Product Details

• 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, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Palm Pictures / Umvd
• DVD Release Date: October 19, 2004
• Run Time: 102 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (146 customer reviews)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00049QQHI
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,761 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • #95 in Movies & TV > DVD > Sports
• Learn more about "The Basketball Diaries" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

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

Product Description

Jim Carroll's autobiographical cult favorite is the basis for this gritty film starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Carroll, a basketball star at a Catholic prep school whose promising future comes tumbling down when he gets addicted, first to glue-sniffing, then heroin. Mark Wahlberg, Lorraine Bracco and Bruno Kirby also star in this harrowing slice-of-New York-life. 102 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; interviews.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hardhitting Film Based on a True Life Story January 31, 2000

By frisky2000 VINE™ VOICE

Format:VHS Tape|Amazon Verified Purchase

Director Scott Kalvert creates a moving and realistic recount of the true story of Jim Carroll, played superbly by Leonardo DiCaprio, a New York City teen who at the height of his high school basketball career, falls victim to drugs and violence in the rough streets.

Look for the real-life Jim Carroll who makes a cameo appearance as a crack addict in the scene where young Jim sitting in a back alley listening to the addict preach about his "high" while boiling his fix.

Fine supporting performances by the entire cast and a musical score including original songs performed by Jim Carroll's band. Especially memorable is the acid-rock message song: "These Are All the People Who've Died" which is a tribute to Jim's fallen friends throughout his life.

The serious messages in this film SCREAM out at teens, but also are sombering to adults who realize the sometimes hopeless devastation that wracks a family during a drug crisis. Your heart breaks for Jim's mom and his mentor, an African American ex-druggie who cleaned up and wants nothing more than to help Jim out of his living hell before it consumes him.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A gritty, realistic film with wonderful acting performances. March 23, 1998

By A Customer

Format:VHS Tape

"The Basketball Diaries" is a gritty, uncompromising look at a basically good guy's decent into heroin hell. The cast, headed by Leonardo DiCaprio, is superb; the screenplay doesn't pull any punches. Realistic, shocking, eye-opening, the film gives DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg the chance to display their true talents and really ACT -- these fellows do a terrific job because it all looks so REAL. What a great film with an ending I guarantee you won't expect -- connoisseurs of fine films and DiCaprio fans should check it out -- this is a real movie with a real script and real acting, and the characters and storyline aren't larger than life. They're real as life, and that's not something you see on TV every day. END

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Tragic, intense, and frightfully scary.. June 6, 2006

By Ashlee M

Format:DVD

This movie was gripping from the start to finish. I loved how it opened- a bunch of kids who obviously have minds of their own- getting high off of some household cleaner or something, skipping school, ripping off hot dog carts.. and you think this all seems crazy but then ultimately all the hard core drug usage starts and while at first it may seem like nothing but a small enjoyable thing to do- it soon is a huge habit for Jim.

Watching all the struggles Jim has to go through- loosing friends, trying to be clean & then failing, prostitution, begging for money, getting into physical fights.. - it is hard to watch and you physically can't believe that someone can go through so much and come out victorious in the end.

Leonardo plays this role FANTASTICALLY. Especially the part when he is crying at the door begging for some money from his mother. The amount of passion he pours into this character is huge... for that reason alone- go see this movie.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic February 25, 2000

By mark j barry

Format:VHS Tape

Before Trainspotting their was The Basketball Diaries and a brilliant film it is too. This is a great production from Scott Kalvert.It is the harrowing story of how a young basketball hopeful named Jim Carrol, whos life is descending into a life of drugs and violence.In which the only thing that keeps him going is his diary which is later named The Basketball Diaries.The acting in this film is brilliant.An absoloutely brilliant film it has no flaws.Every aspect of this film is great.A true masterpeice.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The best actor! June 12, 2007

By Mena Reid

Format:DVD

This movie is amazing, the talented Mr. Dicaprio really gave an outstanding performance

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An emotional, disturbing portrayl of drugs and teens July 8, 2005

By Moviebuff

Format:DVD

I must admit this movie really had a huge effect on me. After watching this, I thought to myself, "How could anyone do drugs like this?" The look of this film matches the tone of it, which is a dark, gritty feel of the streets of Brooklyn during the 1960's.

This movie basically takes a real life teenager and throws him down the wrong paths in life. You can really see Leonardo DiCaprio's character grow more and more addicted to all these drugs. Physically, you can see his body become worse and worse as he becomes more plugged into the drug culture as nights go by.

I have a whole new appreciation for Leo DiCaprio. He was only 20 years old when this was made and you can tell, this young kid can act like a pro.

This film as a very indy-film look to it which seems to add to its realism unlike if it were a major Hollywood motion picture. So, if you want to see an emotional, tearjerking view of innocence crumbling into nothing, this one will suck you in.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Those are the people who died....... May 3, 2004

By N. Damiano

Format:DVD

Jim Carroll's autobiographical life story is the basis for this cult classic of the early 90's. Leonardio DiCaprio plays Jim Carroll a poet writing basketball star at a Catholic prep school in Manhatten who's future comes tumbling down when he gets addicted from glue sniffing to heroin. Mark Wahlberg co stars as Mickey his partner in crime as they skip school and do drugs, Jim realizes his future of becoming a pro basketball player are gone when he sees a local kid that he used to run with that decided to stay clean makes it to college ball. Eventually his mother kicks him out and he is saved by a black preacher an ex drug user from the streets takes him in. A powerful story about addiction and the negative affects it has on one's dreams. Leonardo DiCaprio's performance was amazing & makes you wonder how accurate it was of Carroll. The soundtrack also is amazing, essential to collection & a must see film.