My Own Private Idaho (1991)

Watch Trailer

Cast: River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, James Russo, William Richert, Rodney Harvey, Chiara Caselli, Michael Parker, Jessie Thomas, Flea, Grace Zabriskie

Director: Gus Van Sant

Writer: William Shakespeare, Gus Van Sant

Running Time: 102 min.

Genre: Drama

Rating: R

Synopsis: Gus Van Sant's dreamtime riff on Shakespeare's Henry IV, Parts I and II features River Phoenix as Mike Waters, a narcoleptic male hustler who is first seen drifting on a stretch of highway in Idaho. Mike shifts from Seattle to Portland, where he has taken up with Scott Favor (Keanu Reeves), who is also a hustler. The difference between them is Mike's sleepy state betrays an uncertain future, while Scott is ready to inherit a fortune from his father within a week. Mike feels a real affection for Scott, but Scott does not believe men can really love each other. Besides, Scott is mostly hustling as a means of slumming and killing time before he inherits his money. Mike, however, delusionally thinks Scott will continue with his life as a drifter after receiving his inheritance. Mike's belief is shared by the dregs of Portland, who live out of an abandoned hotel with their spiritual leader Bob (film director William Richert). They're convinced Scott's fortune will benefit them all, when in reality Scott has other plans.~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

User Reviews

Rate it!

Critic Reviews

About the Graph & Metric

Reviews
User Reviews

Reviews

Sort by:

Variety review
The New York Times (Vincent Canby) review
Entertainment Weekly (Owen Gleiberman) review[A-]
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert) review[3.5/4]
Washington Post (Desson Thomson) review
Washington Post (Hal Hinson) review
DVDBeaver dvd review
CineScene.com (Chris Dashiell) review
Eye for Film (Angus Wolfe Murray) review[5/5]
The Film Journal (J.D. Lafrance) review
The Film Journal (Kaizaad Kotwal) review ["Psychedelic Papas and the Oedipal Mama: Lonesome Trajectories and Psychic Topographies Within the Flesh and Psyche in Gus Van Sant's ___"]
PopMatters (Cynthia Fuchs) dvd review [Criterion Collection]
DVD Talk (Francis Rizzo III) dvd review[5/5] [Criterion Collection]
digitallyOBSESSED.com (Joel Cunningham) dvd review
Empire Magazine [UK] dvd review[3/5]
Paste Magazine (Tim Porter) dvd review
eFilmCritic.com ("the Grinch") review[4/5]
DVD Net (Ben Pollock) dvd review [Region 4]
Apollo Guide (Jon Lap) review[93/100]
The Spinning Image (Graeme Clark) review
The House Next Door (Dan Callahan) review
DVD Verdict (Brett Cullum) dvd review [Criterion Collection]
rec.arts.movies.reviews (Sarah M. Elkins) review
rec.arts.movies.reviews (Frank R.A.J. Maloney) review
rec.arts.movies.reviews (Brian L. Johnson) review
rec.arts.movies.reviews (Sean E. Williams) retrospective
Cinema Blend dvd review [Criterion Collection]
Entertainment Weekly capsule dvd review
Newsweek (David Ansen) review
Newsweek (David Ansen) review
Austin Chronicle (Marjorie Baumgarten) review[3.5/5]
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops capsule review
Film e Dvd review
Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick) dvd review[4/4]
rec.arts.movies.reviews (Ted Prigge) retrospective[3.5/4]
Jigsaw Lounge (Neil Young) review[6/10]
TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide review[4/5]
Georgia Straight (Ken Eisner) review
filmcritic.com (Jake Euker) review[4.5/5]
Turner Classic Movies dvd review
PM Media Review (Mark Runyon) review[A-]
Time Out review
Cutting Edge review
Edward Copeland on Film (Jonathan Pacheco) review

User Reviews

There are currently no user reviews for this film. Be the first to rate it below!

Rate This Movie!

Please sign in or sign up to rate this movie.

find where to watch movie online at gowatchit.com

Fresh From Flicktweets

My Own Private Idaho (1991)

everyday_james: Just watched My Own Private Idaho after finding the dvd during a clear out. Love Gus Van Sant.
AndyMCope: @darcysmom Oof, I loved him as young Indy. :) I liked My Own Private Idaho too. Been so long since I've watched it though. lol