“I always know where I am by the way the road looks…”

Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix star in director Gus Van Sant‘s seminal meditation on the nature of innocence as two young men living on the fringes of society peddle their bodies for sex. Amiable, none-too-bright gay street hustler Mike Waters (Phoenix) works the streets of the Pacific Northwest with his best friend Scott Favor (Reeves). Mike secretly loves Scott. And Scott, the son of Portland’s wealthy mayor, secretly yearns to cast off the friendship of his fellow lowlifes and assume his birthright of wealth, power and respectability. Based partly and loosely on Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part I.

“This is a very rich, very sympathetic piece of work.” (Chicago Tribune)

“Although River Phoenix has distinguished himself as an actor ever since his second film, Stand By Me, nothing he has ever done before prepares you for his performance in Private Idaho as the motherless, homeless, loveless piece of human driftwood.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

“One of the most original cinematic talents at work in this country, Van Sant has a knack for pulling disparate elements together and twisting them into wildly funny lyrical odysseys of the mind and heart.” (Seattle Times)

Tuesday, August 22
Doors 8:30 pm | Movie 9:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Advance tickets HERE

MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO (Gus van Sant, 1991 / 102 mins / 18a) In this loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Henry IV,” Mike Waters is a gay hustler afflicted with narcolepsy. Scott Favoris 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.

*Minors OK. Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service.
*Rio Theatre Groupons and Rio Theatre passes are OK for any single film screening only. Please redeem at the box office.
*Online sales end an hour before showtime; unless otherwise noted, tickets are always available for purchase at the box office prior to showtime.  Our box office is typically open 30 minutes before showtime. All seating is General Admission; please arrive 20-30 minutes prior to showtime to ensure great seats and time for treats. All Rio Theatre tickets are final sale.
*If you are looking to redeem either a Rio Theatre gift certificate or Groupon to any regular Rio Theatre screening: You can either email us in advance <[email protected]> and give us a “heads up,” or do it at the box office prior to showtime. (We seat 400+ people and our regular screenings are very rarely at capacity – you should not have issues being admitted.)