IMDb > Hoop Dreams (1994)
Hoop Dreams
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Hoop Dreams (1994) More at IMDbPro »

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

Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   12,826 votes »
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Up 21% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Steve James
Writers:
Steve James
Frederick Marx
Contact:
View company contact information for Hoop Dreams on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
14 October 1994 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Documentary | Drama | Sport See more »
Tagline:
An Extraordinary True Story.
Plot:
A film following the lives of two inner-city Chicago boys who struggle to become college basketball players on the road to going professional. Full summary » | Add synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 18 wins & 4 nominations See more »
NewsDesk:
(313 articles)
Film Review: ‘Lenny Cooke’
 (From Variety - Film News. 13 May 2013, 11:20 PM, PDT)
Documentaries are the real deal in Hollywood's age of the CGI superhero | Tom Shone
 (From The Guardian - Film News. 23 April 2013, 11:37 AM, PDT)
Illinois Thinks That Kartemquin Films Makes Propaganda Movies
 (From Indiewire. 12 April 2013, 10:12 AM, PDT)
User Reviews:
10/10 See more (66 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (complete, awaiting verification)

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
Marlyn Hopewell ... Herself - High School Guidance Counselor (as Sister Marlyn Hopewell)
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
Shannon Johnson ... Himself - Arthur's Friend
Tomika Agee ... Herself - Arthur's Sister
Joe 'Sweetie' Agee ... Himself - Arthur's Brother
Jazz Agee ... Herself - Tomika's Daughter and Arthur's Niece
Catherine Mines ... Herself - William's Girlfriend
Alicia Mines ... Herself - William's Daughter
Alvin Bibbs ... Himself - William's Brother-in-Law
Willie Gates ... Himself - William's Father
James Kelly ... Himself - High School Teacher and Registrar
Michael O'Brie ... Himself - High School Finance Director

Dick Vitale ... Himself - Television Sports Commentator
Kevin O'Neill ... Himself - Marquette University Head Basketball Coach
Bobby Knight ... Himself - Indiana University Head Basketball Coach
Joey Meyer ... Himself - DePaul University Head Basketball Coach
Frank DuBois ... Himself - Camp Academic Director

Spike Lee ... Himself - Film Director
Bo Ellis ... Himself - Marquette University Assistant Backetball Coach
Bob Gibbons ... Himself - Basketball Scout
Dennis Doyle ... Himself - High School Assistant Basketball Coach
Clarence Webb ... Himself - High School Science Teacher
Stan Wilson ... Himself - Basketball Scout
Derrick Zinneman ... Himself - High School Basketball Player
Tim Gray ... Himself - Junior College Basketball Coach
Myron Gordon ... Himself - Junior College Basketball Player

Steve James ... Narrator
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Elijiah Ephraim ... Himself
Eric Anderson ... Himself (uncredited)
Bobby Cremins ... Himself (uncredited)
Juwan Howard ... Himself (uncredited)

Mike Krzyzewski ... Himself (uncredited)
Rick Pitino ... Himself (uncredited)

Jalen Rose ... Himself (uncredited)
John Thompson ... Himself (uncredited)
Chris Webber ... Himself (uncredited)
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Directed by
Steve James 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Steve James 
Frederick Marx 

Produced by
Catherine Allan .... executive producer
Peter Gilbert .... producer
Steve James .... producer
Frederick Marx .... producer
Gordon Quinn .... co-producer
Gordon Quinn .... executive producer
 
Original Music by
Ben Sidran 
 
Cinematography by
Peter Gilbert 
 
Film Editing by
William Haugse 
Steve James 
Frederick Marx 
 
Production Management
Emily Stevens .... production manager: KTCA
Suzanne Suffredin .... post-production supervisor
 
