Director Gus Van Sant was arrested early yesterday morning on a drunk driving charge in Oregon, The Smoking Gun has learned. Van Sant, 54, was popped at 1:40 AM by Portland cops and booked into the Multnomah County jail, where the below mug shot was snapped. According to a police spokesman, Van Sant was stopped at a traffic light when cops noticed his 2006 Porsche Cayenne’s headlights were off. Van Sant was then pulled over and officers detected "glassy eyes, slurred speech, and the smell of alcohol," said Sgt. Brian Schmautz. The famed director failed field sobriety tests and blew a .19 on a Breathalyzer (more than twice the state’s legal limit of .08). Van Sant, who was nominated for an Academy Award for 1997’s "Good Will Hunting," has also directed "Elephant," "Drugstore Cowboy," and "My Own Private Idaho." He is scheduled for a January 17 court appearance on the misdemeanor driving under the influence charge.
The Smoking Gun
My Private Idaho was one of the worst movies ever. So it is kind of like he is doing time, like I felt when I saw that movie.
