Hoop Dreams (1994)

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

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

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:

Many of the locations used in the movie are now either gone or substantially different. The neighborhood of the Cabrini Green housing project, where one of the players lived, underwent a "gentrification" shortly after the film wrapped. The baseball field shown, for example, now has been replaced by luxury condos and a shopping complex.

Quotes:

William Gates: People always say to me, "when you get to the NBA, don't forget about me." Well, I should've said back, "if I don't make it to the NBA, don't you forget about me."

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Suddenly Susan: Hoop Dreams (#1.5)" (1996)

Soundtrack:

Fast Break

My favorite film of all time!

This gets my vote for the best movie of all time!! I know, it sounds crazy to say that about a documentary, but to me, this film has more drama, truth, realism & emotion than a thousand Hollywood movies put together. I've seen it over 30 times, and it never ceases to gladden my heart to see Arthur & William's story. The scene where Arthur's mom receives her diploma from nursing school has to be one of my all time favorites. For me, this is one of the rare three-hour movies that I never wanted to end. 10/10.