The Basketball Diaries is a 1995 American biographical crime drama film. The film was directed by Scott Kalvert in his feature directorial debut. Based on an autobiographical novel of the same name written by Jim Carroll, it tells the story of Carroll's teenage years as a promising high school basketball player and writer who develops an addiction to heroin. Distributed by New Line Cinema, The Basketball Diaries stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Carroll, with Bruno Kirby, Lorraine Bracco, Ernie Hudson, Patrick McGaw, James Madio, Michael Imperioli and Mark Wahlberg in supporting roles.
The Basketball Diaries premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 27, 1995. It was widely released in theaters by New Line Cinema on April 21, 1995, receiving mixed reviews and grossing $2.4 million at the box office.
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Plot
Teenager Jim Carroll is a drug-addicted high school basketball player who regularly gets into mischief with his friends Pedro, Mickey and Neutron on the streets of New York City and at school. Outside of basketball, Jim shows an artistic interest in writing, keeping his work in a journal while expressing his thoughts and creating poetry.
Jim's best friend, Bobby, is dying of leukemia, and Jim frequently visits him in the hospital. After Bobby dies, Jim and his friends attend his funeral. Following the funeral, Jim and his friends go to a basketball court and reminisce about Bobby's life. Depressed over Bobby's death, Jim begins to use heroin.