- Actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Lorraine Bracco, Marilyn Sokol, James Madio, Patrick McGaw
- Directors: Scott Kalvert
- Writers: Bryan Goluboff, Jim Carroll
- Producers: Chris Blackwell, Dan Genetti, John Bard Manulis, Kathie Hersch, Liz Heller
- Format: Closed-captioned, Colour, DVD-Video, NTSC
- Language English
- Region: Region 1 (US and Canada DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3 - 1.33:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: R (Restricted) (US MPAA rating. See details.)
- Studio: Palm Pictures / Umvd
- DVD Release Date: 19 Oct 2004
- Run Time: 102 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00049QQHI
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 39,610 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Reviews
Amazon.co.uk Review
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 realise 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. The DVD release offers the choice of a full or widescreen (letterbox) picture, plus interviews. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
What a gripping film! Leonardo Di Caprio is excellent as a young basketball hopefull turned street junkie, with him another school dropout who turns to drugs is Mark Whalberg who deliverd another excellent performence, their best yet! really worth buying. All in all a fantastic, hard hitting drama that leaves you amazed.dan-66
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I have got to agree with the previous reviewer that this movie is about various aspects of personal decadence and degradation. It's the story of a kid with potential (which is quite obvious from the onset) who spirals down the vortex of smack addiction and cannot come back. It is a story of disenchanted youth, of street harshness, of strayed paths and choices made that lead to very different outcomes, of a life reclaimed from the gutter, of an gruesome experience not only survived but also utilised for further growth.
It turns out that the story is about a poet and musician named Jim Carroll. Even better. I had no idea who Jim Carroll was before I saw the movie but this didn't take away from the movie. The fact that someone, anyone really, went through such experiences and lived to tell the tale was a powerful enough theme to make this movie an apt depiction of the hellride that is known as street junk... and of the boundless potential of human beings, no matter how downtrodden and beaten they are.
Having said that, the movie lacks the sharpness of a script that would place it in the top levels. The whole atmosphere is quite compelling, though, and transmits the arid reality of the urban desert, making up for the textual shortcomings. The four youths come across as a gang of great friends tested in the heat of puerile carelessness, and one cannot help but wonder how their lives would have turned out had their fifth friend not died from cancer, which is what sets off the whole downward spiral in motion ever so inconspicuously.
At the end of the day, people will do anything to feel good again. They will even die for it. Jim Carroll chose to live and tell the tale though. Let the man's story inspire despite the shortcomings of the film. "It's like a finger that points to the moon. Don't look at the finger or you'll miss all the heavenly glory."
It turns out that the story is about a poet and musician named Jim Carroll. Even better. I had no idea who Jim Carroll was before I saw the movie but this didn't take away from the movie. The fact that someone, anyone really, went through such experiences and lived to tell the tale was a powerful enough theme to make this movie an apt depiction of the hellride that is known as street junk... and of the boundless potential of human beings, no matter how downtrodden and beaten they are.
Having said that, the movie lacks the sharpness of a script that would place it in the top levels. The whole atmosphere is quite compelling, though, and transmits the arid reality of the urban desert, making up for the textual shortcomings. The four youths come across as a gang of great friends tested in the heat of puerile carelessness, and one cannot help but wonder how their lives would have turned out had their fifth friend not died from cancer, which is what sets off the whole downward spiral in motion ever so inconspicuously.
At the end of the day, people will do anything to feel good again. They will even die for it. Jim Carroll chose to live and tell the tale though. Let the man's story inspire despite the shortcomings of the film. "It's like a finger that points to the moon. Don't look at the finger or you'll miss all the heavenly glory."
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The basketball diaries stars Leonardo Dicaprio stars as a young,talented basketball player who loses everything to his addiction of heroin.The film descends more and more of his desperation to robbing elderly women to prostittuion.
Very depressing material.
Very depressing material.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Jim Carroll's autobiographical account of his descent in to drug hell.
Jim Carroll's autobiographical account of his descent in to drug hell.
Basketball Diaries as a title conjures up quite a few images, none of them quite in tune with what... Read more
Basketball Diaries as a title conjures up quite a few images, none of them quite in tune with what... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Spike Owen
Powerful and gripping...
In my opinion 'The Basketball Diaries' is a young Leo at his best!
This is a dark coming of age film, focusing on Jim Carroll a New York teenager through his struggle... Read more
This is a dark coming of age film, focusing on Jim Carroll a New York teenager through his struggle... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Andy Roo
Well-acted but poorly executed
Based on the autobiographical novel written by Jim Carroll, The Basketball Diaries follows one young man's descent into addiction, crime and homelessness. Read more
Published 12 months ago by TGillespie
Expected a bit more
As the other reviews eluded to, this was indeed a bit of a dark and sombre movie. I believe it was good for what it is, but if you expect to see some homo-erotic action involving... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Mr. D. Human
one of my all time favourite films
for any dicaprio fan this film is a must see! it's vintage leo at his best in this indie film about a talented teengage druggie set to the backdrop of new york city. Read more
Published 19 months ago by lorzx
Darkly disturbing!
Like a parody of `Requiem of a dream` but darker.Definitly not for the weak of heart.However at the same time it's as fascinating as it is darkly depressing.
Published on 10 July 2009 by Mr. A. J. Ralph
Top ten film
Leonardo DiCaprio is brilliant as is Lorraine Bracco as his desperate mother. If the scene with them either side of her door with him begging her for money doesn't make you cry... Read more
Published on 22 Nov 2007 by Jay Zee
Do get nostalgic of what Leonardo was !
Leonardo Dicaprio had a tremendous potential when he was still a teenager or so. He had the physique of his age. He had the style of his age. Read more
Published on 30 Jan 2007 by Jacques COULARDEAU
Addiction not only a movie theme
The tears roll down his face from his sunken eyes as he begs his mother for a little money just so he can buy some drugs to keep him sane. Read more
Published on 17 Feb 2005 by Mr. J. Claridge
Great film!
an absolutely brilliant film. I havent seen it in years but he did an excellent portrayel of a herion addict and after his mum gives up on him a man (cant remember who he is... Read more
Published on 31 Jan 2003 by Mrs. H. Wells
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