The Basketball Diaries (1995)

A young Leonardo DiCaprio plays poet and punk musician Jim Carroll when he was a high school athlete in The Basketball Diaries (1995). Based on Carroll’s autobiographical novel of the same name, the film charts his addiction to heroin. The story begins with Jim (DiCaprio) hanging out with his pals. Indeed, he and Mickey (Mark Wahlberg), Pedro (James Madio) and Neutron (Patrick McGaw) show off their naked chests while playing a game of ball in the rain. Although Jim occasionally gets stoned, he mostly spends his time dreaming of sports stardom. Yet when his best friend Bobby (Michael Imperioli) gets leukemia and his coach (Bruno Kirby) gets pervy with him, the young dude falls into heavy drugs. After being booted from the team, Jim drops out of school. When his mother (Lorraine Bracco) discovers his secret stash, she kicks him out of the house. He then becomes a prostitute! The poor kid’s downward spiral continues with incarceration at Rikers Island for possession of narcotics, robbery and assault. During Jim’s journey of self-destruction and eventual recovery, we encounter Diane Moody (Juliette Lewis), Reggie (Ernie Hudson), a skinhead (Michael Rapaport), and Frankie Pinewater played by Carroll himself! In addition to launching DiCaprio’s big screen career, the film features his nude booty! The same can be said of Walberg, McGaw and Madio who bare their collective buns during a mooning scene. As you can guess, it’s a skinsational smorgasbord of rump roast. Debates rage regarding the best beef in the bunch. Stare, savor, and score!