MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO (1991) | Dir: Gus Van Sant. River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves play two hustlers — narcoleptic Mike (Phoenix) and son of a powerful politician Scott (Reeves) as they travel from Oregon to Idaho to Italy, turning tricks, taking drugs and narrowly escaping danger along the way. It was a major event when it was released into theaters, mostly for it’s marquee names above the title, but also because these characters are not victims or villains; they are rather ordinary, if troubled, young men. In one famously improvised scene by a campfire, Mike professes his love for Scott and admits wanting to kiss him. It’s a brutally raw scene of vulnerability and tenderness that so many gay men of a certain age recognize and identify with. Neither Phoenix or Reeves bring any judgment or creates distance in their performances. They’re present, listening, connecting; not affected or “playing queer” in any way.
