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My Own Private Idaho (1992)
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Reviews Counted:32
Fresh:27
Rotten:5
Average Rating:7.1/10
Consensus: A tantalizing glimpse of a talented director and his stars all at the top of their respective games, Gus Van Sant's loose reworking of Henry IV is smart, sad and audacious.
Synopsis: Semi-documentary footage of Seattle street hustling mixes with highly theatrical Shakespearean speech in this very loose adaptation of "Henry IV." In Seattle, Mike, a male prostitute and... Semi-documentary footage of Seattle street hustling mixes with highly theatrical Shakespearean speech in this very loose adaptation of "Henry IV." In Seattle, Mike, a male prostitute and narcoleptic, meets Scott, who is rebelling against his wealthy family by working the streets. The two decide to embark on a search for Mike's long-lost mother, and their journey leads them first to Mike's home in Idaho and then to Italy. [More]
Starring: River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, William S. Burroughs, James Russo
Starring: River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, William S. Burroughs, James Russo, William Richert, Rodney Harvey, Chiara Caselli, Michael Parker, Flea, Grace Zabriskie, Udo Kier, Mickey Cottrell
Director: Gus Van Sant
Director: Gus Van Sant
Producer: Laurie Parker
Screenwriter: Gus Van Sant
Reviews for My Own Private Idaho
One of those ambitious, over-reaching disappointments that is more interesting than some more conservative successes.
One of Van Sant's best films, a richly dense, poetic evocation of friendhsip that retells Shakespeare's Henry IV in an original and intriguing way; River Phoenix gives his most riveting performance.
The film's uniqueness lies in its remarkable emotional open-heartedness.
Homosexual road movie that espouses the family values of a Disney feature and the pop art sensibilities of a Warhol piece — with a dose of Shakespeare added for good measure.
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