Written And Directed by Gus Van Sant
Mike: "I'm a connoisseur of roads. I've been tasting roads my whole life. This road will never end. It probably goes all around the world."
Ah, this one has been on my list for a while. I watched it a long time ago but with Pride Month starting tomorrow, I couldn't wait to see it again. It's a cult classic from Gus Van Sant and one of his most iconic movies to date.
So, what's it about, huh? Well, you've got a protagonist named Mike Waters (River Phoenix). He's a street hustler who suffers from narcolepsy and it's something that frequently factored into the movie. It's more of a plot point than expected.
I mean the movie both opened and ended with Mike having experienced a narcoleptic episode. Among that was also Mike having visions of his mother, Sharon (Vana O'Brien) comforting him during moments of stress. The search for Mike's mother also played a role in this movie.
However there were other factors. For example, when we weren't seeing Mike servicing various clients, including the likes of Hans (Udo Kier), there was his friendships with other hustlers. The most notable friendship in particular being with rich guy, Scott Favor (Keanu Reeves).
The son of the Mayor Jack Favor (Tom Troupe), for the most part, Scott was a decent enough friend to Mike. If Mike was clearly meant to be gay, then Scott by contrast was a bored straight guy acting out by hanging out with vagrants to annoy his father. That was something that the likes of Bob Pigeon (William Richert) picked up on.
As the movie progressed, we had both Mike and Scott journey from Seattle to Italy where more information about Mike's mother came to light before returning to Portland. Unfortunately their friendship soured and Scott pretty much became his own father while Mike ended on a deserted Idaho highway before being helped by an unidentified figure. It somewhat ended this movie on an odd note.
- This movie's loosely inspired by William Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2 and Henry V.
- There's a recontextualised version of this movie called My Own Private River that was released following the 20th anniversary.
- Standout music: Eddy Arnold's The Cattle Call, Elton John's Blue Eyes and The Pogues The Old Main Drag.
- Chronology: 1990s Portland, Italy and Idaho. At one point, Mike's watching an episode of The Simpsons.
My Own Private Idaho does feel like a movie that every LGBT person should see at least once in their lifetime. River Phoenix did give a career defining performance with Mike Waters and it's a lovingly shot film by Gus Van Sant. If you haven't seen it, now's the time to do so.
Rating: 8 out of 10
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