Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Lorraine Bracco, Marilyn Sokol, James Madio, Patrick McGaw Directed By: Scott Kalvert Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: DVD Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC Label: Palm Pictures / Umvd Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: October 19, 2004 Running Time: 102 minutes Theatrical Release Date: April 21, 1995
Features:
Classic DVD
Exclusive interviews, highlights, and behind the scenes coverage
DVD's main menu allow you to jump directly to the action
Product Description: 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, 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.
Amazon.com: The pre-Titanic Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Jim Carroll, the poet and musician who spent much of his adolescence addicted to heroin and shooting hoops with fellow Catholic high school kids. As a biography, the film doesn't amount to more than the sum of its gritty scenes of smack use, violence, perversions (poor Bruno Kirby plays a lecherous coach who comes on to young Jim), and the usual scream-and-puke dramas that go along with a cold-turkey session. Director Scott Kalvert doesn't seem to realize that most people don't know who Carroll is and therefore can't possibly understand why they should care about his gutterball youth. DiCaprio, having nowhere to go with his performance but maintain Carroll's tailspin, is boring and redundant. Some kind of allusion to the literary and rock & roll life that follows the mess we're watching might have been helpful. --Tom Keogh
So-so drug story. The Basketball Diaries starring Leonardo DiCaprio is a good film about drug abuse but this coming of age drama left me disappointed. DiCaprio is so talented but even his electric performance can't save this dribble. This is a movie you borrow or rent but not buy.
Great Look into Delinquent Behavior This movie sums up - in a nice little package - how delinquent behavior can manifest itself into crimes. I use it as a teaching tool in my criminology class and highly recommend it to professors and students alike.
REALISTIC THIS FILM WAS SHOWN TO PEOPLE IN EARLY RECOVERY. THEY THOUGHT IT WAS REALISTIC AND GAVE A VERY GOOD SCENARIO OF RESULTS.
THE LEONARDO CODE The late Jimmy Stewart used to stress time and again that acting should look natural to the viewer. Leo Di Caprio certainly fills the bill in this movie, which should be a mandatory primer for all young actors to view. In a stunning portrayal of James Carroll, DiCaprio leads us down the path of adolescent destruction caused in part by adult abuse, negative peer pressure, a shaky home situation, and one's own self will. This is definitely not your routine jock-sports movie. In fact, the movie's title may actually steer some potential viewers away from purchasing it. No, this is the real thing,scenes of which this reviewer saw too many times in his career.The path to drug self destruction is different for everyone. In Carroll's case, he somehow survived, accompanied by his urine stained notebook/diary. Would a trustworthy adult or counselor have been able to prevent all the mayhem? Possibly. In any event, this is definitely not the type of film that will ever appear in primetime national television. It should! This is the most realistic film with the best acting by one person these eyes have ever seen.
Excellent movie Leonardo DiCaprio is outstanding in this coming of age drama. A must see for the young and old alike.
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