My Own Private Idaho

After the critically acclaimed Drugstore Cowboy, director Gus Van Sant's second film (which he also wrote) strongly suggests that he's not headed for the mainstream anytime soon. Viewers are going to be in for a major shock when they see River Phoenix (Stand By Me) and Keanu Reeves (Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure) in a movie that the publicity blurb vaguely describes as "friendship and adventure on the twisting, turning road of life." Vagueness is probably a good bet when you're talking about young male prostitutes hustling the gay trade on the streets of Portland. River Phoenix (who was overlooked by Oscar) picked up a well-deserved Best Actor award from the National Society of Film Critics for his eerily sympathetic performance as Mike Waters, a narcoleptic hustler who drops into a deep sleep in moments of stress. Mike is befriended by Scott Favor (Reeves), a rebellious rich kid and fellow prostitute who is sometimes around to move his friend out of the middle of the road where he's soundly sleeping. Using bold cinematographic techniques (in one scene we see Mike and Scott on the covers of gay porn magazines suddenly come to life and begin having a discussion about why they're not homosexual so long as they're taking money), Van Sant constantly tests the boundaries (though not always successfully) of convention. The major problem with My Own Private Idaho is a sagging middle focusing on the relationship between Bob Pigeon (filmmaker William Richert), the older run-to-seed ringleader, and his gang, which includes Mike and Scott. A combination Fagin/Falstaff, Pigeon's scenes are stilted (drawn straight from Oliver Twist and Henry IV) because of the theatrical language and style, not used elsewhere in the film. During the final third, however, when Mike and Scott strike out for Idaho and later Rome in search of Mike's mother, My Own Private Idaho regains its power for a strong conclusion. Phoenix and Reeves deserve a lot of credit for taking on roles that most mainstream actors wouldn't have touched with a ten foot pole. A harsh, raw, disturbing, and often beautiful film, My Own Private Idaho is highly recommended for its singular--though not perfectly executed--vision. (R. Pitman) [DVD Review--April 5, 2005--Criterion, 2 discs, 104 min., R, $39.95--Making its first appearance on DVD, My Own Private Idaho has been beautifully restored and comes with Dolby Digital 5.1 or Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtracks and features an interview with screenwriter/director Gus Van Sant by filmmaker Todd Haynes (54 min.), an audio conversation between writer JT LeRoy (The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things) and filmmaker Jonathan Caouette (54 min.), a 'Kings of the Road' video interview with film scholar Paul Arthur (45 min.), a new 'making-of' featurette (43 min.), a video conversation with producer Laurie Parker and River Phoenix’s sister Rain (20 min.), six deleted scenes (12 min.), trailers, and a 64-page book featuring essays, articles, and interviews. Bottom line: an excellent extras package for one of Van Sant's best films.] [Blu-ray Review—Oct. 20, 2015—Criterion, 104 min., R, Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its Blu-ray debut, 1991's My Own Private Idaho is presented with a fine transfer and DTS-HD 2.0 sound. Extras are identical to the previous DVD release, including an interview with screenwriter/director Gus Van Sant by filmmaker Todd Haynes (54 min.), an audio conversation between author JT LeRoy and filmmaker Jonathan Caouette (54 min.), a 'Kings of the Road' interview with film scholar Paul Arthur (45 min.), a 'making-of' featurette (43 min.), a conversation with producer Laurie Parker and costar River Phoenix's sister Rain Phoenix (20 min.), deleted scenes (12 min.), trailers, and a booklet featuring essays by LeRoy and film critic Amy Taubin, a 1991 article by Lance Loud, and interviews with Van Sant, Phoenix, and costar Keanu Reeves. Bottom line: a ‘90s contemporary classic makes a welcome Blu-ray debut.]