My Own Private Idaho
Short description
Mike Waters and Scott Favor are two young hustlers scraping by on the streets of Portland, Oregon. Mike, who has narcolepsy, is haunted by childhood memories and wants to find his mother; Scott, the mayor's son, has turned to street life and prostitution as an act of rebellion against his wealthy, respectable background. The two friends set out together, and their search takes them from Portland to Idaho and on to Italy, passing through a world of strangers, clients and uneasy friendships. Over the course of the journey, their closeness is tested, and the different futures awaiting each of them become clear.
Gus Van Sant directed and wrote the screenplay; the film is the second of the eighteen he has directed in chronological order, following Drugstore Cowboy and preceding To Die For. Laurie Parker produced. River Phoenix plays Mike and Keanu Reeves plays Scott, with James Russo, William Richert, Rodney Harvey and Chiara Caselli among the fifty-one credited cast members.
Made for about three million dollars and released in early 1991, the film took roughly six million dollars worldwide, a modest multiple of its budget. Audiences rate it 7/10 on IMDb across more than sixty thousand votes and 7/10 on TMDB from a much smaller pool; a critics' rating of 7.7/10 from sixty reviews places it somewhat higher with reviewers than with the wider public.
What's left behind the scenes
- Director Gus Van Sant made a cameo appearance in the film – as the hotel porter where Mike, Scott, and Hans are staying.
- Most of the actors (including River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, and Michael Parker) moved into Gus Van Sant’s old house in Portland, Oregon, for the duration of filming. They caused such a mess in the house – with constant parties, drinking, and late-night gatherings – that Gus was eventually forced to move in with friends just to get some sleep.
- The film's plot contains an allusion to Orson Welles' "The Lady from Shanghai," which in turn heavily utilizes material from William Shakespeare's "Henry IV."
- The film's title is based on a song by the B-52's.
- The main characters were named Mike and Scott after real male escorts the director met while working on his previous film, "Bad Night" (1985).
- It took Gus Van Sant years to complete the screenplay. After finishing it, Van Sant found that studios were unwilling to finance a film about two male escorts. He sent a copy of the script to the agents of Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix, whom he wanted to cast in the lead roles. Reeves received the script and agreed to star, while Phoenix’s agent didn’t even show it to his client. Keanu befriended River on the set of "I Love You to Death" (1990), and also starred alongside his brother Joaquin Phoenix in "Parents" (1989). Keanu traveled to the Phoenix family for Christmas, riding his motorcycle from Canada to Florida. He brought the script with him, and after reading it, River agreed to take the part.
- In the first scene in the cafe, the song playing in the background is called "Too Many Colors," performed by River Phoenix’s band Aleka's Attic.
- Udo Kier’s yellow motorcycle is a British 750cc Norton Commando.
- On the roof, when Mike wakes up and Bob returns to town with Bud, the voice of Matt Dillon can be heard on television. The scene playing is from "Drugstore Cowboy" (1989), an earlier film by Gus Van Sant.
- Gus Van Sant offered the role of Bob Pigeon to Dennis Hopper, but he declined. The role went to William Richert, who was recommended by River Phoenix, as Richert had previously filmed Phoenix in "One Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon" (1988).
- River Phoenix was absent from the New York premiere of the film. He disliked flying and traveled primarily by car or train. As a result, he was simply late, and the premiere took place without him.
- In an early version of the script, the action took place in Las Vegas.
- The character of Bob was based on a drug dealer from Portland, Oregon.
- While writing the screenplay, Gus Van Sant was inspired by Stanley Kubrick.
- The Norton Commando motorcycle used in the film was owned by Keanu Reeves.
- When Scott and Mike first appear in Portland, they are sitting below a statue of a moose with a Native American riding it. The statue is real and still exists in Portland. However, the rider was added by Gus Van Sant. It was a production assistant covered in paint and sitting motionless on the moose statue.
- The famous campfire scene was written by River Phoenix and differed from the original script. The key phrases expressing the idea of the difference between love and sex, spoken in this scene, were invented by River.
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