Which 1991 film, starring River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves, and written and directed by Gus van Sant, was loosely based on Shakespeare's 'Henry IV, Part I'?
My Own Private Idaho My Own Private Idaho My Own Private Idaho is a 1991 American independent adventure drama film written and directed by Gus Van Sant, loosely based on Shakespeare's "Henry IV, Part 1", "Henry IV, Part 2", and "Henry V", and starring River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves. The story follows two friends, Mike and Scott, as they embark on a journey of personal discovery that takes them from Portland, Oregon to Mike's hometown in Idaho, and then to Rome in search of Mike's mother. Van Sant originally wrote the screenplay in the 1970s, but discarded it after reading John Rechy's 1963 novel
Gus Van Sant script was deemed 'too risky' by studios). Now New Line Cinema had given Van Sant the green light, he was on a mission to get the "Idaho" script to his first choices for his two young leads. After months of struggle with agents and managers over the content of the script, Van Sant finally secured River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves in the roles of Mike Waters and Scott Favor. Centering around the dealings of two male hustlers (played by Phoenix and Reeves), the film was a compelling examination of unrequited love, alienation, and the concept of family (a concept Van