Hoop Dreams (1994)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Steve James

Writers:

Steve James (writer)
Frederick Marx (writer)

Release Date:

14 October 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Drama | Sport

Plot:

A film following the lives of two African American boys who struggle to become college basketball players on the road to going professional.

Plot Keywords:

School | High School | Inner City | Basketball | College

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 16 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

William Gates	...	Himself
Arthur Agee	...	Himself
Emma Gates	...	Herself (William's mother)
Curtis Gates	...	Himself (William's brother)
Sheila Agee	...	Herself (Arthur's mother)
Arthur 'Bo' Agee	...	Himself (Arthur's father)
Earl Smith	...	Himself (Talent scout)
Gene Pingatore	...	Himself (High school basketball coach)
Isiah Thomas	...	Himself (Professional basketball player)
Sister Marlyn Hopewell	...	Herself (High school guidance counselor)
Bill Gleason	...	Himself (Television reporter)
Patricia Weir	...	Herself (President, Encyclopedia Brittanica)
Marjorie Heard	...	Herself (High school guidance counselor)
Luther Bedford	...	Himself (High school basketball coach)
Aretha Mitchell	...	Herself (High school guidance counselor)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for drug content and some strong language.

Runtime:

170 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:L | UK:12 | Finland:S | Australia:M | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

KTCA Minneapolis

Trivia:

This film helped change the rules for how the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences hands out Academy Awards for Documentary work. When this film failed to get an nomination for Best Documentary, even though it was nominated for Best Film Editing, Entertainment Weekly magazine ran a story about how the organization voted for documentary nominations. They discovered that not only were most of the people voting not documentary filmmakers but that they actually worked against giving this film a nomination. As a result, the rules were changed so that documentary filmmakers actually vote in this category.

Quotes:

William Gates: It became more of a job than a sport to play.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "30 Rock: Jack-Tor (#1.5)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Dream Theme

A true testament to the encroaching world of pro sports

This film simply exemplifies the reason why I hate most Oscar voters. This movie didn't even get a nomination, and it was one of the most successful documentaries ever! This especially exhibits the encroachment of coaches, family and other parties when it comes to the well being of inner city kids, who just happen to be good basketball players. Considering the state of pro basketball now, this kind of shows how the downward cycle of basketball was seeking lower standards. Sometimes funny, often times sad and poignant, this film is easily one of the best documentaries of all time.