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The Basketball Diaries (1995) 7.1
Ratings:
7.1/10 from 51,234 users
Metascore: 46/100
Reviews: 142 user | 34 critic | 19 from Metacritic.com 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 ... See full summary » Director:Scott Kalvert |
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Leonardo DiCaprio | ... | ||
| Lorraine Bracco | ... | ||
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Marilyn Sokol | ... | |
| James Madio | ... | ||
| Patrick McGaw | ... | ||
| Mark Wahlberg | ... | ||
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Roy Cooper | ... | |
| Vincent Pastore | ... |
Construction Worker
(as Vinnie Pastore)
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| Bruno Kirby | ... | ||
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Jimmy Papiris | ... | |
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Nick Gaetani | ... | |
| Alexander Chaplin | ... |
Bobo
(as Alexander Gaberman)
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Ben Jorgensen | ... | |
| Josh Mostel | ... | ||
| Juliette Lewis | ... | ||
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
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. Written by Mark Fleetwood <mfleetwo@mail.coin.missouri.edu>
Taglines:
Every punk on the block says it's not going to happen to them... but it does. See more »Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated R for graphic depiction of drug addiction with related strong violence,sexuality and language | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
21 April 1995 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Streets of New York See more »Filming Locations:
Forest Hills High School, Forest Hills, Queens, New York City, New York, USA See more »Box Office
Gross:
$2,424,439 (USA)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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Written by Jim Carroll
Performed by Jim Carroll with Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam appears courtesy of Epic Records
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
After being nominated for an Oscar for Running on Empty, MTV asked River Phoenix what he wanted to do next. He responded by pulling out a beat up paperback of "The Basketball Diaries" and stated "I wanted to play Jim Carroll." Later, the Los Angeles Times declared, "River Phoenix may have wanted it too much." Leonardo DiCaprio was a fan of Phoenix's. See more »Goofs
In the "dream" scene, when Jim is shooting his classmates, the one who gets shot in the back has a visible string attached to him which pulls him to the blackboard. When Jim has a vision on the basketball court and gets blown by explosion, the string is visible again. They were dream sequences, but it seems unlikely that he would dream of strings. See more »Quotes
Jim Carroll: I felt dazed, like I just came out of a 4 hour movie I didn't understand.See more »
Soundtracks
"Catholic Boy"Written by Jim Carroll
Performed by Jim Carroll with Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam appears courtesy of Epic Records
See more »
If the U.S. government wanted to win the "war on drugs", all they had to do was show this film in every high school in America ... a lot cheaper than running the D.E.A., I reckon. There are other films which could fit into this group; "Midnight Express" comes to mind. During the short time that I spent living in Toronto, I saw a shocking number of people whose lives were destroyed by drugs. I believe that the real root of the drug pandemic lies in the fact that young people don't understand the nature of hard drugs like cocaine and heroin. I take my hat off to Leo. He is a much better actor than people give him credit for being.