Hoop Dreams (1994)

Please don't spend money on this.

People are voting emotionally.

Good start, but then it gets ruined

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

A film following the lives of two inner-city Chicago boys who struggle to become college basketball players on the road to going professional. Gates lived in Cabrini–Green while Agee and his family resided in West Garfield Park.Although never a basketball player or from a poor neighborhood, this touches home for me a bit because I am from the Midwest and have spent a fair amount of time in Chicago. And then add Marquette University, a place I have been to countless times, and you are practically in my backyard.The strength of this film is that -- despite the title -- it is not about basketball. That is what drives the narrative, but the deeper story is one of race, class, poverty, unemployment, crime, family values and more. These are real issues, and whether or not we face them, they are holding entire communities back from succeeding.Although violence is never a focus of the film, it remains ever on the edges. The families of both men have experienced losses since the release of the film. On Thanksgiving morning 1994, Agee's older half-brother, DeAntonio, was gunned down at Cabrini–Green. In September 2001, Gates' older brother, Curtis, 36, was shot to death in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood. Arthur's father, Bo Agee, was murdered in 2004.

I strongly believe that the documentary, Hoop Dreams, was very effective in showing its point, while following the lives of two high school basketball players. It was excellent due to the great interviews, and effective cross cutting between both stories. There was great pacing between the shots and each character was equally as important. But aside from the editing, the content of the film was very eye opening. What I was surprised to notice was that I didn't see much mention in other reviews of the school reforms required to make this a better country, If colleges required a higher GPA, SAT/ACT score in order to receive a sports scholarship that way players will be able to gain a good education and not be thrown out on the streets the second they get injured. Currently students are willing to not go to classes in hopes of reaching professional sports, but they need something to fall back on just in case they don't make it. And in the small chances that they do make it to professional sports, what happens if they get injured, they have no career to fall back on. This movie was very effective and inspiring.

I'd heard a lot about this documentary, but had never seen it. I've even read comments by few people calling it their favourite film, "even though it's a documentary" (as if that was a bad thing!). It's understandable to see why this film speaks to the hearts of so many people."Hoop Dreams" follows two teenaged Chicago residents, Arthur Agee and William Gates, and their dreams of becoming professional basketball players - more than that, basketball superstars a la Michael Jordan. From their first year of high school until they start college, we observe all of the expectations, efforts, joy, disappointments, and numerous obstacles that make their journey.Will Agee and Gates manage to overcome all the obstacles and become more than most of their peers even dream to achieve? The suspense is well-built through clever editing and a good sense of rhythm, pace and storytelling (documenting is also storytelling, after all), and the film doesn't feel 170 minutes long. By the end, you realize you've watched two real people growing up and doing what they can or cannot - failing and trying again - to achieve their goals and dreams, no matter what are the odds imposed by their economical and social backgrounds. Hoop Dreams come(s) true as both a slice of life and a fascinating socio-anthropological study. Not bad for a 'basketball documentary'.

The documentary is very real, authentic, and touching.It is about two young men in their teens trying to make it in basketball. The movie capture about 5 years of their life in high school as basketball player.They came from tough neighborhoods. Their families went though touch times just to make sure their kids turn out alright. I have a lot of respect for them and their family as well as their school.The movie is almost 3 hour long but every moment is worth watching. A shorter version would not be sufficient to show so much truth and reality.I would recommend this movie for anybody who have have kids who are pursuing an athletic career. They would get a chance to learn the lesson from the two young men and their families.A great work! I would like to thank the filmmakers and the two families.