The Basketball Diaries (1995) Movie Summary Starring Leonardo DiCaprio
The movie is based on the 1978 book The Basketball Diaries, and focuses on the basketball hopeful Jim Carroll (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his real life story. Jim is your everyday teenager who has a gift for both basketball as well as poetry. The high school basketball team is one of the best in the state and Jim is being scouted to play college basketball. Although Jim and his friends live for the game they all seem to be displeased with their school and basketball coach and are showing a curiosity for their inner city world.
As the story follows the lives of Jim, Pedro (James Madio) and Mickey (Mark Wahlberg) it is evident just how quickly the lives of curious teenagers can change and fall apart. When Jim and his buddies get together with a couple of young ladies they are introduced to the interesting and destructive world of drug use. It doesn't take long for them to become overtaken by heroin thus beginning the downward spiral of their lives. Scott Kalvert does an exceptional job of not only showing us the reality that becomes of their lives but he uses creative cinematography to make it happen.
The boys discover that to support their addiction they will need cash. This is where Jim's story becomes all too real and depressing. When robbing elderly ladies doesn't pay the bills the boys break into local businesses. Jim hits a low when he turns to prostituting his own body to make a little cash for his next high. The journey that the film takes the viewer on makes the situation feel that much more real.
Jim ends up getting thrown out on the street by his mom (Lorraine Bracco) when she realizes that he is out of control. With nowhere to go Jim's mental and physical abilities take a drastic turn for the worse. Jim hits his low when he is found lying unconscious in the snow on a neighborhood basketball court where he is rescued by an old friend named Reggie (Ernie Hudson) who takes him in during his detoxification. Kalvert took his time showing us the detoxification process so that the viewer could get a feel for just how painful it can be. Although the majority of the film is depressing there is a slight ray of hope at the end when we discover Jim turned his life around and now speaks of his journey.
The Basketball Diaries is a very real depiction of the life of Jim Carroll and the horrifying world of drug use. Some might argue that the message of "drugs are bad" is a bit too in your face in this film but remember the experiences are detailed right from Jim's experiences. Those who have older teenagers that have not been exposed to the realities of the drug world might want to consider this films no holds barred introduction to that world. The role of Jim Carroll was performed beautifully by Leonardo DiCaprio and really catapulted his film acting career.
See all Leonardo DiCaprio movies [http://www.squidoo.com/leonardo-dicaprio-movie-tv-actor] or read the Leonardo DiCaprio bio at MovieMoles. There are so many great movie articles [http://articlehotspot.info/entertainment/movies/] and actor information for all of you entertainment junkies out there.
As the story follows the lives of Jim, Pedro (James Madio) and Mickey (Mark Wahlberg) it is evident just how quickly the lives of curious teenagers can change and fall apart. When Jim and his buddies get together with a couple of young ladies they are introduced to the interesting and destructive world of drug use. It doesn't take long for them to become overtaken by heroin thus beginning the downward spiral of their lives. Scott Kalvert does an exceptional job of not only showing us the reality that becomes of their lives but he uses creative cinematography to make it happen.
The boys discover that to support their addiction they will need cash. This is where Jim's story becomes all too real and depressing. When robbing elderly ladies doesn't pay the bills the boys break into local businesses. Jim hits a low when he turns to prostituting his own body to make a little cash for his next high. The journey that the film takes the viewer on makes the situation feel that much more real.
Jim ends up getting thrown out on the street by his mom (Lorraine Bracco) when she realizes that he is out of control. With nowhere to go Jim's mental and physical abilities take a drastic turn for the worse. Jim hits his low when he is found lying unconscious in the snow on a neighborhood basketball court where he is rescued by an old friend named Reggie (Ernie Hudson) who takes him in during his detoxification. Kalvert took his time showing us the detoxification process so that the viewer could get a feel for just how painful it can be. Although the majority of the film is depressing there is a slight ray of hope at the end when we discover Jim turned his life around and now speaks of his journey.
The Basketball Diaries is a very real depiction of the life of Jim Carroll and the horrifying world of drug use. Some might argue that the message of "drugs are bad" is a bit too in your face in this film but remember the experiences are detailed right from Jim's experiences. Those who have older teenagers that have not been exposed to the realities of the drug world might want to consider this films no holds barred introduction to that world. The role of Jim Carroll was performed beautifully by Leonardo DiCaprio and really catapulted his film acting career.
See all Leonardo DiCaprio movies [http://www.squidoo.com/leonardo-dicaprio-movie-tv-actor] or read the Leonardo DiCaprio bio at MovieMoles. There are so many great movie articles [http://articlehotspot.info/entertainment/movies/] and actor information for all of you entertainment junkies out there.
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