My Own Private Idaho
I can’t recall the reason I first watched Gus Van Sant’s “My Own Private Idaho”- I don’t think it was in college, after seeing “Drugstore Cowboy” and around the time of his “Psycho” remake, but what I do remember is being quite taken by this story of two street hustlers, played by River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves. Watching it for the first time since, I find myself enamored by the performances by the two stars, as well as how Mike and Scott are both informed by family, be it the one they’re searching for in Mike, or the one they’re running away from in Scott. That is what will linger with me moving forward.
Mike, played by Phoenix, is a narcoleptic. There are times when he will be getting ready with a client, and all of the sudden, just fall asleep. That’s a dangerous way to live, but without steady work, and not much to sustain him, it’s the only way he knows. Much of his time is spent as a squatter with other people living on the streets, like Bob (William Richert), a towering personality who feels like a character out of Shakespeare, which is not surprising, as Van Sant modeled some of his screenplay off of Henry IV. The other central character that shows up is Scott, played by Reeves. Scott is the mayor of Portland’s son, but by being on the streets, he rebels against his father. He and Mike and friends, and soon, they find themselves on an adventure to try and find Mike’s mother, who abandoned him long ago.
One of the first things we see in the film is Mike having his dick sucked for money. It’s not explicit, but it’s very obvious what is happening. The way Van Sant portrays sex of any kind- gay or straight- in this film is interesting. There are montages with writhing bodies in two sequences, but rather than editing between moving bodies, the bodies involved are still, like sculptures, while the editing forms a series of action in the scenes. Van Sant is not after shock but natural moments. In a way, Van Sant is recreating the matter-of-fact nudity of classical art; it makes what we see in the film feel more graphic- certainly more so than we’re used to in a Hollywood film- than it really is. The film may be about street hustlers, though, but it’s not really about sex; I just wanted to get the discussion of it out of the way before getting to what matters most in this film- it’s tender heart towards its main characters.
“My Own Private Idaho” is a story of love unfulfilled for both Mike and Scott, though more so for Mike. When we first see him, Mike is on the side of a road in Idaho, essentially informing us of his life as a narcoleptic, and someone for whom the road is home. Mike at times feels content with his life, while also wanting more. He wants love, be it with another man, or from the mother who left him behind. He doesn’t have grand ambitions like Scott does, whom will take the time before his 21st birthday to spite his father before transforming into the son he wanted when it’s time to inherit his fortune; he just wants to feel comfort. Tough yet vulnerable was one of River Phoenix’s great modes as an actor, and we feel so much for Mike because he is playing him. Few actors have been more natural at taking chances while also going for emotional truths, and this might be one of his best performances. Every time I rewatch- or watch anew- a River Phoenix film it makes me sad to realize we had so little time with him.
The stardom after “Speed” didn’t do anything positive for Reeves beyond his pocketbook. Watching films like this and “Parenthood” remind us of what an interesting and honest character actor he is, and getting thrust into the studio limelight didn’t really allow him to stretch himself as an actor, as he got hobbled with very basic material. I remain not a big fan of his work in “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” or “Much Ado About Nothing,” but at least he’s being pushed by interesting directors who no doubt saw something compelling about the actor, and this might be my favorite performance of his. He captures Scott’s assured nature, but also the empathy he has for Mike that makes us believe that a mayor’s son would be so comforting to someone whose life is a struggle. That assured nature, however, has a flip side, wherein he is not afraid to cut loose of those who don’t fulfill a need for him anymore. The final act of this film is heartbreaking to see the divide that not exists between Scott and those whom he seemed to care about, but he did tell us early on how this pivot would occur. It doesn’t make the hurt any less.
As I have gotten older, I’d much rather go on an emotional and spiritual journey with a character than a physical one. The way Van Sant gives us both in this film is a beautiful example of how adventures with characters don’t have to be filled with excitement and thrills, but do require emotional revelations to live long in our memories, and make us feel like we’ve found a home there. We wish we could say that Mike has found that home by the end.
