7.5
Viewer Rating
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources
My Own Private Idaho (1991)
Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Leans Progressive
Viewer Rating
Rating: 7.5
Overview
In this loose adaptation of Shakespeare's "Henry IV," Mike Waters is a hustler afflicted with narcolepsy. Scott Favor is the rebellious son of a mayor. Together, the two travel from Portland, Oregon to Idaho and finally to the coast of Italy in a quest to find Mike's estranged mother. Along the way they turn tricks for money and drugs, eventually attracting the attention of a wealthy benefactor and sexual deviant.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Bias Dimensions
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Positive
Christianity: Negative
Overview
In this loose adaptation of Shakespeare's "Henry IV," Mike Waters is a hustler afflicted with narcolepsy. Scott Favor is the rebellious son of a mayor. Together, the two travel from Portland, Oregon to Idaho and finally to the coast of Italy in a quest to find Mike's estranged mother. Along the way they turn tricks for money and drugs, eventually attracting the attention of a wealthy benefactor and sexual deviant.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Detailed Bias Analysis
Analyzing...
Leans Progressive
Primary
The film's dominant themes of queer identity, homelessness, and class disparity are explored with deep empathy for marginalized characters, aligning with progressive values, even if it offers personal rather than explicit political solutions.
The movie features a predominantly white main cast without explicit race or gender swaps. However, its narrative deeply explores the lives of gay male hustlers, offering an empathetic portrayal of marginalized identities that subtly critiques traditional societal norms and masculinity.
Secondary
My Own Private Idaho offers a deeply empathetic and non-judgmental portrayal of its LGBTQ+ characters, particularly Mike Waters. Despite the tragic elements of their lives, the film affirms the dignity and complexity of their identities and relationships, framing obstacles as external forces rather than inherent to their queerness, resulting in a net positive impact.
The film implicitly critiques the hypocrisy and superficiality of the dominant societal structures and the privileged class, which historically and culturally align with traditional Christian values. The narrative portrays this conventional world as cold and unfeeling towards the marginalized, contributing to their suffering and contrasting with the more authentic bonds found among the hustlers.
My Own Private Idaho primarily focuses on the lives of male hustlers, exploring themes of homelessness, unrequited love, and the search for belonging. The film does not feature identifiable transsexual characters or themes as a central or peripheral element within its narrative.
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
The film is loosely inspired by Shakespeare's Henry IV plays, but its main characters, based on Prince Hal and Falstaff, retain their original male gender. No established characters from the source material are portrayed as a different gender.
My Own Private Idaho is an original screenplay by Gus Van Sant. Its characters were not established in prior source material, previous installments, or real-world history, thus precluding any race swaps.
Viewer Rating Breakdown
User Ratings
7.0
7.1
Critic Ratings
8.0
7.7
More Like This
Progressive
8.1
Milk
(2008)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Leans Progressive
7.2
Coming Home
(1978)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: Low
Leans Progressive
6.9
The Kite Runner
(2007)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Leans Progressive
7.8
City of Hope
(1991)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Leans Progressive
6.6
Godzilla
(2014)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Progressive
7.6
The Color Purple
(1985)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Progressive
7.5
Hair
(1979)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Positive
Progressive
8.2
Judas and the Black Messiah
(2021)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High
Progressive
7.1
Blood Diamond
(2006)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High
Leans Progressive
8.0
Blue Collar
(1978)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: Moderate
Progressive
7.1
Lady Sings the Blues
(1972)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Neutral
Leans Progressive
6.7
I Love You Phillip Morris
(2010)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Positive
Leans Progressive
7.9
Gosford Park
(2001)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Neutral
Progressive
7.2
Holes
(2003)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: High
Leans Progressive
6.8
Samantha: An American Girl Holiday
(2004)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Leans Progressive
7.9
The Witch
(2016)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Progressive
7.8
Promising Young Woman
(2020)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High
Leans Progressive
8.3
Network
(1976)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: Moderate
Leans Progressive
8.3
Letters from Iwo Jima
(2006)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Progressive
7.5
Children of a Lesser God
(1986)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: High