My Own Private Idaho

1991
18
1h 44m

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

64K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

3,597

River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves in My Own Private Idaho (1991)

Play trailer2:16

2 Videos

99+ Photos

Coming-of-Age Road Trip Drama

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.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.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
- Gus Van Sant
- William Shakespeare
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

64K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

3,597

Director
- Gus Van Sant
Writers
- Gus Van Sant
- William Shakespeare
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 10 wins & 9 nominations total

Videos2

Trailer 2:16

My Own Private Idaho

Clip 1:03

'My Own Private Idaho' | Anniversary Mashup

Clip 1:03

'My Own Private Idaho' | Anniversary Mashup

Photos167

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9:57

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The scene with all the boys on the cover of the porno magazines coming to life and interacting was not done with any computers. At the time of production, CGI was still a very expensive tool. The individual pieces were filmed with the actors standing behind large pieces of plexi-glass, with the mock-magazine cover on front. Later, optical effects, similar to those used in matte painting, were used to composite them together on the "magazine rack".

Goofs
At the campfire scene, whenever the camera shows Scott, Mike's hands are hanged to each other, but whenever the camera shows Mike, he is playing with piece of wood.

Quotes
Scott Favor: I only have sex with a guy for money.
Mike Waters: Yeah, I know.
Scott Favor: And two guys can't love each other.
Mike Waters: Yeah.
Mike Waters: Well, I don't know. I mean... I mean, for me, I could love someone even if I, you know, wasn't paid for it... I love you, and... you don't pay me.
Scott Favor: Mike...
Mike Waters: I really wanna kiss you, man... Well goodnight, man... I love you though... You know that... I do love you.

Connections
Edited into The Phoenix Portal (2005)

Soundtracks
Cattle Call
Words and Music by Tex Owens
Performed by Eddy Arnold
Courtesy of Forster Music Publishing and the RCA Records label of BMG Music

User reviews197

Featured review

6/10

The film is watch-able and has some great shots

My Own Private Idaho is flimsy, unconvincing and wildly overrated. Although it is a film worth watching, for River's performance if nothing else, its accredited greatness is no more than a wishfully constructed social myth.

I wish I could say how truly remarkable the film is, but to be honest it lacks substance, it leaves you yearning for something moreI think much of the talent in the film is unexploited to its best potential and the dialogue, in its second half, written in a kind of impromptu, mock Shakespeare, is devoid of any magic.

Overall the film is watch-able and has some great shots, like that at the beginning where the viewer joins Mike (River Phoenix) toward the end of a blow-job he's receiving from a john; when he comes the image of an entire house being dropped onto a desolate highway charges the screen.It's sad and beautiful, and, is a perfect statement on Mike's yearning for a home he never had.