In this biopic based on true events, Leonardo Dicaprio stars in his first leading role as Jim Carroll, a high school teen in Manhattan who plays on the basketball team along with his friends Mickey (played by Mark Wahlberg), Neutron (played by Patrick McGaw), and Pedro (played by James Madio). The four begin sprawling the streets of downtown Manhattan, experimenting with illegal drugs and prostitution. Soon, they begin experimenting with heroin, which unexpectedly grows into an addiction. Before too long, their lives begin descending into a downward spiral when their addiction takes a toll on their high school career as well as their home lives.Many anti-drug movies such as Trainspotting (1996) and Requiem For a Dream (2000), succeed on painting realistic pictures on how drug addiction damages people's lives as well as deliver clear messages on why you shouldn't do drugs. This one does manage to give an authentic look on drug addiction with the main character. When you watch as he and his friends steadily transcend into a life of heroin addiction, they get involved with crime including robbery, theft, assault, and eventually homicide. They also end up getting kicked off the basketball team, expelled from school, and even exiled from the comfort of their homes. The movie does do a decent job at highlighting the perplexities that their drug addiction leads to. The main problem however is that the story pays very little emotional investment, and it makes the plot less effective than it should be, not to say that it fails to deliver its message. Aside from this, as the story approaches its final act, the film goes into some rather strange directions. For instance, one of the characters leaves the group not wanting to grow further into the heroin addiction. From there on out, we never learn what happens to him or what. Then there are some drug-charged hallucination scenes like the infamous school shooting scene and a scene showing Leonardo Dicaprio's character get shot while shooting a basketball that made almost no sense.Overall, Basketball Diaries is not too bad for a film. Even though it may not be as effective or believable as other drug-themed movies, it still manages to be somewhat powerful and deliver its message. The cast also deliver some good performances, especially Mark Wahlberg.

Catholic schoolboy Jim Carroll (Leonardo DiCaprio) lives with his mother (Lorraine Bracco). He's the brash leader of his friends Pedro (James Madio), Neutron (Patrick McGaw) and Mickey (Mark Wahlberg) sniffing glue and causing trouble. They play winning basketball for their lecherous coach Swifty (Bruno Kirby). His best friend Bobby (Michael Imperioli) is dying of leukemia. He plays neighborhood ball with Reggie (Ernie Hudson). He starts to do cocaine and then heroin which sends him down a very dark road.The movie seems to take place in both the present day and somewhere in the 60s. That conflicted feel along with the poetic diary entries create a surreal dreamlike vibe. It takes the tension out of the movie and limits the immediacy. Leo and everybody do a good job. Leo's star power shines and keeps the movie interesting. However, I just don't feel a sense of danger from this dark coming-of-age movie.

I didn't know much about Jim Carroll going into this one. But this movie vividly depicts him, and it stuck with me after it was over. It's unabashedly unpleasant, but extremely effective. There are many controversial moments in this film. Jim (DiCaprio) gets spanked with a paddle by a Father. There is a storyline where Jim's basketball coach happens to be gay, and hits on Jim (Brilliantly played by Bruno Kirby) an old lady gets mugged and beaten up, there are many vivid dream sequences that are quite violent, and more. It definitely pushes the envelope. Jim isn't exactly entirely sympathetic here. He does some questionable things to say the least, that made me shake my head, but you can't help but feel sympathy when he succumbs to major drug use. I wanted to jump into the screen and help him many times. As great and powerful as this movie is, this movie belongs to Leo DiCaprio. His incredible showcase here had me in awe. I didn't feel he was an actor playing Jim Carroll, It felt like he WAS Jim Carroll. He looked and acted like a drug addict. This is Leo's movie, despite a very capable supporting cast, and he nails it with perfection. Leo's withdrawal scenes gave me chills, and it's something I'll never forget. It's no surprise as to why Leo is one of Hollywood's best actors, going today. Lorraine Braco is excellent as the torn Mom. She doesn't have a ton of screen time, but she plays a pivotal part. Her scenes with Leo are very good. Mark Whlaberg plays a scumbag to a T. I hated him, and I'm sure you will too. It was a great performance. Juliette Lewis has a small part as a hooker, and Jim Caroll himself has a small role as a drug dealer. Basketball Diaries does have somewhat of a happy ending. After all the turmoil I went through in this movie, it was nice to be relieved with something heartwarmingFinal Thoughts: This is a movie that will be entrenched in my mind for some time. Make sure you're in the right frame of mind if you decide to view this. It's an extremely bleak experience, but well worth it. It's a must see. You won't find many performances that can match Leo DiCaprio's in Basketball Diaries9.2/10

Very loosely based on the memoir of the same name, The Basketball Diaries transposes the late '60s adolescence of writer and artist Jim Carroll to some unspecified time period at least 15 years later, further confusing the time frame with three decades of rock music, some by Carroll himself.The movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Lorraine Bracco, James Madio, and Mark Wahlberg.It was directed by Scott Kalvert.Jim and his Catholic school chums are on the hottest basketball team in New York, but their friend Bobby languishes in the hospital with leukemia. In-between typically boyish adventures, Jim scribbles in his notebook and experiments with sex and drugs. His group of friends begins to disintegrate after coach Swifty not only makes a pass at Jim, but also catches him and his pals using drugs on the court and kicks them off the team. Out of school and on the streets, Jim turns tricks, betrays friends, robs stores, and deals drugs to feed his heroin addiction. Not even the efforts of former addict Reggie can cure Jim.Soon, the dark streets of New York become a refuge from his mother's mounting concern for her son. He cannot 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, which ultimately ends with Jim's incarceration in a state penitentiary. After months in the hospital, he gets out and later does a talk show about his drug life, but before that he turned down free drugs given to him by his old friend, Pedro.Jim started out as a practice basketball player, and moved on to writing his memoirs.Although it masquerades as a cautionary tale about the horrors of heroin, this epic of teen-age angst is more accurately seen as a reverential wallow in the gutter of self-absorption.One thing about the plot is that the view never understand what really motivated this intelligent adolescent, a gifted basketball player and sensitive writer, to descend into the hellish life of a drug addict and hustler on the mean streets of New York.It only showed how drugs can destroy one's life.As for the movie,it was a must-see as you get a glimpse of the great actor Leonardo DiCaprio is going to be.