The Basketball Diaries (1995)

Director:

Scott Kalvert

Writers (WGA):

Jim Carroll (novel)
Bryan Goluboff (screenplay)

Release Date:

21 April 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

The true story of the death of innocence and the birth of an artist

Plot:

Film adaptation of street tough Jim Carroll's epistle about his kaleidoscopic free fall into the harrowing world of drug addiction...

Plot Keywords:

Basketball | Street | Drug | Friend | Addiction

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Leonardo DiCaprio	...	Jim Carroll
Lorraine Bracco	...	Jim's Mother
Marilyn Sokol	...	Chanting Woman
James Madio	...	Pedro
Patrick McGaw	...	Neutron
Mark Wahlberg	...	Mickey
Roy Cooper	...	Father McNulty
Vincent Pastore	...	Construction Worker (as Vinnie Pastore)
Bruno Kirby	...	Swifty
Jimmy Papiris	...	Iggy
Nick Gaetani	...	Referee #1
Alexander Chaplin	...	Bobo (as Alexander Gaberman)
Ben Jorgensen	...	Tommy
Josh Mostel	...	Counterman
Juliette Lewis	...	Diane Moody

Also Known As:

Streets of New York (International: English title) (video title)

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic depiction of drug addiction with related strong violence,sexuality and language.

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Australia:MA (cable rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (British Columbia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | Portugal:M/16 | Finland:K-15 (video rating) | New Zealand:R16 | Canada:14A (DVD rating) | Australia:R | Germany:12 (bw) | Norway:15 | Singapore:R(A) | South Korea:(Banned) (original rating) | South Korea:18 (re-rating) (cut) | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (NO. 33624) | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Forest Hills High School, Forest Hills, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

Stephen Lang was offered the role of Jim's Basketball Coach named Swifty in the script. Lang declined citing the misrepresentation of the book in the script. The part was subsequently toned down as a result.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Jim's mother throws his trophy out of the window and the camera pans across to see it on the pavement, but you can see the actual one she threw behind Jim.

Quotes:

Jim Carroll: I saw this girl next to me who wasn't beautiful until she smiled.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Butterfly Effect (2004)

Soundtrack:

Blind Dogs

Best anti-drug movie I have ever seen

This is a very good depressing movie. But, you can't make a good anti-drug movie without making it depressing. DiCaprio is brilliant. Arnie from What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Richard from The Beach, and Jim Carroll from the Basketball Diaries are about Leo's deepest characters. He is an excellent actor. The scenes that get you the most are the withdrawal scenes, and everytime he confronts his mother in the movie. This movie deserves a 10