My Own Private Idaho Video

Average Rating:

At the core of the movie is the relationship between Mike (River Phoenix) and Scott (Keanu Reeves), who are working as street hustlers in the Northwest. Mike is a lonely character, emotionally vulnerable as a result of his dysfunctional upbringing and often physically vulnerable as a result of his narcolepsy. He is a lost soul, a drifter desperate for love. Scott, on the other hand, is calculating, merely toying with street life until he inherits the life laid out for him by his father's wealth and power. Still, Scott does seem to have a fair amount of genuine affection and concern for Mike, often taking care of him during his narcoleptic attacks and going along with him as he hits the road in search of his mother. The heart of this movie is the contrast between these two and the bond between them, despite their obviously deep divisions.

River Phoenix turns in my favorite performance of his tragically brief career, and really carries the movie while Keanu Reeves, although his character is nearly as interesting as River's, more than holds his own as well. What keeps this from being a five star movie is Gus Van Sant's incorporation of Shakespeare into the script. It's a cheap gimmick that adds very little to the movie and really only serves to label the movie as a knock-off. I think most of the people who saw this movie would have seen the HENRY IV parallels in Scott's story without having the ACTUAL dialogue dropped on our heads. Still, it's ultimately a minor complaint and absolutely no reason to stay away from the film. River Phoenix's performance alone makes this one a must see.