Inventive depiction of the universal quest for home.
My Own Private Idaho (1992)
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Reviews Counted:32
Fresh:27
Rotten:5
Average Rating:7.1/10
Consensus: A tantalizing glimpse of a talented director and his stars all at the top of their respective games, Gus Van Sant's loose reworking of Henry IV is smart, sad and audacious.
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Semi-documentary footage of Seattle street hustling mixes with highly theatrical Shakespearean speech in this very loose adaptation of "Henry IV." In Seattle, Mike, a male prostitute and... Semi-documentary footage of Seattle street hustling mixes with highly theatrical Shakespearean speech in this very loose adaptation of "Henry IV." In Seattle, Mike, a male prostitute and narcoleptic, meets Scott, who is rebelling against his wealthy family by working the streets. The two decide to embark on a search for Mike's long-lost mother, and their journey leads them first to Mike's home in Idaho and then to Italy. [More]
Starring: River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, William S. Burroughs, James Russo
Starring: River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, William S. Burroughs, James Russo, William Richert, Rodney Harvey, Chiara Caselli, Michael Parker, Flea, Grace Zabriskie, Udo Kier, Mickey Cottrell
Director: Gus Van Sant
Director: Gus Van Sant
Producer: Laurie Parker
Screenwriter: Gus Van Sant
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Reviews for My Own Private Idaho
The performances, especially by the two young stars, are as surprising as they are sure.
Van Sant's tale of street hustlers is so barren that even the magnetic River Phoenix can't do much to help.
Apparently Van Sant believed the reviews anointing him as a genius, and this time he has cheekily dared comparisons with the Bard of Stratford.
My Own Private Idaho is a cult-American classic that -- like anything cleverly multi-layered -- should be surveyed and examined several times in order to fully appreciate how and why this film works as a brilliant piece of art, and entertainment.
An essential testament to the beauty and chops of the late River Phoenix...
[Van Sant] lays claim to being one of the most adventurous filmmakers at work in the U.S. today.
The achievement of this film is that is wants to evoke that state of drifting need, and it does.
If played straight, this would have had depth, but been an awful cinematic experience.
Latest News for My Own Private Idaho
January 22, 2009:
RT Interview: Gus van Sant and Dustin Lance Black on Milk
Gus Van Sant and Dustin Lance Black look rather exhausted at this stage in their publicity whirlwind for Milk. The day RT sits down with them, the film has just received four... More...
January 21, 2009:
Five Favourite Films with James Franco
Having established his name in the Spider-Man movies, these days James Franco is clearly making some more personal career choices. He was in three films in 2008, notable for... More...
July 21, 2008:
Brush Up On Your Shakespeare With Our List Of The Bard's Best Films
Friends, readers, Tomato-fans, lend me your ears. Not stepping o'er the bounds of modesty, we at RT humbly present to you the Greatest Shakespeare Movies, a list of the Bard's... More...
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