My Own Private Idaho

There are a few particularly outstanding moments in the tragically short career of River Phoenix that fully showcase the breadth of his talents. My Own Private Idaho is certainly one of them. Like no other part, his performance as the narcolepsy-suffering sex worker Mike cemented his iconic status as the “1990s’ James Dean” and was awarded at the Venice Film Festival. In My Own Private Idaho, his offbeat charisma aligned perfectly with Gus Van Sant’s unique, eclectic style. The journey across America that the film’s protagonists – the superbly attuned duo of Phoenix and Keanu Reeves – embark on turns into the pure embodiment of the sadness and melancholy of youthful impulses. What resonates most in this cult road movie is the characters’ acute need to belong and their loneliness, which outsiders of all kinds will still identify with today.

Katarzyna Kebernik

Gus Van Sant (born 1952) is an American director and screenwriter known for intimate portraits of outsiders and social themes. His breakthrough came with My Own Private Idaho (1991), and he achieved global success with Good Will Hunting (1997), which won two Academy Awards. Elephant (2003), awarded the Palme d’Or, was a bold narrative experiment inspired by a school shooting. His key works also include Milk (2008) and Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot (2018).