Rating: 
Summary: Good Performances, Mediocre Script and Direction
Review: The performances in this film, particularly by Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg are pretty good, but the film suffers from an unrefined script and mediocre direction. What in this film have we not seen before in other films? Certainly not the good guy whose life is ruined by drugs. What about the tough-love mom? Nope, seen that before. Redemption at the end? That's a given.I finished "Basketball Diaries" with no new insights into drugs, life, or death. Lorraine Bracco's character as Jim's mother is horribly underwritten, and whenever she does appear, she's yelling or crying. Her character should have been fleshed out. And a basketball game during a rainy night after the funeral of one of Jim's best friends is supposed to be poignant, but is not particularly emotional because the friend dies almost immediately after the film introduces him. The only reason to see this film is Leonardo DiCaprio's acting. He is a good actor, but he can't save this film. ...
Rating: 
Summary: An strong unique drama on the world of Drugs.
Review: Based on a true story on the life of the early gritty world of Poet and Author:Jim Carroll (Leonardo DiCaprio), a Catholic-School basketball players, who draws himself on the World of Drug Addiction, it`s becomes Nightmarish until he finds Redemption. Directed by Scott Kalvert (Deuces Wild) made a strong believable film with Terrific Performances from the Cast, Including-Lorraine Bracco, Mark Wahlberg, Ernie Hudson, Bruno Kirby, Patrick McGaw and James Madio. This film was a Box Office Flop but it gained a Cult Success on Video. Grade:A.
Rating:
Summary: The truth hurts.....
Review: A great movie about the world of drugs and drug-users. Leonardo is a superb actor in this movie-- the best I've seen him. This film is very sad but does give the brutal truth about heroin. Not necessarily a happy movie but it does get my vote! Buy it!
Rating: 
Summary: Fate's Direction
Review: What is spectacular about "Basketball Diaries", you ask? The acting, for one, is superb. Leonardo DeCaprio is at once, cool-minded, suave, insightful, and, (playing a character who was once revered for his skills on the basketball court and in writing but who faces a serious drug problem), deadly accurate in playing the role of what drugs and taking a wrong turn can do to a person. The plot starts off pleasantly enough. Leo is an aspiring writer living in the poor side of New York City. He is a star athlete who hangs around three buddies---all with goals of mischief, basketball, and being just boys. One fateful night, one pal introduces the easily influenced Leo to drugs and sex......and the plot then focus almost exclusively on his downward spiral of a new life filled with drugs, hustling, theft, and homelessness. He, along with another addict friend (played by Mark Walburg---who is also a serious character actor and excellent), quit school, leave home and turn into thugs. The aspiring writer can no longer function; he is derilict, dependant on herion and crack, and without a family. And it is here that DeCaprio displays a superb range of acting skills. He is so believable in his reactions to life on the streets, in crack houses, and the wild display of emotion, of self-hatred, of dispair is beautifully portrayed. In fact, I found myself often shaking my head at the life thrown away. Though the story ends on a positive note and with a wake-up call, the themes of how a single life can take a disasterous turn in one night is strongly felt. I agree with what one other reviewer says: the message of this movie actually "screams" to teenagers that drugs are evil, as is throwing one's life down the drain, along with all hope, opportunity, and a potentially bright future. Between the acting, the storyline, and the turns in plot, "Basketball Diaries" is a great movie. I highly recommend this intelligent film.
Rating:
Summary: One of DiCaprio's best performances yet.
Review: Leonardo DiCaprio is definitely not my favorite actor of all time. Yes, I am a teenager, and yes, I'll admit I was madly in love with him when TITANIC came out but not so much anymore. Now I just respect him as a good actor. I saw THE BASKETBALL DIARIES on Broadcast TV a few years ago so I really don't remember the entire film and probably didn't see the actual whole film because I am sure parts of it were edited out. But from what I remember, this is an excellent film. Yes, not many people know who Jim Carroll is, but that's not really the point of this whole film. The point of this whole film was a teenager who got addicted to drugs and what happened to him. The main character could have been anybody, really. There are lots of young teenagers and kids out there who are addicted to drugs and this is the kind of thing that can happen to them. I think that is what director Scott Kalvert was trying to show the world...not a story about Jim Carroll, but a story on how drugs can affect your life and everyone else in it. The entire cast of THE BASKETBALL DIARIES is absolutely superb, especially DiCaprio (who stars as the young Jim Carroll), Mark Walhberg, and Lorraine Bracco. The filmming is excellent, and the story and plot are unique and amazing. I love THE BASKETBALL DIARIES and strongly recommend it to everybody...and I can't wait to see Leonardo DiCaprio hit the big screen again this winter in GANGS OF NEW YORK! :-)
Rating:
Summary: I first read the book about seven years ago...
Review: This and Gilbert Grape are two of Leo's best performances.
Oddly enough, both based on book... Coincidence!
Rating:
Summary: Could have been quite good with another lead actor.
Review: This movie portrays a number of teenage students who quit school and become criminals and drug addicts. That could be quite interesting. What ruins the movie is Leonardo DiCaprio's performance in the lead part. He is quite annoying in all his movies but in this one, it goes to extremes. He is so overacting and after a while my brother and I started laughing when he cried and at his facial expressions. All the close up shots of his face don't make things better. His character is supposed to be 16, I believe. Leonardo DiCaprio was actually about 20 but looks like 14. The only character I really cared about and felt sorry for was his mother (Lorraine Bracco). The sequences that are supposed to show what is going on in Jim's imagination could have been better made especially the one where he's running though a field of flowers. Like I said, the lead performance makes the movie quite annoying to watch. It's also a bit dull and it doesn't have anything new to say. I guess those who enjoy watching DiCaprio's overacting will find it very good, but if you don't, stay away and don't waste your money.
Rating:
Summary: superb.. nearly as astonishing as the actual diaries
Review: this is a superb film in which leo plays the genius, Jim Carroll who is, as keruoac said, at the age of 16, in the top 90% of poets. He started dabbling with heroin, then became an all out junky, getting sexual favors from men for money... superb acting, astonishing withdrawl scenes... and even some marky mark... buy this film. read the book too... you wont regret either...
Rating:
Summary: Bad, boring
Review: Please don't overrate this movie. It was so boring. Leo is a great actor yes, he was the only good thing in the movie. But the story was so sloppy and sleep-provoking. I can't believe Jim Carroll would let such a bad movie like this portray his life.
Rating:
Summary: a movie one MUST OWN!
Review: this movie is simply exelent! it's intresting for adolecents to see... so i think that parents should give their children the chance to see this movie. it does get violent at times but it all ends up with the viewers swearing they'll never do drugs. it's not just a movie to entairtain, it's a movie to EDUCATE in the world our children are going to live in!...
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