River Phoenix

River Phoenix

River Phoenix (1970-08-23 – 1993-10-31), born in Madras, Oregon, USA, was one of the most promising movie actors of his generation.

He was born River Jude Bottom to Arlyn Sharon Dunetz and husband John Bottom, who married in 1969. Together they spent several years touring the hippie communes of California. In 1972, Arlyn and John changed the family name to Phoenix after joining the Children of God. River grew up in a very poor family as was the case for most members of the Children of God and his sister and he often had to busk to make money for their family.

The Phoenix family eventually grew disillusioned with the Children of God and left in 1977, moving from Venezuela to Florida in 1978.

Phoenix was one of five siblings who pursued careers in show business, encouraged by their parents after leaving the Children of God. He had significant juvenile roles in several movies and was nominated in 1988, at the age of 17, for an Oscar for best supporting actor for his role in Running on Empty. He met Keanu Reeves while filming I Love You to Death and later went on to star opposite Reeves in Gus van Sant's My Own Private Idaho. His friendship with both Reeves and van Sant continued beyond the movie.

He died at age 23 of a drug overdose and was cremated in Gainesville, Florida.

So far, of his siblings, his younger brother Joaquin Phoenix has achieved the greatest success, with his first major role coming in another Gus van Sant movie To Die For, opposite Nicole Kidman. His sister, Rain Phoenix, appeared in van Sant's adaptation of Tom Robbins's story Even Cowgirls Get the Blues alongside many other well-known personalities.

Sex in the Children of God

It is reported by People magazine (1993-11-15 and 1994-01-17) that in an interview with River Phoenix he claimed he had "lost his virginity" at age four, while in the Children of God.

"I'm glad I did it when I was young," River once said, perhaps trying to justify the incident. "But I didn't want those and different body parts that were in my face to make me perverse when I was older, so I blocked it all out. I was completely celibate from 10 to 14. You're just born into that reality, and you accept it."

Family Publications referencing River Phoenix

In May 1999, the Family International (as the Children of God group is now known), in an internal publication for Family teens, published a so-called "prophecy interview" with River Phoenix from beyond the grave (see Free Zine 31, pp. 4-5 "Dead Men Talking: River Bares All"). Following are excerpts of a few example "interview" questions published:

Q: You know how everyone was suspecting you and Keanu of being gay. Was it true?

A: Keanu and I were like close brothers. We did love each other, but not in that way. We both wanted to buck the System. We wanted to get away from the "image" that they tried to give us, the "labels" that they tried to hang on us. We made the mistake of making that movie, My Own Private Idaho. It was very degrading, degenerate. That was the movie I'm the most sorry for, because of the effect it had—not only on my life, as that movie was my downfall—but it also affected others' lives, as we were telling them that it's okay to be gay.

Well, it's not okay!—It's filthy! And that movie was my biggest mistake, for which I'm very sorry! Keanu and I made a decision that we wouldn't speak up against gays, which in itself is saying that it's okay. And I'm sorry for that. But, no, we are not [gays]. We were just very close friends, and I love him very much.

Q: I was wondering if you ever thought back to when you were younger, and in the Family. Did you believe anything that people told you about your past?

I was very young when my parents left the Family. It was very confusing for me because they had taught me to love the Lord, and to love Grandpa [David Berg], Papa Lion.—And I did. I loved him very much, and everything the Family stood for. My sister and I would perform on the streets, singing and playing guitar, and we really enjoyed it. We were very happy. It was beautiful. People loved us and we were very fulfilled.

Then suddenly they uprooted us and went back to the System, back to the "Whore," back to America. They started teaching us new things, different things, things that were contrary to what we had learned in the Family. And slowly, slowly we drifted away. Our beliefs changed, our faith changed, and as I got older I started to hear negative things about the Family.

Q: If you had a chance to redo it all, would you choose to stay in the Family? [...]

If I had a chance to go back and do it all over, I would stay in the Family, because there is no greater calling on this Earth than to serve the Lord. And there's no greater place to serve the Lord on this Earth than in the Family. So that would be my greatest desire.

(Free Zine 31, pp. 4-5 "Dead Men Talking: River Bares All")

Filmography

• Silent Tongue (1994)
• Dark Blood (1993)
• Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993)
• Thing Called Love (1993)
• Sneakers (1992)
• Dogfight (1991)
• My Own Private Idaho (1991)
• I Love You to Death (1990)
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
• Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, A
• Running on Empty (1988)
• Little Nikita (1988)
• The Mosquito Coast (1986)
• Circle of Violence: A Family Drama (1986) (TV)
• Stand by Me (1986)
• Explorers (1985)
• Surviving (1985) (TV)