The Basketball Diaries

Synopsis: Film adaptation of street tough Jim Carroll's epistle about his kaleidoscopic free fall into the harrowing world of drug addiction. As a member of a seemingly unbeatable high school basketball squad, Jim's life centers around the basketball court and the court becomes a metaphor for the world in his mind. A best friend who is dying of leukemia, a coach ("Swifty") who takes unacceptable liberties with the boys on his team, teenage sexual angst, and an unhealthy appetite for heroin -- all of these begin to encroach on young Jim's dream of becoming a basketball star. Soon, the dark streets of New York become a refuge from his mother's mounting concern for her son. He can't go home and his only escape from the reality of the streets is heroin for which he steals, robs and prostitutes himself. Only with the help of Reggie, an older neighborhood friend with whom Jim "picked up a game" now and then, is he able to begin the long journey back to sanity.
Director(s): Scott Kalvert
Production: PolyGram Video
 
IMDB:
7.3
Metacritic:
46
Rotten Tomatoes:
46%
R
Year:
1995
102 min
7,704 Views


00:
00:39,850 -- 00:00:43,310

Go f*** yourself,

you son of a b*tch. Bastard!

2

00:
00:44,480 -- 00:00:46,270

The Lord is my shepherd.

I shall not want.

3

00:
00:46,270 -- 00:00:47,690

Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.

4

00:
00:47,740 -- 00:00:49,280

Thy will be done, you f***!

5

00:
00:49,440 -- 00:00:52,900

Give us this day our daily bread, as we

forgive those who trespass against us.

6

00:
00:53,200 -- 00:00:54,700

Jesus,

Jesus the Nazarene.

7

00:
00:55,160 -- 00:00:57,330

Jesus, the nazarene.

Go to hell. Go to hell. Go to hell.

8

00:
00:57,300 -- 00:00:59,880

Hell! Hell! Hell! Hell!

Hell! Hell!

9

00:
01:00,870 -- 00:01:03,500

Jim, you're not going to waste

the whole day lying around, are you?

10

00:
01:03,500 -- 00:01:06,710

Ma, I'm up.

The loony alarm went off.

11

00:
01:06,710 -- 00:01:10,100

Well, close the blinds. Don't look

at her and don't listen to her.

12

00:
01:10,050 -- 00:01:10,885

How could I not?

13

00:
01:11,590 -- 00:01:13,720

Jesus the Nazarene.

14

00:
01:13,723 -- 00:01:15,890

Mary the whore.

Mary the hairdresser.

15

00:
01:15,892 -- 00:01:17,600

Mary the hairdresser.

Our Father, Who art...

16

00:
01:17,640 -- 00:01:18,440

Hey, lady!

17

00:
01:18,436 -- 00:01:19,772

Shut up!

18

00:
01:27,656 -- 00:01:30,410

[Jim]

When I was young, about 8 or so,

19

00:
01:30,493 -- 00:01:32,537

I tried making friends with God--

20

00:
01:32,537 -- 00:01:35,374

by inviting him to my house

to watch the World Series.

21

00:
01:36,792 -- 00:01:38,170

He never showed.

22

00:
01:42,257 -- 00:01:43,341

[Wham]

23

00:
01:44,343 -- 00:01:45,469

[Wham]

24

00:
01:46,929 -- 00:01:48,098

[Wham]

25

00:
01:49,432 -- 00:01:50,683

[Wham]

26

00:
01:52,061 -- 00:01:53,353

[Wham]

27

00:
01:54,521 -- 00:01:55,648

[Wham]

28

00:
01:57,275 -- 00:01:58,526

[Wham]

29

00:
01:59,986 -- 00:02:01,071

[Wham]

30

00:
02:00,862 -- 00:02:01,947

[Wham]

31

00:
02:02,948 -- 00:02:04,075

[Wham]

32

00:
02:05,409 -- 00:02:06,703

[Wham]

33

00:
02:09,498 -- 00:02:10,666

[Wham]

34

00:
02:13,419 -- 00:02:14,504

[Wham]

35

00:
02:14,504 -- 00:02:16,339

[Bell Rings]

36

00:
02:18,508 -- 00:02:21,679

Too bad, Father.

I was just starting to enjoy myself.

37

00:
02:24,307 -- 00:02:27,728

We can do it again tomorrow

if you like, Mr. Carroll.

38

00:
02:42,871 -- 00:02:45,040

You okay, Jim?

Does it hurt?

39

00:
02:45,040 -- 00:02:46,542

You want to

rub it for him, Pedro?

40

00:
02:47,209 -- 00:02:49,713

Jim, give it a rest.

You'll never beat him.

41

00:
02:49,713 -- 00:02:51,297

The guy's a pervert.

42

00:
02:51,297 -- 00:02:52,006

Did you hear him?

43

00:
02:52,006 -- 00:02:54,093

"We can do it again tomorrow

if you like, Mr. Carroll."

44

00:
02:54,843 -- 00:02:56,220

Let's cut out of here.

Come on.

