My Own Private Idaho
1991
Portland
Gus Van Sant
Arthouse Drama
What’s it all about: Keanu Reeves puts River Phoenix to sleep with endless Shakespearean dialog, setting the stage for bigger stardom with far fewer syllables in “The Matrix.”
First Encounter: in the theater; Candotti saw it on cable
Prostitute Index: high
Death By: le petit mort
Relics: small-time Portland and Seattle
Hoops: Tommy Hilfiger street hustlers with perfect hair
Heartthrobs: Rodney Harvey, Grace Zabriskie
Pass/Fails the Test of Time: a big chunk of 90s indie cinema
LoFi Magic: falling barn as a metaphor for orgasm; chatty porn magazine cover boys
Words to live by: “I love you, and you don’t pay me.”
Makes me want to: take a drive through the American West again
Candotti Take: “This movie is horrible.” / “What a mega white film. Nobody has even dark eyes there.”
Worth a watch/rewatch: No
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