My Own Private Idaho
The Frida Cinema's seating is first-come, first-serve. For our Midnight Screenings, please plan on arriving by 11:30pm to ensure ample time for parking, picking up concessions, and securing optimal seats. Screening will begin promptly at midnight.
Director: Gus Van Sant Run Time: 104 min. Release Year: 1991
Starring: James Russo, Keanu Reeves, River Phoenix, Rodney Harvey, William Richert
Our Pride Month programming takes it back to the early-90s queer cinema movement with Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho!
The film follows Mike Waters (River Phoenix), a vulnerable, narcoleptic street hustler, as he drifts through the Pacific Northwest in search of his estranged mother. Alongside him is Scott Favor (Keanu Reeves), the rebellious, privileged son of a mayor who chooses to live on the streets until he inherits his fortune. Together, they navigate a world of sex work, survival, and fleeting human connection.
Loosely inspired by Shakespeare’s Henry IV plays and infused with a dreamlike sense of melancholy, My Own Private Idaho is a cornerstone of queer cinema.