1991–1994: Breakthrough with mature roles
In 1991, Reeves starred in Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, a sequel to Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, with his co-star Winter. Michael Wilmington of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the sequel was “more imaginative, more opulent, wilder and freer, more excitingly visualized”, praising the actors for their “fuller” performances.[45] Film critic Roger Ebert thought it was “a riot of visual invention and weird humour that works on its chosen sub-moronic level […] It’s the kind of movie where you start out snickering in spite of yourself, and end up actually admiring the originality that went into creating this hallucinatory slapstick”.[46] The rest of 1991 marked a significant transition for Reeves’s career as he undertook adult roles. Co-starring with River Phoenix as a street hustler in the adventure My Own Private Idaho, the characters embark on a journey of personal discovery. The story was written by Gus Van Sant, and is loosely based on William Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, and Henry V. The film premiered at the 48th Venice International Film Festival,[47] followed by a theatrical release in the United States on September 29, 1991. The film earned $6.4 million at the box office.[48] My Own Private Idaho was positively received, with Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly describing the film as “a postmodern road movie with a mood of free-floating, trance-like despair […] a rich, audacious experience”.[49] The New York Times complimented Reeves and Phoenix for their insightful performances.[50]
Keanu redirects here. For other uses, see Keanu disambiguation.
