In a time when being “edgy”, unlike today, meant something in American cinema industry the person with good reason to wear this title with pride was Gus Van Sant. His early films dealt with unpleasant subjects and protagonists at the margins of society, including those practising what was at the time euphemistically called “alternative lifestyle”. While Van Sant, explicitly or implicitly, dealt with that particular subject in many of his films, the most successful of them was 1991 drama My Own Private Idaho, a film that would develop a cult status.
The protagonist, played by River Phoenix, is Michael “Mikey” Walters, young man who suffers from narcolepsy. As a product of broken Midwestern home, he has found himself on the streets of Portland, Oregon where he supports his drug habit and other existential needs by prostituting himself to male clients. He is part of group of other young male prostitutes which has a mentor and guru in the form of flamboyant homeless man Bob Pigeon (played by William Richert). Part of the group is his best friend and Bob’s favourite Scott Favor (played by Keanu Reeves), who, unlike Mikey, came from the world of wealth and privilege, being a rebellious son of Portland mayor Jack Favor (played by Tom Troupe). Scott’s motive for living on the streets is simply to wait for his 21st birthday when he would inherit father’s money. He nevertheless decides to help his friend Mikey in search for his long-missing mother. On the journey, that would take them to Idaho, and later to Italy, Mikey expresses his true feelings for Scott, considering him more than a friend. When Scott in Italy meets and falls in love with beautiful local girl Carmella (played by Chiara Caselli), Mikey is heartbroken and that would be followed by even greater heartbreak by Bob when Scott finally rejoins the polite society he had temporarily abandoned.
In early 1990s homosexuality has already been established as legitimate subject for Hollywood mainstream films. Van Sant, who had found inspiration for his film from real life characters who had met on streets of his native Portland, nevertheless took some chances by controversial depiction of lifestyle of young male prostitutes. Van Sant also had scenes of nudity and rather explicit gay sex that would have looked quite risque at the time, but today wouldn’t raise an eyebrow, being set as standard for an average HBO show. The most interesting scene in My Own Private Idaho is, however the one in which Mikey, Scott and his friends come alive as semi-naked pin-up models from covers of gay magazines, a technical achievement quite remarkable for relatively low budget semi-independent film (produced by New Line Cinema, minor studio at the time) which couldn’t have relied on CGI and other techniques today’s film makers take for granted.
Van Sant’s playful direction is both film’s strength and weakness. My Own Private Idaho too often indulges in “cool”, unusual and surreal images at the expense of its narrative and conceptual cohesion. The most problematic is disconnect between Mikey’s story about search for home and personal roots and Scott’s story about growing up and taking responsibility which is actually taken from Shakespeare’s historical plays about Prince Hal and future English king Henry V. The result is incoherent film in which realism of the street life is compromised when Bob, a character obviously modelled after Shakespeare’s Falstaff, as well as Scott in the final scenes, start using Shakespearean dialogue.
My Own Private Idaho is in the end elevated over mediocrity by strong cast, which included two actors that were among the most popular and iconic young stars of their generation. River Phoenix, already established as talented actor as a star and on the way to become ultimate teenage hearthrob, took great risks playing often dimwitted male prostitute involved in activities most “normies” would find degrading. Phoenix involved a lot of energy and talent in that roles and it was his idea for Mikey, whose sexual orientation was originally left ambiguous in the script, to be revealed as gay. Phoenix did so in the scene he wrote and prepared himself with the help of his good friend Keanu Reeves, who had originally talked him into taking part in this potentially risky film. Reeves, who was often accused of wooden acting and bland roles, here acquits with the role with much more emotional content and is ready to risk his teenage heartthrob image by playing character who would ultimately break protagonist’s heart. The rest of the cast is also good, like film maker William Richert (who had few years earlier directed young River Phoenix in A Night in Life of Jimmy Reardon), iconic German actor Udo Kier as one of Mikey’s clients and young Italian actress Chiara Caselli who charming “girl next door” beauty epitomes normalcy Scott is going to embrace.
Fears that My Own Private Idaho would be too controversial never materialised. Film has good reception at Venice Film Festival with River Phoenix winning prestigious Volpi Cup for his role. Even with distribution limited to arthouse cinemas, it became modest box office success. Its popularity continued due to enduring popularity of Phoenix and Reeves. What further solidified its cult status was Phoenix’s tragic fate that in some macabre way reflected the fate of his film character; two years after premiere he died and entered history became icon of “edgy” but marginal independent films unlike his friend Reeves who would, just like Scott, become part of the mainstream.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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