'' My Own Private Idaho '' had its premiere at the 48th Venice International Film Festival , and received largely positive reviews from critics including Roger Ebert and those of '' The New York Times '' and '' Entertainment Weekly '' . The film was a moderate financial success , grossing over $ 6.4 million in North America , above its estimated budget of $ 2.5 million . Phoenix received several awards for his performance in the film , including the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the 1991 Venice Film Festival , Best Male Lead from the Independent Spirit Awards , and Best Actor from the National Society of Film Critics
48th Venice International Film Festival
48th Venice International Film Festival
My Own Private Idaho