“I don’t feel like I can be close to you.”
My Own Private Idaho is endearingly bizarre and painfully tender. A devastating cycle of rejection, the film restlessly drifts between spaces with nowhere to land. Surreal, intimate, and so undeniably beautiful, it’s nothing short of surprising to learn it was filmed without a shot list.
River Phoenix cradles the heart of this story in his hands. His determinedly earnest performance and influence over this film is one of many reasons why I’ll talk about him forever.
