'My Own Private Idaho'

This movie ain't nearly as good as everyone would like to think. It's the River Phoenix effect, I know. Young, brilliant talent struck down by our modern-day epidemic far too early.

Blah, blah, blah.

For one, Keanu Reeves can't act. I know it's a known thing. However, he keeps getting acting gigs. How is this possible?

Two, a good debate came about when discussing Phoenix had he not croaked in a gutter ODing on heroin.

How would he be regarded today? Would he be a Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt or Johnny Depp too cool for school type? Would he be a Keanu Reeves? In 2009, is Phoenix doing Disney familiy adventure films? Would he be making serious, well-acted films and be regarded as one of the best in the business (like Phillip Seymour Hoffman or Daniel Day Lewis)?

Nobody can know that. Frankly, I wasn't too knocked out by Phoenix in this film. But I still he has significantly more chops than Reeves and probably just as many as Pitt (in all but two or three films he plays himself).

It's still interesting talk.