Very well executed

Simply A Masterpiece

As Good As It Gets

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

This is in my top 10 and along with Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel I think this is 1994's best movie! It's 172 minutes long but it's worth your time. The movie follows 2 boys who want to become NBA basketball players. This is limited to see(though as I write this it's free on Demand) and it needs more attention! Fun Fact: Steve James, the director, appreciated Roger's acclaim so much that he directed his biography! If you can't see it on Demand, you can get it for $30 at Barnes and Noble on DVD(that's how I own it.) This is very much worth your time- so please see it!

I have seen a few of the documentary films featured in the book of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, some are standard subjects, some are controversial, and some are unusual, but of course all are interesting for their own reasons, I was hoping this one would be another good one. Basically this film follows two African American teenagers, William Gates and Arthur Agee, both from inner-city Chicago, who dream of becoming superstar basketball players for the NBA (National Basketball Association). The film starts from their early beginnings in St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois, and sees them grow and progress through the following five years, including starting and graduating college, and maturing into men. William and Arthur were both recruited into the same school that Isiah Thomas came from, and put into a team where white and black people mix, which then was not usual, we see their workouts, practises and struggles through learning all about the game, and obviously their skills come into play and they do rise to become noticed. By the end of the film one of the young men grows into the star he dreamt of becoming, while the other keeps trying, but they stay true to each other and support one another through whatever happens, and their families, friends and closest supporters are with them all the way as well. With narration by Steve James, and also starring Emma Gates - William's Mother, Curtis Gates - William's Brother, Sheila Agee - Arthur's Mother, Arthur 'Bo' Agee - Arthur's Father, Earl Smith - Talent Scout, Gene Pingatore - High School Basketball Coach, Sister Marlyn Hopewell - High School Guidance Counselor, Bill Gleason - Television Reporter, Patricia Weir - President: Encyclopedia Brittanica, Marjorie Heard - High School Guidance Counselor, Luther Bedford - High School Basketball Coach, Aretha Mitchell - High School Guidance Counselor, Shannon Johnson - Arthur's Friend, Tomika Agee - Arthur's Sister, Joe 'Sweetie' Agee - Arthur's Brother, Jazz Agee - Tomika's Daughter and Arthur's Niece, Catherine Mines - William's Girlfriend, Alicia Mines - William's Daughter, Alvin Bibbs - William's Brother-in-Law, Willie Gates - Himself - William's Father and film director Spike Lee. I will be honest that I faded in and out of the story because I did think the three hour length was a bit too much, obviously the five year span of filming makes sense for this length, however I did pay attention to the actual basketball stuff, and the two true life characters are likable, so it is I suppose a worthwhile sports documentary. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Film Editing. It was number 11 on The 50 Greatest Documentaries. Good!

The movie Hoop Dreams follows two young basketball players from the projects of Chicago in their quest to one day play NBA basketball. The documentary provides viewers with a gripping plot line and an in depth look into the lives of the two boys on and off the court. The movie does a very good job of communicating not only the stress that the boys feel as they chase a dream that has a miniscule success rate, but also life's hardships the boys have to endure on and off the court as the movie progresses through the boy's four years of high school. Throughout the movie, the directors do a very good job of putting the audience in the boy's shoes, which is the component that makes this movie so good. The filmmakers portray the difficult environment the boys grow up in, both at home and at school. They also do a very good job of documenting the people in Arthur and William's lives that influence them the most. As the movie starts out, the audience is introduced to Arthur Agee and William Gates, two fourteen year old boys with dreams of playing NBA basketball. Arthur lives on the south side of Chicago and William lives in the Cabrini Greens Housing Project. Both are poverty stricken areas without much chance for those raised there to escape the cycle of poverty. The boys are surrounded by lots of crime and gang activity which usually keeps kids their age from escaping the projects. The movie shows scenes of what life is like in the ghetto, from kids playing in rundown parks with inadequate basketball hoops, to Arthur's dad buying drugs from some gang members, both in view of Arthur and the cameras. It is scenes like these that bring the audience to understand the type of harsh environment the boys grew up in. The filmmakers realize that most of their audience cannot relate to the boys and they need to find a way to provide the audience with an understanding of what life is like for the boys. The directors do a very good job of showing the audience what it is like to grow up in the ghetto rather than just tell them. This is one aspect that keeps the audience so involved in the movie. The character development and portrayal in the documentary is exceptional. The filmmakers do a great job of showing the audience how the two main characters mature and grow not only as basketball players, but as young men too. Arthur Agee is described by coaches as a player full of potential, but one who still plays as if he is on the playground and not the basketball court. He does not know how to play "team basketball". However, as the movie progresses, it is enjoyable to watch Arthur leave St. Joe's due to financial problems, but go on to mature from a playground player to a team player, leading Marshall to the state title. William Gates starts out much more mature than Arthur does. He is also recruited by St. Joe's and is billed to be the next Isaiah Thomas by many. William starts on varsity as a freshman and is expected to lead his team to the state title four years in a row. William is also expected to keep his grades up, score an 18 or higher on his ACT, and provide for a new addition to his family, his first born child. Obviously there is a lot of pressure on William to succeed, and watching him progress through the movie is very captivating.The movie may focus on the basketball careers of William and Arthur, but another element which makes the movie so good is the added story line of the two player's families. This allows the filmmakers to show the audience the sacrifice the boy's families have to go through in order to help the boys reach their dreams. Arthur's mom in particular represents this theme. She has to raise her family as a single mother for a couple years when Arthur's dad leaves the family. At one point in time she loses her job due to chronic back pain and has to raise her kids on welfare for a while. She and Arthur's struggles are emotionally charged and very interesting to watch those conflicts play out.Hoop Dreams is an excellent documentary, because of the filmmaker's in depth connections of the boy's dreams and struggles with the movie's audience. The film shows the viewers instead of just simply telling. The documentary is incredibly involving and a joy to watch.

Hoop Dreams is one of the richest film experiences of 1994, a spellbinding American epic that holds you firmly in its grip for nearly three hours. Two African-American teenagers (William Gates and Arthur Agee) from inner-city Chicago struggle to enter the world of professional basketball.Epic, moving and intensely memorable, the film tackles the issue of sport as an escape route from the ghetto, but heroically transcends the clichés, delving into the backgrounds of the boys and their families, detailing the obstacles they have to face over four years, and showing us what it means to them to win - a game, a place in the team, a new life. It is truly a great American documentary.