Sound Department
Cory Coken .... sound mixer
Ric Coken .... sound mixer
Bryen Hensley .... sound mixer
Bill Jenkins .... additional sound
Margaret M.S. Marvin .... sound mixer
Mirko Popadic .... additional sound
Chuck Rapp .... sound mixer
Ed Scott .... additional sound
Adam Singer .... sound
Tom Yore .... sound
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Jim Fetterley .... additional photographer
Richard Holland .... still photographer: production stills
Ada Kolmodin .... still photographer: production stills
Sid Lubitsch .... additional photographer
Kevin McCarey .... additional photographer
Jim Morrissette .... additional photographer
Mirko Popadic .... additional photographer
Gordon Quinn .... additional photographer
Ed Scott .... additional photographer
Adam Singer .... still photographer: production stills
 
Editorial Department
Lou Anastas .... assistant editor
Linda Balek .... assistant editor
Fenell Doremus .... assistant editor
Fenell Doremus .... post-production coordinator
Jim Fetterley .... assistant editor
Sarah Galloway .... assistant editor
Lisa Hubbard .... assistant editor
Robert Jung .... colorist
Neil Laird .... assistant editor
Craig Leffel .... colorist
Oscar Oboza .... colorist (as Oscar Oboza Jr.)
 
Music Department
Ben Sidran .... music producer
Tom Yore .... composer: additional music
 
Other crew
Paul Andrews .... additional on-line
David A. Baran .... intern: Kartemquin (as David Baran)
Gerry Berlin .... legal assistance
Brian Boyl .... intern: Kartemquin (as Brian Boyd)
Brian Boyl .... production assistant (as Brian Boyd)
Tony Creer .... intern: Kartemquin
Ena Dahm .... accountant
Fenell Doremus .... staff member: Kartemquin
George Eastman .... title designer
Joanne Elam .... accountant
Brian Farley .... intern: Kartemquin
Brian Farley .... production assistant
Than Feis .... intern: Kartemquin
Jim Fetterley .... staff: Kartemquin
Betsy Fil .... title designer
Vanessa Finch .... intern: Kartemquin
Julia Gibbs .... intern: Kartemquin
Julia Gibbs .... production assistant
Kim Harper .... additional on-line
Laura Hoffman .... researcher
Jenny Sioux Hopkins .... on-line: IPA
John Jackson .... intern: Kartemquin
Tricia John .... accountant
Quentin King .... legal assistance
Lucy Kinsella .... intern: Kartemquin
Neil Laird .... production assistant
Anne LaPorte .... additional on-line (as Anne 'Closure' LaPorte)
Ken Leshin .... additional on-line
Frederick Marx .... on-line: Kartemquin
Teddy Mattera .... intern: Kartemquin
Marcy McCall .... staff: Kartemquin
William Morris .... production assistant (as Bill Morris)
William Morris .... staff: Kartemquin (as Bill Morris)
Jim Morrissette .... technical advisor
Laura Mulhauser .... intern: Kartemquin
Bob Musker .... intern: Kartemquin
Bob Musker .... production assistant
Mark Nielson .... staff: Kartemquin
Jim Olen .... additional on-line
Mike Perelstein .... legal assistance
Brian T. Pitts .... production assistant (as Brian Pitts)
Gordon Quinn .... creative consultant
Tim Reyna .... additional on-line
Gerald Richman .... executive in charge of KTCA
Pam Schmidt .... intern: Kartemquin
Eric Scholl .... on-line: IPA
Pete Senten .... additional on-line
Bill Siegel .... researcher
John Sloss .... legal assistance
Jill Soloway .... staff: Kartemquin
April Sopkin .... intern: Kartemquin
Melissa Sterne .... on-line: Kartemquin
Tom Sullens .... intern: Kartemquin
Eric Torres .... intern: Kartemquin
Ralph Walsh .... intern: Kartemquin
Stephanie Wertlake .... staff: Kartemquin
Angela Wood .... intern: Kartemquin
 
