30 movies that need the Lego treatment so bad it’s wrong

23. Basketball Diaries

Premise of the movie: Basketball Diaries is a coming of age story, featuring the legendary Leonardo DiCaprio. It was actually one of his first movies, showing his range of acting and his willingness to play dark and semi-unlikable roles.

The movie also tells the twisted story of drugs and prostitution. DiCaprio plays the lead character Jim Carroll, who showed the talent to become a basketball star. Heroin soon takes over, and he goes down the path of an addict, doing anything he can to score his next hit.

Why it needs the Lego treatment: Coming of age stories aren’t always ponies and rainbows. Basketball Diaries is just one that shows the darker side of life. A kid who should have been on the straight-and-narrow path gives into drugs and alcohol, as he struggles with an overbearing coach. He learns how he has to survive, as he continues down his dark path.

We know that Basketball Diaries would never be an appropriate Lego movie for kids, but it would bring the movie back to the forefront of minds for adults. It’s one that has been semi-lost in time, with its slightly smaller budget and age. DiCaprio fans can easily overlook some of his earlier, astounding work. Lego would help to retell the story, with bigger graphics and a revisited script, while still bringing some of the same feelings and fears within the original movies.