45

00:
03:06,857 -- 00:03:08,443

j& I was born in a pool j&

46

00:
03:08,443 -- 00:03:10,153

j& They made my mother stand j&

47

00:
03:10,153 -- 00:03:12,323

j& I spat on that surgeon j&

48

00:
03:12,323 -- 00:03:13,782

j& And his trembling hand j&

49

00:
03:13,782 -- 00:03:15,410

j& When I felt the light j&

50

00:
03:15,410 -- 00:03:17,162

j& I was worse than bored j&

51

00:
03:17,162 -- 00:03:19,039

j& I stole a doctor's scalpel j&

52

00:
03:19,039 -- 00:03:20,874

j& And I slit the cord j&

53

00:
03:21,250 -- 00:03:23,961

j& I was a Catholic boy j&

54

00:
03:23,961 -- 00:03:26,340

j& I was redeemed through pain j&

55

00:
03:26,340 -- 00:03:28,049

j& Not through joy j&

56

00:
03:31,262 -- 00:03:32,639

j& I was two months early j&

57

00:
03:32,639 -- 00:03:34,307

j& They put me under glass j&

58

00:
03:34,307 -- 00:03:36,143

j& I screamed and cursed their children j&

59

00:
03:36,143 -- 00:03:37,645

j& When the nurses passed j&

60

00:
03:37,645 -- 00:03:39,146

j& I was convicted of theft j&

61

00:
03:39,146 -- 00:03:40,940

j& As I slid from the womb j&

62

00:
03:40,940 -- 00:03:42,608

j& They led me straight from my mother j&

63

00:
03:42,608 -- 00:03:45,153

j& To a cell in the tombs j&

64

00:
03:45,862 -- 00:03:47,824

j& I was a Catholic boy j&

65

00:
03:47,824 -- 00:03:50,493

j& Redeemed through pain j&

66

00:
03:50,493 -- 00:03:52,037

j& Not through joy j&

67

00:
03:55,041 -- 00:03:56,041

j& They starved me for weeks j&

68

00:
03:56,041 -- 00:03:57,794

j& They thought

they'd teach me fear j&

69

00:
03:57,794 -- 00:03:59,546

j& I fed on cellmates' dreams j&

70

00:
03:59,546 -- 00:04:01,423

j& It gave me fine ideas j&

71

00:
04:01,423 -- 00:04:03,175

j& When they cut me loose j&

72

00:
04:03,175 -- 00:04:04,635

j& The time had served me well j&

73

00:
04:04,635 -- 00:04:06,804

j& I'd made allies in heaven j&

74

00:
04:06,804 -- 00:04:09,016

j& Comrades in hell j&

75

00:
04:09,016 -- 00:04:11,893

j& I was a Catholic child j&

76

00:
04:11,893 -- 00:04:13,729

j& The blood ran red j&

77

00:
04:13,729 -- 00:04:23,700

j& The blood ran wild j&#

78

00:
04:23,491 -- 00:04:26,745

Why, you little prick!

This is my new...

79

00:
04:26,704 -- 00:04:28,914

Sh*t, guys, gotta get outta here.

I threw up on somebody.

80

00:
04:28,914 -- 00:04:30,040

I'll get ya!

81

00:
04:37,007 -- 00:04:38,009

You little prick!

82

00:
04:40,678 -- 00:04:43,181

I'll f***ing throw you

in the f***ing river if i catch ya--

83

00:
04:54,945 -- 00:04:56,614

[Boat Horn Blows]

84

00:
04:58,074 -- 00:04:59,242

Hey!

85

00:
05:02,746 -- 00:05:05,499

What about the four of us

versus Wilt Chamberlain?

86

00:
05:05,499 -- 00:05:06,793

He was the greatest of all time.

87

00:
05:06,793 -- 00:05:07,544

Four of us?

88

00:
05:07,544 -- 00:05:08,711

What are you gonna do, Pedro?

89

00:
05:08,711 -- 00:05:10,004

tie his shoes together

when he ain't looking?

90

00:
05:10,506 -- 00:05:13,300

All right... How'bout the three

versus Wilt Chamberlain?

91

00:
05:13,300 -- 00:05:14,802

No problem.

92

00:
05:14,969 -- 00:05:15,887

You're kidding,

right, Mickey?

93

00:
05:16,721 -- 00:05:19,099

No. He can't cover all of us

at the same time.

94

00:
05:19,766 -- 00:05:21,269

You guys don't miss open jumpers.

95

00:
05:21,269 -- 00:05:23,145

And you know who will be there

for the rebounds.

96

00:
05:23,562 -- 00:05:26,274

Rebounds?

That freak is, like, 7 feet tall.

97

00:
05:27,108 -- 00:05:28,652

Jim, I can rebound with anybody.

98

00:
05:29,445 -- 00:05:31,906

You're sniffing too much of that sh*t,

that's what you're doing.

99

00:
05:31,906 -- 00:05:34,617

Chamberlain would destroy all of us.

End of story.

100

00:
05:34,617 -- 00:05:37,079

Alright. All we got to do

is move the ball around.

101

00:
05:37,079 -- 00:05:38,580

There's no way we don't win.

Will you tell this kid?

102

00:
05:39,957 -- 00:05:41,167

Hey, Mickey, I think you could

beat him yourself.

103

00:
05:41,167 -- 00:05:42,961

I don't think you need us.

104

00:
05:42,961 -- 00:05:45,130

Perfect example... confidence.

I know I could beat him.

105

00:
05:45,755 -- 00:05:47,007

Holy sh*t! Look at this place.

Rate this script:3.3 / 3 votes

Bryan Goluboff

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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