The
basketball diaries
|
Book
| Movie
| Discussion
questions
|
Book:
Autobiographical
back
to top
Movie:
back
to top
Discussion
questions:
1. We'll start with a general question: what did you
think about the book and the movie?
2. We have probably all read many books about drugs and
seen movies about drugs. What did you think is special
(or not) about this one? Why does it stand out (or
not)? Do you have a favorite drugs movie/book?
3. The book is autobiographical. Jim Caroll started
writing it when he was 12 years old. Why do you think
he started his diary? Why did he call it the
Basketball Diaries?
4. Leonardo di Caprio played in this movie before he
became famous with Titanic. What did you think of his
performance as Jim Caroll?
5. Jim has many friends in the book, one of them being
Bobby who is in the hospital with leukemia. Describe
the relationship between Jim and Bobby and between Jim
and the rest of his friends. What do they have in
common and where do they differ?
6. The group of friends falls apart when the basketball
coach Swiftly makes a pass at Jim. Do you regard this
event as the start of the deterioration of Jim's life
(and the increase of his problems with drugs)? At what
point do you think Jim's life took a turn for the
worse? How was this described in the book and how was
this portrayed in the movie?
7.
Both book and movie take place in New York. How
important is the city in the story?
8.
Do you think that Jim's addiction to drugs could have
been avoided? How?
9.
Reggie, a former addict, makes some effort to save
Jim. Why do you think this doesn't work?
10.
Do you think the book and the movie have a happy ending?
Do
you want to discuss this book or
others? Join
the group.
back
to top
|
