The Basketball Diaries Movie Review 1995

Disappointing adaptation of undeground writer/musician Jim Carroll's 1978 cult memoirs, with DiCaprio starring as the teen athlete whose life spirals into drug addiction and hustling on the New York streets. Carroll and friends Mickey (Wahlberg), Neutron (McGaw), and Pedro (Madio), form the heart of St. Vitus' hot hoopster team. But the defiant quartet really get their kicks from drugs, dares, and petty crime--leading to an ever-downward turn. The book takes place in the '60s but the film can't make up its mind what the decade is, although DiCaprio (and Wahlberg) are particularly effective in a self-conscious first effort from Kalvert.

Distribution

USA Home Entertainment, 1 W. Forest, Englewood, NJ 07631-4004, Phone: (201)871-1000, URL: http://www.polygram-us.com

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 102 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Teen Angst, Drug Use & Abuse, True Stories, Adapted from Memoirs or Diaries, Basketball, Buddies, New York, New York, Writers

Screenplay

Bryan Goluboff

Cast

Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Patrick McGaw, James Madio, Bruno Kirby, Ernie Hudson, Lorraine Bracco, Juliette Lewis, Josh Mostel, Michael Rapaport, Michael Imperioli, James Dennis (Jim) Carroll

Cinematography

David Phillips

Director

Scott Kalvert

Music

Graeme Revell

Other

Dana Congdon

Producer

John Bard Manulis, Liz Heller, Chris Blackwell, Dan Genetti, Island Pictures, New Line Cinema