Watching the film, I was reminded of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, in which Raskolnikov, the murderer of the old lady, suffers from epileptic seizures. Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt, Blu-ray, Color, Subtitled, Widescreen, DTS Surround Sound, Surround Sound, River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, Gus Van Sant, James Russo, | Join Prime for unlimited fast, free shipping and more. That's those independent film guys for you. The movie's visuals are very haunting with the music with scenes of salmon going upstream, rolling clouds and sunset, barns falling from the sky and scenes of the Pacific Northwest and Italy. Coming Soon. On the 25th anniversary of its release, it reminds us of the risks. [8] In essence, this method involves various story fragments and ideas mixed and matched together to form a unique story. $6.4M, Runtime: Private School (Blu-ray)(2019) Get top deals, latest trends, and more. However, the fun way this film was styled & assembled, combined with the star talents of River Phoenix Good movie. I guess that the story concept stands to have a little more depth to its dramatics, as surely as its interpretation stands to be more focused and less stylistically overblown, but on paper, this film's subject matter dealing with two men bonding, maybe as more than friends, on their adventure to uncover their pasts and find paths to the future does a lot of things uniquely, and has its own dramatic value to both be done justice and betrayed by Gus Van Sant. Directed by. My Own Private Idaho was the result of three projects coming together. He hung out with hustlers on the streets of Portland, learning the, uh, tricks of the trade. Don't forget to hit the 'Like' button and leave commons.#MyOwnPrivateIdaho #RiverPhoenix #gaymovietrailers They go on a quest along the grungy streets and open highways of the Pacific Northwest, in search of an elusive place called home. Mike's homosexuality is in combat with the conservative ideals . Writers: William Shakespeare, Gus Van Sant Companies: New Line Cinema Download Options 2 Scripts Available for Download Share Suggest Changes The achievement of this film is that is wants to evoke that state of drifting need, and it does. Not with the homosexuality but with the sadness of lifestyle of these two individuals, Mike and Scott. [12], Initially, no studio would finance the film because of its controversial and offbeat subject matter. R. Starring River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, James Russo. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Dvoje najboljih prijatelja ive kao prevaranti na ulicama Portlanda. It's character-driven rather than plot-driven, but the fine cinematography and the unquestionably excellent acting of River Phoenix carry the movie. Watch an exclusive clip of a conversation between Todd Haynes and Gus Van Sant below: Movies Interviews Evergreen Want more. Finally, Mike is back on the deserted stretch of Idaho highway. Two young hustlers, Mike and Scott, navigate a volatile world of junkies, thieves, and johns. Sign up. Find the cheapest option or how to watch with a free trial. Always gotta be different. Email address. Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2022. To achieve the effect of magazine cover boys on the newsstand coming to life and talking to each other, Van Sant went old-school. 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. Along the way they turn tricks for money and drugs, eventually attracting the attention of a wealthy benefactor and sexual deviant. Regal Scott Favor is the rebellious son of a mayor. I came across the movie "Sneakers" I was instantly reminded of River Phoenix. Sign In. He is picked up by a wealthy older woman, who takes him to her mansion, where he finds two fellow hustlers she also hired. In this, and every scene, Phoenix immerses himself so deeply inside his character you almost forget you've seen him before: it's a stunningly sensitive performance, poignant and comic at once. I have watched this countless times, and I get ever more insight with every viewing. Gus Van Sant. This story is like a stream-of-consciousness biography of the two main characters. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. 80%. 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. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. This is without a doubt my favorite film of all time. We wont be able to verify your ticket today, but its great to know for the future. Touching Available to rent or buy Rent HD $2.99 Buy HD $9.99 More purchase I had forgotten how much I loved him. 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. (Parker wasn't narcoleptic, though another friend of Van Sant's was.) My personal opinion is that this is definitely an Art Film, somewhat temerarious. Mike's narcolepsy kicks in and he's . (It looks like this.). They live on the streets, do drugs, and sell themselves to men and women. Additional Sources: Interview Magazine (Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea was a cast member, after all; he and Reeves played bass while Phoenix played a guitar he picked up at a Portland music shop.) I'm an actor. Neither background would account for the strange existence they now share, drifting through the automobiles and bedrooms of strangers, acting out fantasy roles, spending long hours in coffee shops, smoking and talking and killing time. 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. For Strong Sensuality, Profanity and Drug Use, Ebertfest Welcomes Molly Cornyn as its New Project Coordinator, Starz's Blindspotting Returns to Stake Claim to Television's Top Tier, The Towering Fear: Makoto Shinkai on Suzume, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Figures It Out in Smart Final Season. Along the way they turn tricks for money and drugs, eventually attracting the attention of a wealthy benefactor and sexual deviant. It is especially heart wrenching for me when I hear the pedal steel guitar play "America The Beautiful" and seeing River's character Mike Waters looking down the long endless lonely road. An absorbing movie in a great new Criterion issue, Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2016. "[36], Conversely, USA Today gave My Own Private Idaho two and half stars out of four, calling it "nothing but set pieces; tossed into a mix whose meaning is almost certainly private". For another thing, he wrote it in a poetic, non-standard typographical formatwords down the middle of the page, random capitalization, etc. 'My Own Private Idaho' is a great little off-beat movie. 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! looks back on the movies that expanded his idea of what cinema could be and made him want to be an actor. Privacy Policy Keanu Reeves performance is equally powerful as a child . My Own Private Idaho. 104. My Own Private Idaho. [21] When asked if he was worried that playing a gay prostitute might hurt his public image, Reeves said, "Hurt my image? Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. I watched it 20 years ago (loved it), and i watched the dvd version again recently, and even after all those years this movie still mesmerises me. At the hotel, they meet Hans, the man who drove them to Portland, and prostitute themselves to him. Ultra-Stereo, Stereo, Surround, On DVD This Week: Magic Mike XXL, Insidious: Chapter 3, And More, RT Interview: Gus van Sant and Dustin Lance Black on Milk, RT25: Celebrating 25 years of Rotten Tomatoes. Genre: 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. Still, he's less "wooden" here than in other films of his I've seen. My Own Private Idaho ending got a lot of viewers wondering what it actually meant. with updates on movies, TV shows, Rotten Tomatoes podcast and more. The film was part of a new wave of gay cinema, and it added to Phoenix's burgeoning reputation as a sensitive, brooding actor, made all the more tragic by his sudden death two years later. Still he resisted. Released: 1991-09-29. The pair meets in Portland, Oregon, and later travels to Idaho and Italy. I guess this film is a dramedy. ${cardName} not available for the seller you chose. To those who do not understand the disorder, it appears that he must be on drugs, or mentally deficient, or from another planet. That night, Bob has a fatal heart attack. For one thing, it was only 70 pages long, which would translate to about a 70-minute movie. As Mike and Scott venture on their road trip, Mike reveals his unrequited attraction to Scott and their friendship grows even more complicated. 'My Own Private Idaho' is a great little off-beat movie. An unusual story and unusual pairing of two young men from such different backgrounds, their loneliness and disconnection can be deeply felt. River Phoenix (Stand by Me) and Keanu Reeves (The Matrix) star in this haunting tale from Gus Van Sant (Mala Noche), about two young street hustlers: Mike Waters, a sensitive narcoleptic who dreams of the mother who abandoned him, and Scott Favor, the wayward son of the mayor of Portland and the object of Mikes desire. In one of the most significant scenes, his best friend. Carmela, a young woman who lives there, tells Mike that his mother returned to the United States months ago. 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. 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