Both of these films

Both of these films see rigid masculinity unravelled. It is My Own Private Idaho, however, that is the very epitome of this radical pivot. In lieu of pin-up roles, Reeves and Phoenix –  although remaining a part of this heartthrob collective – present the most outright recalibration of the traditional teen-idol template in Van Sant's film with their emotionally sensitive performances. As Dr McNally puts it: "The introspective vulnerability of outsiders displayed by Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix in My Own Private Idaho becomes almost a reactive backlash against an earlier brand of masculinity and an attempt to redefine the screen male for the next decade."