My Own Private Idaho (1991)

Penetrating 90s road movie about two wandering souls in the American West.

Narcoleptic sex worker Mike (River Phoenix) roams the streets, driven by a deep desire for security and his mother who once left him. He meets the rebellious mayor’s son Scott (Keanu Reeves) who also immerses himself in street life out of resistance. The boys decide to go in search of Mike’s mother – a journey that takes them from the empty plains of Idaho to the avenues of Rome. Along the way, an intimate connection arises between the two in which desire, loyalty and alienation are inextricably intertwined. The boys rebel, survive and learn what it means to love – and be left alone.

My Own Private Idaho is a moving look at friendship, unrequited love, and living on the edge of society. Director Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting) forges melodrama and absurdism in this film – raw realism with poetic visual language, and echoes Shakespearean motifs in a punk world. River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves deliver perhaps the most poignant roles of their careers. A cult classic that will definitely keep you.

This film is the first part of de Uitkijk’s summer series, in which friendship is central.

The people at de Uitkijk have kindly offered a limited amount of free tickets for Subbacultcha members. Please make a reservation by sending an email to mailinglist@subbacultcha.nl with “My Own Private Idaho” in the subject line + your name in the email.