Thanks
Michael Apted .... thanks
D.L. Bean .... thanks
Luther Bedford .... special thanks: Marshall High School
Frank Beidler .... special thanks: program support (as Pru and Frank Beidler)
Pru Beidler .... special thanks: program support (as Pru and Frank Beidler)
Alvin Bibbs .... thanks (as Alvin and Peggy Bibbs)
Peggy Bibbs .... thanks (as Alvin and Peggy Bibbs)
David Blair .... thanks
Jerry Blumenthal .... thanks
Patricia Boero .... thanks
Bob Boone .... thanks: Glencoe Study Center
Jim Bostrum .... thanks
Ray Boyer .... thanks
Walter Brody .... thanks: Sound Ideas
Beverly Brooks .... thanks
Steve Brown .... thanks
Margaret Caples .... thanks
Al Cohn .... thanks
Johnny Lee Davenport .... thanks (as Johnnie Lee Davenport)
Frank DuBois .... thanks
Bob Ebel .... thanks
Harry Edwards .... thanks
Bill Firnbach .... thanks
Michael Flaherty .... special thanks: St. Joseph High School (as Principal Brother Michael Flarherty)
Greg Gaither .... thanks
Don Garvey .... thanks
John O. Gibson .... special thanks: Marshall High School (as Principal John O. Gibson)
Arnie Gilbert .... thanks: life support
Dru Gilbert .... thanks: life support
Temmie Gilbert .... thanks: life support
Tim Gray .... thanks
Larry Hawkins .... thanks
Sandra Heberer .... thanks
John Hefferon .... thanks (as Dr. John Hefferon)
Jim Hennessey .... thanks (as Jim Hennessey and Katje Rooney)
Tod Himmel .... thanks
Kathy Hurley .... thanks
John Iltis .... thanks (as David Sikich & John Iltis)
Scott Jacobs .... thanks
Imogene James .... thanks: life support
William James .... thanks: life support
Michael Jordan .... thanks
David Kaplan .... thanks
Jack Kaplan .... thanks
Barbara Kopple .... thanks
Tom Kowalski .... thanks
Peter Kuttner .... thanks
Richard Lapchick .... thanks
Kirk LaVine .... thanks
Richard Mandeberg .... thanks
Don Marbury .... thanks
Ellen Marx .... thanks: life support
Larry Marx .... thanks: life support
Miriam Marx .... thanks: life support
Bernard McKune .... thanks
Edonnya Merritt .... thanks
Rich Moskel .... thanks
Salim Muwakkil .... thanks
William Nelson .... thanks
Margie Nicholson .... thanks
Delano O'Bannion .... thanks
Jim O'Boyle .... thanks: KOST Broadcast Sales
Kevin O'Neill .... thanks
Carol Obertubbesing .... thanks
Mary Patton .... thanks
Richard Pena .... thanks
John Pierson .... thanks
Francine Pope .... thanks
Tom Radtke .... thanks
Jenny Rohrer .... thanks
Katje Rooney .... thanks (as Jim Hennessey and Katje Rooney)
Judy Roth .... thanks: life support
John Schram .... thanks: Sports Management Network
Jane Schrepel .... thanks
Barbara Searle .... thanks
Michael Shepley .... thanks
Alan Siegel .... thanks
David Sikich .... thanks (as David Sikich & John Iltis)
Margot Stern Strom .... thanks
Art Taylor .... thanks
Carol Taylor .... thanks
Jim Taylor .... thanks
Susan Taylor .... thanks: life support
Isiah Thomas .... thanks
Barbara Trent .... thanks
Joyce Washington .... special thanks: Marshall High School
Howard Weinberg .... thanks
Tom Weinberg .... thanks
Woody Wickham .... thanks
Chuck Wielgus .... thanks
Janette Wilson .... thanks
Alexander Wolff .... thanks
Preston Wolin .... thanks (as Dr. Preston Wolin)
Gary Wood .... thanks
Dan Woods-Lindley .... special thanks: program support (as Dan and Lucia Woods-Lindley)
Lucia Woods-Lindley .... special thanks: program support (as Dan and Lucia Woods-Lindley)
Clarence Wordlaw .... thanks
 

