My Own Private Idaho is a 1991 American independent adventure drama film written and directed by Gus Van Sant, loosely based on William Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1; Henry IV, Part 2; and Henry V. The story follows two friends, Mike Waters and Scott Favor, played by River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves, respectively, 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.