The Basketball Diaries

The Basketball Diaries starring Leonardo DiCaprio is a good film about drug abuse but this coming of age drama left me disappointed. DiCaprio is so talented but even his electric performance can't save this dribble. This is a movie you borrow or rent but not buy.

This movie sums up - in a nice little package - how delinquent behavior can manifest itself into crimes. I use it as a teaching tool in my criminology class and highly recommend it to professors and students alike.

THIS FILM WAS SHOWN TO PEOPLE IN EARLY RECOVERY. THEY THOUGHT IT WAS REALISTIC AND GAVE A VERY GOOD SCENARIO OF RESULTS.

The late Jimmy Stewart used to stress time and again that acting should look natural to the viewer. Leo Di Caprio certainly fills the bill in this movie, which should be a mandatory primer for all young actors to view. In a stunning portrayal of James Carroll, DiCaprio leads us down the path of adolescent destruction caused in part by adult abuse, negative peer pressure, a shaky home situation, and one's own self will. This is definitely not your routine jock-sports movie. In fact, the movie's title may actually steer some potential viewers away from purchasing it. No, this is the real thing,scenes of which this reviewer saw too many times in his career.The path to drug self destruction is different for everyone. In Carroll's case, he somehow survived, accompanied by his urine stained notebook/diary. Would a trustworthy adult or counselor have been able to prevent all the mayhem? Possibly. In any event, this is definitely not the type of film that will ever appear in primetime national television. It should! This is the most realistic film with the best acting by one person these eyes have ever seen.

Leonardo DiCaprio is outstanding in this coming of age drama. A must see for the young and old alike.