James Dennis "Jim" Carroll was an author, poet, autobiographer, actor and punk musician. He was the author of “The Basketball Diaries,” a cult-classic memoir of his drug-fueled misadventures as a teenager in the 1960s. Then he became a celebrated downtown poet; and then in 1980, the star of his own hit rock band. With the help of the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards, Carroll signed a record deal and in 1980 the band released its first album, "Catholic Boy. He appeared in two feature films and a couple of documentaries.
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Biography from TMDB.
- August 1, 1949
- September 11, 2009 (aged 60)
- Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
- Actor and writer
- 2 on MovieCove · 5 credits in all
What are Jim Carroll's films like?
Across a limited sample of 3 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Power and Survival.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 3
Light 1 · Serious 1 · Dark 1
A split, not a type: Grounded 2 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 1
Gentle 0 · Charged 2 · Intense 1
Steady 1 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0
Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0
Casual 0 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 1
Easy watch 1 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 1
A split, not a type: Resolved 2 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 1
Roles they play
- Heroas Hupar in Listen to the City (1984)
- Heraldas Hupar in Listen to the City (1984)
- Tricksteras Hupar in Listen to the City (1984)
Moods and endings
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Jim Carroll's films?
As of October 24, 2026, none of Jim Carroll's 2 MovieCove titles is streaming on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Jim Carroll's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted.
Filmography
5 credits, 2 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Touching the Game: The Story of the Cape Cod Baseball League (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Curtis's Charm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
The Basketball Diaries(1995)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Lou Reed - Coney Island Baby Live in Jersey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Listen to the City(1984)
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Career shape
A full career of 5 titles from 1984 to 2004.
Film career
- 1995Screen debut· The Basketball Diaries
How do Jim Carroll's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 52nd percentile, the median of all 2; across a limited sample of 3 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 74th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up1
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
1 of their 2 titles is Crowd Pleaser.
- Crowd Pleaser1
- Mixed1
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Jim Carroll work with?
People who share at least 2 of Jim Carroll's MovieCove titles; Ron Mann shares the most, 2.
- Ron MannShared titles: Listen to the City (1984), Poetry in Motion (1982)See all 2 shared titles with Ron Mann
- Peter WintonickShared titles: Listen to the City (1984), Poetry in Motion (1982)See all 2 shared titles with Peter Wintonick
