not quite what I expected from troy bolton’s origin story but the guy always was a bit unpredictable

Shockingly similar to Space Jam.

drug addicts freak me out a lot but wow leo’s performance in this was incredible, so raw and haunting

is this a prequel to the wolf of wall street

Really well made film with some great performances. That young Leo lad has probably got a bright future! 

It’s a tough watch at times and still has a lot of impact today. It’s got some cast as well. It’s not exactly a laugh minute but it’s well worth a watch.

"Time sure flies when you're young and jerking off."- Jim Carroll

Happy 40th birthday to Mr. Leonardo DiCaprio! (November 11)

The Basketball Diaries tells the true story of Jim Carroll, who was a High School kid that got into drugs and many other things. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Carroll and he is terrific. He owned the role and I couldn't picture anyone else in it. Juliette Lewis is only in a few scenes, but she is great. Mark Whalberg is the other standout. The film features some very interesting camera angles, but I liked it. The music was good and The Doors' classic, 'Riders on the Storm' is put to great use. The film has a lot to say about friendship and peer pressure and I liked that a lot. It is a powerful film with many emotionally resonant moments. Yet another film that shows why you should never use drugs. 8/10

a bit too preachy a times but i like the sentiment

Mark Wahlberg still looked 40, whilst Leonardo looked like he just turned 16.

"You gotta have presence on the court. Presence like a cheetah rather than a chimp. Sure, they both got it, but Chimpy gotta jump his nuts around to get it. The shy cheetah moves with total nonchalance, stickin' it to them in his sexy, slow strut. Me? I play like a cheetah.”

Leo’s performance is just outstanding. 
The scene where Reggie forces him to stay in the house is bone-chilling. Leo is a genius.

Also, who plays basketball with chucks??????

profiles of drug abuse like this are kind of tiring and feel especially sinister when their primary concern is showing just how desperate their characters will get and how gruesome the effects of their drug use are. there is just about no interiority to a narrative like basketball diaries (Alarming considering it’s based off of true events and POETRY) which kind of plays into the idea that a drug user gives up their right to personhood in exchange for addiction? and when you think about just what kind of hard drug use is common in the hollywood film industry it makes the exercise of a gritty/realistic/educational depiction seem all the more hollow. showing underprivileged youth shooting heroin in a decrepit basement has a very “couldn’t be me” attitude to it that seems less cautionary and more exploitative. nice to see contemporary filmmakers moving away from that approach.

The Wolf of Wall Street: The Prequel.

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

“And in the next life, Father, I’m gonna have the paddle.”

my heart was racing throughout the whole movie uhmm wow

Leo had more facial expressions in 1995 than he does now in 2020 methinks