The Basketball Diaries

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The Basketball Diaries

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The Basketball Diaries

Leonardo DiCaprio, Lorraine Bracco, Ernie Hudson, Mark Wahlberg, James Madio, Patrick McGaw, Bruno Kirby, Juliette Lewis

Film adaptation of street tough Jim Carroll's epistle about his kaleidoscopic free fall into the harrowing world of drug addiction. As a member of a seemingly unbeatable high school basketball squad, ...( read more  read more... )Jim's life centers around the basketball court and the court becomes a metaphor for the world in his mind. A best friend who is dying of leukemia, a coach ("Swifty") who takes unacceptable liberties with the boys on his team, teenage sexual angst, and an unhealthy appetite for heroin -- all of these begin to encroach on young Jim's dream of becoming a basketball star. Soon, the dark streets of New York become a refuge from his mother's mounting concern for her son. He can't go home and his only escape from the reality of the streets is heroin for which he steals, robs and prostitutes himself. Only with the help of Reggie, an older neighborhood friend with whom Jim "picked up a game" now and then, is he able to begin the long journey back to sanity.

Id: 10016297

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The Basketball Diaries Recent Reviews
  • Mrbishi
    October 3, 2009
    Mrbishi
    By far still one of the best DiCaprio movies thats ever been, forget Titanic this tale of a mans fall and rise over smack addiction on the streets of New York to become an author, poet, autobiographer, and punk musician. Sadly Jim died of a heart attack at his Manhattan home on S...( read more)eptember 11, 2009 aged 60 so thought Id give this epic movie another run.
  • SirPant
    September 28, 2009
    SirPant
    Surprisingly good, not amazing and far from convincing but still pretty entertaining
  • 76Majikat
    February 7, 2009
    76Majikat
    The Basketball diaries takes you on a journey of a drug user from the very beginning and shows the escalation into drug abuse and the crimes comitted to support the habbit. The film lures you into a false sense of security by showing the boys just as juvenile delinquents , not e...( read more)xperiencing too many problems, then bang, they're hooked and everything changes.



    The end result (in my opinion) is Dicaprio?s finest performance to date and this is why I feel in later years he took on a few films that really didn?t show his acting skills at his best. One particular scene is extremely powerful and emotional.



    Based on a true story, this is a remarkable tale cleveryly put together.
  • benpuetz
    July 16, 2008
    benpuetz
    Basketball Diaries wasn't a bad movie...but it was by no means the great movie it could've been. It felt a bit drawn out and unrealistic, which is disappointing coming from a true story. I felt the final scene took some of the edge away from the movie. The acting by DiCaprio a...( read more)nd Wahlberg was very good. Worth an initial watch, but nothing I'll ever see again.
  • drago25
    March 19, 2008
    drago25
    Unlike the title suggests, luckily this film has little to do with basketball; other than its main characters being on a team and there being several scenes of it. In fact, the Basketball Diaries is the real-life story of Jim Carroll, now a successful writer, who spent his teenag...( read more)e years in Manhattan getting severely messed up on drugs along with a couple of his fellow Catholic schoolmates. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Carroll, in one of his first major roles. His performance in this film was probably somewhat overshadowed by his turn in What's Eating Gilbert Grape? a couple years earlier - but I think it's in this film where DiCaprio shows the best early indication of the immense talent he already had at 21, and how much he would grow from there. The film itself certainly doesn't slouch: I dug the direction & cinematography; many attempts have been made in films to recreate the drug experience, and they're usually not very successful. It was done really well in this film, though. Although the only way we can really consider the cast is as "Leo & the rest of the cast", the rest of the cast happens to be formidable. A young Mark Wahlberg is fun to watch (you can see where he got his tough-guy reputation early on). I was really surprised to see stand-up comic Bruno Kirby as the basketball coach - it surprises me he didn't have more of an acting career after this (other than bit comic relief parts, I mean), because I thought he was excellent, and there was nothing comic about the role whatsoever. I love Lorraine Bracco, as well. Anyway, there's an element of the poetic that seems forced sometimes, but that still connected with me. And in many ways, it's a story we can all relate to - made even more powerful by the fact that it's a true story. Not the greatest film ever made, nor the best drug film, but I really liked it, and it's worth seeing if just to see more of DiCaprio during his formative years as an actor.
  • kpac
    December 2, 2009
    kpac
    Easily the high light of this film was Leonardo DiCaprio's outstanding performance. Mark Wahlberg along with the rest of the cast complement him well and the story is also pretty good, but not great. Worth a watch for sure.
  • kiddviciouscat
    November 30, 2009
    kiddviciouscat
    Mark Wahlberg, Leonardo DiCaprio and Juliette Lewis are my addictions.

    I applaud DiCaprio's performance; so moving and powerful, disturbing and believable; had me hooked the whole time. I can't get enough of the lines used from Carroll's journal, so pure, beautiful and quotabl...( read more)e. Soundtrack is wonderful... This film is a perfect excuse for loving the '90s! Films about teenage angst and drug addictions... "they don't make 'em like this anymore."

    You're growing up. And rain sort of remains on the branches of a tree that will someday rule the Earth. And it's good that there is rain. It clears the month of your sorry rainbow expressions, and it clears the streets of the silent armies... so we can dance.
  • ythelastman89
    November 23, 2009
    ythelastman89
    An excellent set of early performances from Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg as well as a captivating story. I was surprised at the brave attitude of the subject matter in the film and how bold it was in doing so. It has a great urban tone to it that really sells the story.
  • 21rclemente
    November 23, 2009
    21rclemente
    Insane documentary style autobiography that takes you places that you dont necessarily want to go. Leaves a nasty taste in your mouth but if you liked the Machinist or Requiem for a Dream you'll love this one.
  • TheQueenOfAwesomeness
    November 22, 2009
    TheQueenOfAwesomeness
    drama starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Lorraine Bracco, Juliette Lewis and James Madio. based on the autobiographical novel of the same name by Jim Carroll, featuring the original music by Michael Peter Balzary. directed by Scott Kalvert.

    the tale of a group of promisi...( read more)ng high school basketball players (DiCaprio, Wahlberg, Madio) and their descent into the dark world of crime and drugs.

    one of my all-time favorite films and yet another great performance by DiCaprio. an all around great film. ♥
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