Genre Research: The Basketball Diaries


The Basketball Diaries (1995) - IMDb

What elements of the genre that you chose to base your final task on does this movie have? 

This film fully encapsulates the core elements of a drama film. The movie is based totally in reality and and uses emotional and relational development to progress the story and develop the characters. It is a depiction of real human struggles and an internal conflict that has been going on in people for years. Its purpose is to make the viewer, if they see themself in Jim, find it repulsive. The film is a deterrent to drug abuse, as well as a biopic on Jim Carroll's life. There are many, many close-up shots in this film in order to capture the emotion that is shown in the actor's faces.

What elements of the genre did the movie have that you like?

The acting in this movie was phenomenal. Leonardo DiCaprio captured every aspect of addiction and Jim Carroll's specific situation. DiCaprio's performance makes it seem as if you are looking through a window as opposed to watching a film. The camera shots perfectly captured the superb acting by DiCaprio and his peers; the usage of medium shots, close-up shots, and full body shots, capture all the acting well.

What elements of the genre did the movie have that did not appeal to you? 

Honestly, the themes of the movie were too gruesome for me. The trials and tribulations that Jim went through were hard to watch and each failure he made really hurt. However, the entire purpose of dramas is to captivate the reader and take them through these sort of emotional roller coasters. Everything that happened to Jim was inevitably a build up for the success that he would find at the end of the movie. The depiction of being deep in the depths of addiction were extremely "real"; too real. It was very unsettling but it does not take away from the movie's brilliance. One can say that the movie is successful in deterring people from engaging in drug use.


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