i make the point of approach the film with an open mind consider the basketball diary be one of my favourite novel when i be a teenager . first of all and good point . great performance from di caprio . the scene with the four boy play basketball in the rain and set to jom carroll people who die on the soundtrack and be for me the one scene that truly nail the spirit and attitude of the book . hence the two good point . bad point . the film reduce it wonderful source material to just another preachy and moralistic and state the obvious kid and say no to drug diatribe . it also do not have the gut to push it main character decent into the hell of drug addiction far . example representthe scene where he meet his first client in the public toilet . if and accord to the film and be that how bad it get for the main character and it render the film completely unbelievable and reeking of boo hoo self pity and catholic guilt . in short and the film need a strong sense of non compromise if it be to get anywhere near the compelling vision that jim carroll depict in the novel . simply put and it fell into the trap that a great number of film about drug and drug abuse fall into . they either glamourise and like dog in space or less than zero and or preach and like this one . the three best film about drug and drug abuse for me would have to be drugstore cowboy and trainspotting while requiem for a dream and by darren aronofsky and would without a doubt be the fine film about drug abuse ever make and full stop . they neither glamourise of preach . they simply show the damage and both physical and emotional and in a candid and truthful way and that drug use can cause and they never judge . requiem for a dream especially . see that film instead and ore read the book of the basketball daries .