210. My Own Private Idaho with special guest Marlene Stang

Movies That Made Us Gay

"This road never ends. It probably goes all around the world." We talk about the lost boys of the Pacific Northwest, and finally get to Gus Van Sant's "My Own Private Idaho" with our friend Marlene Stang. This movie was formative to all three of us, but we also take a deep dive into our thoughts on River Phoenix and what his work meant to us as young people. River's performance as a narcoleptic gay street hustler on a quest to find his lost family really hit us in the feels upon this latest re-watch. Not to get too existential, but as we age we're relating to these kids a bit differently than when we first watched in our early teens. That street life is looking less romantic, and more chaotic these days. But it's really River and Keanu's performances as our two leads that stuck out then and hold up to this day - the pathos in the famous campfire scene is heartwrenching. We already knew River was a powerhouse actor in his short time with us, but Keanu really holds his own in their scenes together. "Whoa" indeed. This film may take a few detours with its Shakespearean dialogue that comes and goes and some truly dark turns here and there, but Gus Van Sant was really out here in these streets making a touching, often gritty, queer love story in the early '90s. We can't help but to Stan.

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