My Own Private Idaho

1991 • 103 minutes

4.4

33 reviews

80%

Tomatometer

Rating

Eligible

About this movie

"I always know where I am by the way the road looks..." Keanu Reeves ("The Matrix" trilogy, "The Day the Earth Stood Still") and Academy Award and Golden Globe-nominee River Phoenix ("Running on Empty," "Stand by Me") star in Academy Award-nominated director Gus Van Sant's ("Milk," "Good Will Hunting") seminal meditation on the nature of innocence as two young men living on the fringes of society peddle their bodies for sex. Amiable, none-too-bright street hustler Mike Waters works the streets of the Pacific Northwest with his best friend Scott Favor. Mike secretly loves Scott, and Scott, the son of Portland's wealthy mayor, secretly yearns to cast off the friendship of his fellow lowlifes and assume his birthright of wealth, power and respectability. Based on William Shakespeare's play, "Henry IV, Part I."

Rating

Ratings and reviews

4.4

33 reviews

VGNSK8RQU33N

May 4, 2017

There are movies that I can tell probably won't be my scene, but I watch them anyway out of curiosity. This was one such. I found it so tedious I actually paused it at 1h13m to go do chores. And I'm no fan of doing chores. There didn't seem to be any real point to it. People suck. We know this already; we don't need a movie to reiterate that, thanks. Sometimes, movies improve for me on 2nd viewing but no way I was sitting through this again. I did, however, revisit the campfire scene - the movie's high point. And it did make me angry at stupid brainwashed people (the masses) irl, who bring children into this world and assume they've achieved something, only to not love these kids UNCONDITIONALLY, not give them the best possible start in life and the kids end up living on the street turning tricks. How dare you people? If you're not willing to make a lifelong commitment and do the best damn job at parenting that you can then DON'T HAVE CHILDREN. The acting was outstanding though, by all, but especially by the late River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves.

Tom Jones

July 25, 2020

Super movie, great acting.

Philip Lister

July 18, 2015

My own private idaho

Rate this movie

Tell us what you think.