Movie Review: My Own Private Idaho

My Own Private Idaho (1991) is a tragically beautiful tale. It’s been a long time coming for me to watch this movie. Many years back I took note of it, but never had the opportunity (or “guts”, as my dad would've put it) to see it. As a teenager I was afraid to see it, lest anybody think me gay. Ah, the fragile sensibilities of the insecure youngster! In the mean time I’m too old (relatively speaking, of course!) to care about other people’s prejudices as far as my sexuality is concerned. I’ve learned that other people’s views of me isn’t half as import as my personal conceptions about myself; and since my own views are enough to keep me awake at night, I don’t spent too much time worrying about other people's ideas about me.

The English Department where I work had the movie in their media library, so I decided that since the opportunity arose, now is as good a time as any to see it.

My Own Private Idaho recounts a period in the life of a young man, a male prostitute, that suffers from narcolepsy, in search of his mother. The story is loosely based on Shakespeare’s William IV. It’s a sad story. Since it ends without complete resolution, I would like to say that it leaves one empty. But that is not true, unless one equates melancholy with emptiness, or empathy with emptiness.

Had I seen this movie earlier it would probably have been one of those films that would have contributed much to my world view. It might still have that effect; I’ll have to wait and see.

I can understand why this movie turned River Phoenix (playing the lead role alongside Keanu Reeves) into the James Dean of his generation. Although My Own Private Idaho has been hijacked by the gay community as their cult film, I think it can have universal appeal as well, separate from the sexual politics surrounding it. To me it is more about a lost kid (a symbol of the Lost Generation), than about sexual issues. It also addresses topics of community, family and friendship; all issues that transcend the homosexual motif in the film. In my opinion the movie has a greater resonance with all of us that feel part of that generation (Generation X, if you will), who somehow feel misplaced in this world.

Cinematographically it is a beautiful film and although the pace is often slow, especially towards the end, it is a well constructed film. The director, Gus Van Sant, who has won many prestigious awards for this and other movies, is probably better known for such films as Good Will Hunting (1997), Finding Foresster (2000), Elephant (2003) and this year’s much talked about Milk (2008). I still hope to see Elephant.