The Basketball Diaries (film)
| The Basketball Diaries | |
|---|---|
| File:The Basketball Diaries movie poster.jpg | |
| Directed by | Scott Kalvert |
| Written by | Jim Carroll (novel), Bryan Goluboff (screenplay) |
| Produced by | Liz Heller John Bard Manulis |
| Starring | Leonardo DiCaprio, Lorraine Bracco |
| Distributed by | New Line Cinema |
Release date | April 21 1995 |
Running time | 102 min. |
| Country | United States  |
| Language | English |
The Basketball Diaries is a 1995 film based on the book of the same name by Jim Carroll. Since its release it has achieved a somewhat cult film status.[citation needed] The film features original music by Red Hot Chili Peppers's bass player, Flea.
Tagline: The true story of the death of innocence and the birth of an artist
Plot
Jim Carroll (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a high school basketball player. His life centers on basketball, and his dream is being a basketball star. Once in a while he gets stoned with his friends, and step by step, he falls into the dark world of crime and drugs. Once his mother expels him from the house, he goes into the streets of New York, and together with his friends they take drugs for which they steal, rob and even kill. As the time passes, Jim's situation becomes worse. It looks like he will never escape his drug addiction.
Controversy
Upon the film's release it gained heavy controversy. Due to its portrayal of drug addiction, prostitution and many other controversial subjects, the film was cut in order to receive a R Rating at the MPAA, and was banned in South Korea. The uncut version was later released on DVD in the U.S.
Controversy arose again in the wake of the Columbine High School massacre on April 20,1999. The film contains a dream sequence in which Jim enters his school while wearing a black trenchcoat and shoots several students and teachers with a shotgun while his friends cheer him on.
Trivia
 | This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. (August 2007) |
- River Phoenix (Stand By Me) was somewhat considered for the role of Jim Carroll. After his death due to a drug overdose in October of 1993, Leonardo DiCaprio was cast.
- DiCaprio, Scorsese and Wahlberg later worked together in the film The Departed.
- Lorraine Bracco and Michael Imperioli previously worked together in the film Goodfellas and appeared again later on the television show The Sopranos.
- In the scene where DiCaprio snorts cocaine at Winkie and Blinkie's apartment, he snorted Ovaltine
Cast
- Leonardo DiCaprio - Jim Carroll
- Lorraine Bracco - Jim's Mother
- James Madio - Pedro
- Patrick McGaw - Neutron
- Mark Wahlberg - Mickey
- Roy Cooper - Father McNulty
- Bruno Kirby - Swifty
- Jimmy Papiris - Iggy
- Ernie Hudson - Reggie
- Alexander Chaplin - Bobo
- Ben Jorgensen - Tommy
- Josh Mostel - Counterman
- Juliette Lewis - Diane Moody
- Michael Imperioli - Bobby
- Cynthia Daniel - Winkie
- Brittany Daniel - Blinkie
External links
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