My Own Private Idaho

Directed by Gus Van Sant, 'My Own Private Idaho' follows Mike Waters, a narcoleptic street hustler, and Scott Favor, a rebellious politician's son, as they travel from Portland to Italy in search of Mike's lost mother. The film is a poetic and groundbreaking exploration of friendship, love, homelessness, and identity, loosely inspired by Shakespeare's Henry IV plays. River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves deliver career-defining performances in this visually stunning and emotionally raw New Queer Cinema landmark.

• River Phoenix improvised the emotional campfire confession scene entirely.
• Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix became close friends during filming.
• Gus Van Sant loosely based the film on Shakespeare's Henry IV.
• River Phoenix won the Venice Film Festival Best Actor award.
• The film was shot across multiple US states and Rome, Italy.

• I'm a connoisseur of roads. I've been tasting roads my whole life.
• If I had a normal family and a good upbringing, then I would have been a well-adjusted person.
• I really want to kiss you, man. I want to kiss you.
• Every time I get a bag of money, it's spent.
• The road never ends, it just keeps going and going.