The Basketball Diaries

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Bruno Kirby, Lorraine Bracco, Ernie Hudson, Patrick McGaw, James Madio, Mark Wahlberg, Juliette Lewis
Directed by: Scott Kalvert
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
1995

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A talented young basketball player and writer, Jim Carroll (Leonardo DiCaprio) hangs out with all the wrong crowds and becomes addicted to a fast-moving lifestyle, including booze, drugs, and other forms of destruction.

Review:

Tim: I strongly dislike this movie. It is a film about a bunch of loser kids who ruin their lives. The worst of all of these is Jim Carroll, played convincingly enough by Leonardo DiCaprio. We're supposed to be stunned as we watch Jim's descent into drug addiction and marvel at his survival to become a writer. If DiCaprio's narrative and occasional readings from his notebook are any indication of the real Jim Carroll's writing ability, then I am not impressed. That might be the worst part of the movie, having Carroll's crappy writing shoved down our throats.

I don't like DiCaprio, but as I often have to admit, he does a good job in the role. I'm not sure if he could have played it better, but I'd like to have seen him try. Mark Wahlberg is not very good, but he plays the stupid alpha male pretty well. Juliette Lewis and Ernie Hudson are both good in smaller roles.

I should applaud this film for its gritty and realistic look at drug addicts living on the street. Unfortunately, it suffers because of the insistance to make Carroll look like some writing prodigy. It also tries far too hard to be realistic and gritty. It sends up seeming juvenile and silly. Whatever positives it has, other flicks have done it better.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 4



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