Rating: 
Summary: Grade A DiCaprio, but choppy sequencing in latter half
Review: A reviewer has called this film a disappointment; another reviewer has said that Leo is boring here and has nowhere to go with the role. I never find this fantastic young actor boring, but would agree that the the script limits him to playing wild, self-destructive, and sick, and he's already the first two of these when the movie begins. But the story's worth telling--very moving, very harrowing, ultimately hopeful. In the second half of the picture, it's often unclear as to what's happening and how much time is going by between scenes. Does anyone know what it is that Jim (Leo) finds in the drawer of his friend's place, after the friend rescues him from freezing in the snow? Jim runs out with whatever it is and then tries to score from Diane, the junkie, who's now looking cleaned up and straight. The rescuer friend doesn't show up again till the end of the film, way in the background near the light booth of the theater. What's going on here? Evidently a performance, but in what context? The now infamous dream sequence, where Jim bursts into school and guns everybody down, is horrifying. It is clearly a drug dream, exposing the rage and terror underlying Jim's destructiveness. The filmmakers sabotage their authentic message by dressing Leo in black leather, like a male runway model at a Versace show; this sexy look may have contributed significantly to the current move to embargo the video, on the basis that it motivated the recent high school massacre by making mass killing a glamourous option. The scene in the confessional, where Jim tries to tell the bullying priest about his pain and confusion over Bobby's death, is Leo's shining moment in the film. As an actor, he has to work to overcome the boyish innocence he projects naturally. Basketball Diaries gives him ample opportunity to be rough and ugly and super foul-mouthed. (Ever since This Boy's Life, he has been able to play the sensitive bad boy. And there are fundamental similarities between the plots of both movies: young rebel, potential writer, acts out, screws up his life, saves himself, goes on to creative success.) But the scene with the confessor is the only point in the movie where he's allowed to reveal Jim's pain and confusion, away from the eyes of his friends, for whom he has to maintain the bad-ass facade and who can't console him anyway. I wish the filmmakers would have kept the 60s time frame of Jim Carroll's book, on which BB Diaries is based. This is probably more of a guy's movie, though Leo Lunatics of whatever orientation will love how much onscreen time they get with him. There's no love interest and mostly just grim sex.
Rating: 
Summary: *****A W E S O M E*****
Review: This movie is so amazing. I should have bought it sooner! Seeing as how now I can't get it because someone related a less than 5 minute long scene to the Colombine High School shooting. Give me a break! I have viewed that scene along with with the whole movie hundreds of times and have yet to kill innocents. People are a little too idiotic sometimes. Everyone should have a chance to buy this movie if they want to! I will search hard to find it!
Rating:
Summary: It was the most honest movie I have ever seen.
Review: I am extremely upset that this movie has been recalled. It is a hopeful and inspiring story, not meant to be about killing. It renewed my faith in the strength of the human spirit, Jimmy's story is truely amazing!
Rating: 
Summary: Garbage!
Review: This is absolutely garbage. I can't believe that anybody would make such a movie. If it were possible I would give it zero stars. Actually, if it were possible, I would give it -100000 stars. If there were such a thing as negative infinity, I would give this movie negative infinity stars. This movie sucks!
Rating:
Summary: A great movie that gives teens a taste of the real world
Review: I believe that The Basketball Diaries is a GREAT movie that gives people (especially young ones) a chance to slightly experience and view what drugs can and WILL do to you. I saw this movie for the first time when I was in Jr. High, if I hadn't seen this movie I'm positive I would have given in to peer pressure later on in high school. I don't think adults give teenagers a good enough education on drugs and what they will do to you, this movie DEFFINETLY helped me and probably a lot of other kids through peer pressure.The Basketball Diaries is one of the best educational resources for drugs around and I really hope more kids get and chance to see it. Make more copies and help protect America's youth. PEACE
Rating:
Summary: This is horrible
Review: This is by far the most disgustin video, i have ever seen. It sucks
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant insight into a tormented writer.
Review: Writers' lives aren't always easy, as this film represents in all its realism and unashamed detail of life on the streets and conflict with drugs and sex. I study this film to see how I can help those who are lost in all aspects of life. Leo is great. This is one of those films not fit for all tastes.
Rating:
Summary: A great movie...but still just a movie.
Review: Mankind has many flaws, one of them being the fact that they can't take responsibility for their actions. This is a great movie, but it didn't lead "ALREADY" disturbed young men to kill their classmates, they did it of their own accord. The movie is a beautifully written example of what drugs can do to you, and having had freinds who went too far into the drug scene, I can relate so well. DiCapprio is quite good, actually, as is the rest of the cast. Please, watch this movie, but don't blame it.
Rating:
Summary: very dramatic
Review: I think that the movie was okay, but the book needs to be given all the credit. The book was actually his own words and the movie was in many ways very different from the book. The book was excellent- I reccomend the book over the movie any day!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: DiCaprio=Good Watching
Review: I give this movie 5 stars because it was well done. DiCaprio did very well, and Mark (I will not dare call him Marky Mark) did very well in this movie, and the other cast to. Leonardo and Mark made the movie 5 Stars! Great direction to. The art was done beautiful. ~SLDiCaprio
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