Hoop Dreams 1994

An Extraordinary True Story.

7.615 / 10   282 vote(s)
PG-13
Documentary

Every school day, African-American teenagers William Gates and Arthur Agee travel 90 minutes each way from inner-city Chicago to St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois, a predominately white suburban school well-known for the excellence of its basketball program. Gates and Agee dream of NBA stardom, and with the support of their close-knit families, they battle the social and physical obstacles that stand in their way. This acclaimed documentary was shot over the course of five years.

Release Date 1994-09-12
Runtime 2h 54m
Directors Steve James, Peter Gilbert
Producers Peter Gilbert, Steve James, Catherine Allan, Neil Laird, Frederick Marx
Writers Frederick Marx, Steve James

That all-consuming drive towards being a professional athlete eats away at two inner-city Chicago boys and their families. And yet, they still find time to celebrate the little victories along the way, keeping this film from diving too much into an exploration in futility, and more of a life-affirming exploration of the nature of dreams.

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