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Additional Details

Also Known As:
See more »
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for drug content and some strong language
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
170 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Ultra Stereo
Certification:
Australia:M | USA:PG-13 | Iceland:L | UK:12 | Finland:S
Filming Locations:
Gordon Tech High School, 3633 North California Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, USASee more »
Company:
KTCA MinneapolisSee more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
According to Roger Ebert, after the film failed to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary, he and Gene Siskel learned about the nominating process. He said that members of the Academy's documentary committee held flashlights when they watched documentaries, and anyone who had "given up" could wave it against the screen. The movie was turned off if a majority waved their flashlights. Hoop Dreams (1994) was turned off after 15 minutes.See more »
Quotes:
[first lines]
Announcer:Welcome to the 38th Annual NBA All Star game from Chicago Stadium.
See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in He Got Game (1998)See more »
Soundtrack:
The Bus Stop - Electric SlideSee more »

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User Reviews

   (Review this title)
17 out of 18 people found the following review useful.
10/10, 16 September 2003
Author: desperateliving from Canada

The filmmakers here show an admirable dedication to their art and to the underprivileged, spending five years tracking two kids, Arthur and William, and their dreams of basketball stardom. The two subjects and their families are simple and somewhat naive, in an endearing way. Their struggles, sometimes unflattering, are put forth for us to relate to, and we all can. Of course this is about two kids and their love for basketball, and about the "road to" that takes place as they try to get there, but it's really about the way people in near-poverty live, the education system and its downfalls, the manipulation of organized sports and tendency for people to try and achieve their goals through others (Arthur's father, William's brother), and the situation between blacks and whites in America. In one scene, Arthur laments being around mainly white kids for the first time in his life, and says it'll be difficult but he'll manage. That kind of relaxed confidence is so rewarding to watch. The film has endless insights into the black urban experience. Of course not every family in the ghetto is in a position where a father is a criminal and drug user, but when two kids in the same story are in that situation, it's got to be somewhat prevalent.

It's the kind of movie that's sustaining, and there are so many transcendent, revealing moments that stand out: Arthur's mother, such an inspirational woman to watch, as she gets her nurse certification; Arthur's family talking to another family in a cafeteria, with his mother high-fiving an elderly white lady; the descent into and path out of drug addiction; and a scene where the man who recruits these boys says that sometimes he has doubts about himself when he sees the pain that's a part of these kids' lives. Spike Lee makes a brief appearance giving a speech to the kids, and his pessimism is the only sore spot in the film.

We don't have to work for any of this, we don't have to question it. There's nothing to clean away before we can get to the real thing. This is the real thing. A curious moment, however, is one scene where Arthur's mother explains to us at one point she had her electricity cut off, which suggests that the crew wasn't there to film that period. But the next scene has her walking in the dark with a lamp, that seems like an undeclared "reenactment" of something they missed, for editing purposes. But the criticism of manipulation in documentaries is tired. Yes, the possibility of tricking an audience into believing something with a documentary is greater, but unless it's political in some respect it doesn't matter. Documentaries are supposed to be presented how the filmmaker sees fit. With no license, we'd have 350-hour documentaries.

At one moment near the end, William's coach says goodbye to him and as he walks out his coach mentions that that's the system: one goes out, another comes in. It feels like we're saying bye to a member of the family. This is a life-affirming experience, a family that should be visited again. 10/10

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Hoop Dreams (1994)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Are the critics crazy, or am I?? haverpopper4
Ebert's Review ccow4140
something i didnt understand... smoove002
the guy who introduced arthur to st joseph neighborly
other players throughout the movie bsl05
Hoops Dreams 2 cbdogg1116
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