of strangers even to pull him out of the middle of the road. Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. Reeves cruel rejection obviously destroys the character played by River Phoenix. I've alluded to it time and again, but when you come down to it, the biggest problem with this film is overstylization, which plays a large part in the narrative disjointing, but doesn't end there, prominently playing with strange imagery, frantic structuring and other classic forms of artistic bloating that leave the final product to feel more ambitious with its style rather than its substance. It is an interesting watch but the elements don't cohere very well or make for a solid movie. The star of We the Animals and Looking looks back on the movies that expanded his idea of what cinema could be and made him want to be an actor. 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. . Rated R Coming Soon. My Own Private Idaho is considered a landmark film in New Queer Cinema, an early 1990s movement in queer-themed independent filmmaking. River Phoenix is just fantastic, and Van Sant really knows his stuff. On the Bret Easton Ellis Podcast some years ago, Van Sant even posited that Mike and Scott might not have sexualities in the conventional sense. Fine Line Features, Production Co: We dont share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we dont sell your information to others. My Own Private Idaho is far from a normal drama, but if you can appreciate its quirks and occasional eccentricities it is actually one of Gus Van Sant's better (albeit less typical) movies. Coming Soon. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. New, restored 4K digital transfer, approved by director Gus Van Sant and director of photography Eric Alan Edwards, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack, Alternate 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack, Illustrated 2005 audio conversation between Van Sant and filmmaker Todd Haynes, Conversation from 2005 between producer Laurie Parker and actor River Phoenixs sister Rain, Audio conversation from 2005 between writer JT LeRoy and filmmaker Jonathan Caouette, English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing, PLUS: A book featuring essays by film critic Amy Taubin and LeRoy; a 1991 article by Lance Loud; and reprinted interviews with Van Sant, Phoenix, and actor Keanu Reeves. 198 likes, 3 comments - Doubt Mag. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. It's poignant at times, funny at times, and very sad at times. My Own Private Idaho. He recorded various arrangements for the film, including instrumental adaptations of "Home on the Range" and "America the Beautiful". Feeling he is maturing, Scott contemplates giving up the street life when he turns twenty-one to collect his trust. To sum up, My Own Private Idaho makes viewers ponder and sometimes reconsider their opinions. A perfect Road Movie with great acting. Two of my favorite scenes are River's character Mike doing the little Dutch boy scene and scenes with Hans, the gay flaming German guy. My Own Private Idaho is an interesting mix of acting, directing, setting, and subject matter. Mike Waters lives on the street and befriends the somewhat older and streetwise Scott Favor who shows him what is necessary to survive. [19] One of the film's directors of photography, Eric Alan Edwards, recalled that Phoenix "looked like a street kid", and "in a very raw way he wore that role. You're almost there! Free standard shipping with $35 orders. Scott Favor is the rebellious son of a mayor. One was a screenplay about street kids in Portland and was based on William Shakespeare's Henry IV. [11] In a 2012 interview, Kiefer Sutherland said that he declined Van Sant's offer to star in the lead role because he wanted to go skiing, a decision he has said he regrets. 1991 Directed by Gus Van Sant. A couple of times a week, they would play music together. The third element was a short story Van Sant wrote called "In a Blue Funk," about the River Phoenix character being picked up by a German man and kept in a house. Van Sant's script is something of a mess with its overstylized structuring which thins down exposition and bloats filler to the point of serious focal unevenness, but its wit gets it by a long way on the back of sharp, sometimes pseudo-Shakespearean dialogue, and certain genuinely thoughtful moments in characterization and dramatic set piece crafting, sold by direction that is just as effectively thoughtful. It came in perfect packaging and even includes a really neat booklet with Interviews, Reviews and some of the Script. I came across the movie "Sneakers" I was instantly reminded of River Phoenix. Performances are solid throughout, and River Phoenix's performance is truly outstanding. It came in perfect packaging and even includes a really neat booklet with Interviews, Reviews and some of the Script. An amazing Gay Iconic movie with Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix! Dark & strange subject matter is explored in a light & colorful way. Van Sant originally had the screen go black when Mike passed out, but was not satisfied with this approach. Drama, 1991, 104 min Country: US Studio : Criterion Cast: River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, Udo Kier, William Richert, James Russo, Flea, Rodney Harvey, Grace Zabriskie, Chiara Caselli Director: Gus Van Sant. There's not much to the musical style of this film, but it's well worth waiting for when it does come into play, uniquely substituting original score work with many a decent, entertaining tune that livens up the flavor of this stylistically lively film, like cinematography by John Campbell and Eric Alan Edwards that, while often flat lighting and coloration, is well-toned and framed enough to help draw your eyes toward nifty visuals. The film has an intriguing mix of quirkiness and various film techniques, to the breathtaking shots of the natural world that the two pass through. . Back in Portland, Bob and his gang confront a reformed Scott at a fashionable restaurant, but he rejects them. [48][49] The film's six nominations at the 7th Independent Spirit Awards tied with Hangin' with the Homeboys for the most nominations at that ceremony. Phoenix's powerful performance, the last one that he would deliver in his tragically brief lifetime, carries the film when really allowed to flesh out, and I wish that more of the film was nearly as inspired, but, with that said, there's enough inspiration to style and substance for the final product to at least border on rewarding, even though it could have gone so much further. A strange but somehow affecting modernization of William Shakespeare's Henry IV, My Own Private Idaho is driven by an incredible performance from River Phoenix and a sort of fleeting beauty in the story and cinematography. So, the blu-ray transfer is far better in many respects, but I think it actually differs from the original film, and makes for a somehow different experience. Carmela, a young woman who lives there, tells Mike that his mother returned to the United States months ago. The achievement of this film is that is wants to evoke that state of drifting need, and it does. Watch an exclusive clip of a conversation between Todd Haynes and Gus Van Sant below: Movies Interviews Evergreen Want more. Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. It's character-driven rather than plot-driven, but the fine cinematography and the unquestionably excellent acting of River Phoenix carry the movie. Abandoned as a child, he is obsessed with finding his long-lost mother. The movie plays out in an almost dream-like way that's hard to describe. Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2016. 80%. Twenty-five pages long, it concerned two Latino characters on the Portland streets who go in search of their parents and travel to a town in Spain. ${cardName} not available for the seller you chose. In his review for Newsweek, David Ansen praised Phoenix's performance: "The campfire scene in which Mike awkwardly declares his unrequited love for Scott is a marvel of delicacy. 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