My Own Private Idaho (1991)
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Two friends embark on a journey of personal discovery from Portland to Idaho and Rome in search of a lost mother.
The story
The story follows two friends, Mike Waters and Scott Favor, as they embark on a journey of personal discovery that takes them from Portland, Oregon, to Mike's hometown in Idaho, and then to Rome in search of Mike's mother. Mike, a street hustler, experiences narcoleptic episodes while navigating his life as a hustler. The pair, including Scott, who is the son of the mayor of Portland, travel together, seeking connection and identity while navigating the complexities of their lives as street hustlers.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Mike, a street hustler, and his friend Scott Favor travel from Portland to Idaho to visit Mike's brother, Richard. During the journey, Mike confesses his love for Scott, who notes he only sleeps with men for money. They eventually travel to Rome to find Mike's mother, who worked as a maid. They meet a woman named Carmela, and Scott falls in love with her, while Mike is left behind. After Scott's father dies and he inherits his fortune, he rejects his former life. The film ends with Mike alone on a highway, falling into a narcoleptic stupor as he is eventually picked up by an unidentified figure.
- First release year
- 1991
- Runtime (minutes)
- 102
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Gus Van Sant
- Writers
- Gus Van Sant · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- River Phoenix · Mike; Keanu Reeves · Scott Favor; James Russo; William Richert; Rodney Harvey; Michael Parker · Mike; Flea; Chiara Caselli; Udo Kier
- Genres
- adventure; drama
- Themes
- identity; quest for family; queer experience
- Tone and mood
- avant-garde; surreal
- Premise and plot tags
- road movie; hustlers; narcolepsy
- Source material / true-story basis
- Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2 and Henry V by William Shakespeare; John Rechy's 1963 novel City of Night
- Reception
- The film received largely positive reviews from critics and is considered a landmark in new queer cinema, becoming a cult classic.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 79% · scale: percentage · review count: 63; Metacritic · score: 77 · scale: 100 · review count: 18
- Awards and nominations
- Volpi Cup for Best Actor · Best Actor · 1991 · Win; Best Male Lead · Independent Spirit Awards · 1991 · Win; Best Actor · National Society of Film Critics · 1991 · Win; Best Film Music · Independent Spirit Award · 1992 · Win; Showtime International Critics Award · Toronto Film Festival · 1991 · Win
- Production trivia
- The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 2024.; The title is derived from the song 'Private Idaho' by the B-52's.; The film was not storyboarded and was made without a shot list.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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