My Own Private Idaho

REVIEW
With his third film, Van Sant has proven himself one of the most daring, innovative and accomplished directors of the day. River Phoenix's portrayal of Mike, a solitary, narcoleptic street hustler searching for his long-lost mother is brilliant. Keanu Reeves gives strong support as the slumming Mike, his beautiful but shallow straight friend and the unresponsive object of Mike's love. The nighttime desert scene in which Phoenix professes his love for Reeves (partially improvised by Phoenix) is both a heartbreaking and startlingly perfect moment in gay filmmaking.

The film is a tender, knowing look at life on the streets (complete with drug-addled messes and sleazy trickings) and even incorporates a bit of Shakespeare's Henry IV into the fold.

Dreamily photographed, with mood ranging from hilarious to tragic to highly erotic, My Own Private Idaho is a modern classic.