The Basketball Diaries

Shadow on the bathroom door when Jim is talking to his mother.

Although this movie is based on an autobiography of a person growing up in the 1960s, it appears that there has been no effort to portray that era in the movie.

This is evidenced by the fashions, music, cars and backdrops used, none of which are from that era.

The following items would be anachronisms if the movie were in fact set in the 1960s- 1) only modern-era vehicles seen in outdoor scenes; - 2) numerous skyscrapers that didn't exist in background shots, including the Twin Towers; - 3) modern medical equipment used to treat cancer; - 4) Jim and Bobby are on post porn-littered 42nd Street and reminiscing about the time when the area was filled with adult businesses.

NYC mayor Giuliani had the district cleaned-up in the 1990's; - 5) Bobby refers to one porn movie with the title, The Sperminator, an obvious take from the 1984 blockbuster, The Terminator; - 6) A marquee sign in the background reports "Two US helicopters down over Iraq" in reference to the Gulf War in the early 1990's; - 7) During the basketball game where Jim and Mickey are too high to play, there are championship banners dated 1976 and 1988.

; - 8) When the cops enter the ice cream store they are wearing 1990s style police uniforms.

Supposedly set in winter, yet deciduous trees with green leaves are visible.

The blood on the shirt of the kid shot in the classroom disappears between shots.

When Jim's mother throws his trophy out of the window and the camera pans across to see it on the pavement, but you can see the actual one she threw behind Jim.

In the "dream" scene, when Jim is shooting his classmates, the one who gets shot in the back has a visible string attached to him which pulls him to the blackboard.

When Jim has a vision on the basketball court and gets blown by explosion, the string is visible again.

They were dream sequences, but it seems unlikely that he would dream of strings.

When being picked up from the snow by Reggie, Jim bends his left leg even though he is supposed to be unconscious.

When Jim, Pedro and Mickey steal the car to sell to Mickey's brother, Jim is smoking a cigarette which he takes a drag of then throws out the window.

When Pedro nearly crashes the car he is smoking it again.

When Jim is playing basketball and explaining how he plays and Pedro steals from the locker rooms, each time there is a point scored you can clearly hear the crowd cheering but visually the crowd is very calm.

The NBA ball signed by the players would not have been around at that time.

Spalding didn't start manufacturing the NBA ball until 1982 or 1983.

After the boys jump into the river, there is a gash on the right side of Jim's forehead, after he takes the drugs out of the medicine cabinet; it is on the left side.

At the beginning of the movie, just after the by was beaten by the Father.

They walked towards the door to leave dressed in their school uniforms and when they got to the other side of the door, they were are dressed in street clothes.

Bobby takes a breath in the coffin.

Jim Carroll's The Basketball Diaries tells in tattered detail how the author went in a few short months from being a Catholic high school basketball star to being a strung-out heroin addict who turned tricks for drugs. Like many such stories, it hangs fondly over the shock and repulsion, and ends with unbecoming quickness after contentment is recovered.

We can't help but notice the trembling system all around Jim as he grows into a heroin addict. They are partially responsible for his dwelling into drugs: Physical violence due to misbehaviour in class, a coach who is a pedophile, the general unhappiness Jim feels, a certain degree of poverty, his nihilistic mindset, a lack of a father figure and even the general environment filled with colors of black and gray.

Apart from Dicaprio's performance this film was so awful. Its up there with Honey and Cheaper by the Dozen.

This movie has all I want to see except for a lot of gay undertones, like Basketball naked in the rain? I get they're drunk but...

I didn't know much about Jim Carroll going into this one. But this movie vividly depicts him, and it stuck with me after it was over.

This movie isn't awful, but it isn't that good either. I agree with most people who said this is probably one of Leo's best performance.

This movie is a tad better than average but the highlights of him on the basketball court are a joke. Maybe if this was 1951 his game would have slated but not in 1995.

So where can I start. I watched this film back in 1998.

Acting: The cast was great, it consists of people that will later on be known as A listers. The acting was done right and let's you feel for the characters your watching.