Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Basketball Diaries Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 25, 2010

Based on Jim Carroll's novel, "The Basketball Diaries" (1995) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Palm Pictures. The supplemental features on the disc include a short interview with Jim Carroll and reading of "Just Visiting"; as well as short cast and crew interviews. In English, without optional subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

I just want to be pure

There are a couple of films about addicts that I saw during the early 90s that I still remember vividly. The first is Cyril Collard’s semi-autobiographical film Les nuits fauves (1992), about a young bisexual man who falls in love after he discovers that he is HIV-positive. Collard, who played the man, was also HIV-positive, and died shortly after his film was completed. The second is Marc Rocco's Where the Day Takes You (1992), about a group of homeless teenagers who try to survive on the streets of Los Angeles. This was the film that started Will Smith’s acting career. The third is Scott Kalvert's The Basketball Diaries (1995).

Kalvert's film is based on the diary of Jim Carroll, a poet, musician, and former drug addict, who grew up in New York. He attended a Catholic school and dreamed about getting basketball scholarship at a major university, but drugs changed his life. Carroll described how it happened in a couple of diaries, which he published in 1978.

The film opens up with the good days. We see Jim (Leonardo DiCaprio, What's Eating Gilbert Grape) and his three best friends, Mickey (Mark Wahlberg, Boogie Nights), Neutron (Patrick McGaw, Amongst Friends), and Pedro (James Madio, West of Brooklyn), having the time of their lives. They drink, smoke, and get high. They also play basketball.

During a trip to Staten Island, Neutron invites Jim to a special party - which is where Jim tastes cocaine for the first time in his life. He is immediately hooked up. In fact, he likes it so much that he spends the entire night writing about it in his diary. A couple of weeks later Jim begins shooting heroin. In the beginning it is only on Fridays. Then, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Mickey and Pedro also begin shooting. Neutron, however, decides that getting a basketball scholarship at a major university is a lot more important and leaves. Soon, Jim, Mickey and Pedro start stealing and then robbing on a regular basis to support their drug habit. Eventually, Pedro gets caught and so does Mickey, after he accidentally kills a man.

Jim nearly dies. An old friend, Reggie (Ernie Hudson, Stranger in the Kingdom), who once played basketball with him, tries to help him get clean, but Jim runs away and ends up alone on the streets of New York. This is the lowest point in his life - he becomes a male prostitute. He goes back to his mother (Lorraine Bracco, Goodfellas), begging for money, but she kicks him out. Eventually, he ends up in jail.

The Basketball Diaries has an episodic structure, which allows Kalvert to focus on key events from Carroll’s life in detail. Some are slightly embellished, however, and are not presented in the same order they appear in the book, which occasionally makes the film look uneven. There is also a tendency to overdramatize specific scenes with an awkward narration that highlights how Jim feels about his actions.

The addiction process is not graphic, but DiCaprio’s performance is so convincing, it literally transforms the entire film. The supporting cast is not as persuasive, and there is actually a comedic flavor they bring to the film that does not quite fit its tone, but isn’t disappointing either. Some of the more obvious flaws this disparity creates are actually what makes The Basketball Diaries such a unique film.

The finale feels rushed. Thankfully, however, it does not rehash what the audience has already witnessed. Jim is clean and looks good, but on the inside he is a broken man. It is so obvious. A small text clarifies that “Jim Carroll is now a successful poet, musician, novelist and performer”.

Note: Basketball Diaries has a very strong soundtrack featuring songs by Jim Carroll, P.J. Harvey, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, The Cult, The Posies, The Doors, Rockers Hi-Fi, and others.

Jim Carroll died of a heart attack in New York on September 11, 2009. He was 60.

The Basketball Diaries Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Scott Kalvert's The Basketball Diaries arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Palm Pictures.

This is a pleasing high-definition transfer. Fine object detail is convincing, clarity strong and contrast levels good. The film's color-scheme does not disappoint either - blues, reds, yellows, brown, blacks and whites look fresh and natural. However, do not expect well saturated browns and blacks; the film has a distinctively warm look. Mild edge-enhancement is noticeable during selected scenes (for example, take a look at the scene where Jim and his friends jump off the cliff). I also noticed mild digital noise creeping in during some of the nighttime scenes. Macroblocking is not a serious issue of concern. There are no serious stability issues to report on this review either. Blown through a digital projector, the film looks very strong. Finally, I noticed a few flecks popping up here and there, but did not see any large cuts, warps, or splices while viewing the film. To sum it all up, the Blu-ray disc herein reviewed is a strong upgrade over the existing R1 SDVD of The Basketball Diaries. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

The Basketball Diaries Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0. For the record, Palm Pictures have not provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.

Generally speaking, the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is convincing. The surround channels are not overly active but there are a couple of scenes with good ambient effects. The bass is strong but never punchy, and the high-frequencies are not overdone. The dialog is exceptionally clean and easy to follow. There are no serious balance issues with Graeme Revell's score, but I felt that some of the original songs in The Basketball Diaries were rather distant and not very convincing. I also felt that the dynamic amplitude of the DTS-HD Mater Audio 5.1 track was fairly limited. Finally, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings to report in this review.

I tested a number of scenes in the film with the LPCM 2.0 track and really liked how they sounded. For example, the scene where Jim is offered coke for the first time is much more convincing with the LCPM 2.0 track; I could clearly hear his heavy breathing. With the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, the entire scene has a completely different vibe. With other words, I would strongly recommend that you also test the English LPCM 2.0 track. For the record, I did not detect any pops, cracks, or hissings.

The Basketball Diaries Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Jim Carroll interview & reading - a short interview recorded in Toronto, Canada in December, 1981, in which Jim Carroll recalls how he started writing, how and why he became a drug addict, etc. After the interview, Carroll reads "Just Visiting" (at the St. Mark's Poetry Project, Ukrainian Hall, NYC, 1981). In English, not subtitled. (7 min, 1080i).

Interviews - a collage of very short interviews with director Scott Kalvert, producer Liz Heller, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, James Madio, Patrick McGaw, Ernie Hudson, Lorraine Bracco, and Bruno Kirby. The actors talk about the characters they play, the message of the film, etc. The director and producer quickly talk about their decision to make a film based on Jim Carroll's novel. In English, not subtitled. (10 min, 1080i).

Palm Previews - trailers for other Palm Pictures releases. (1080i).

The Basketball Diaries Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Scott Kalvert's The Basketball Diaries is a flawed but effective film, carrying an important message. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Palm Pictures, looks and sounds good. I must say, however, that I am somewhat disappointed to see that it does not arrive with optional English subtitles for the main feature. RECOMMENDED.