Hoop Dreams (1994)

A film following the lives of two inner-city Chicago boys who struggle to become college basketball players on the road to going professional.

Director:

Steve James

Writers:

Steve James, Frederick Marx

Stars:

William Gates, Arthur Agee, Emma Gates

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 22 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Gates	...	Self
Arthur Agee	...	Self
Emma Gates	...	Self - William's Mother
Curtis Gates	...	Self - William's Brother
Sheila Agee	...	Self - Arthur's Mother
Arthur 'Bo' Agee	...	Self - Arthur's Father
Earl Smith	...	Self - Talent Scout
Gene Pingatore	...	Self - High School Basketball Coach
Isiah Thomas	...	Self - Professional Basketball Player
Marlyn Hopewell	...	Self - High School Guidance Counselor (as Sister Marlyn Hopewell)
Bill Gleason	...	Self - Television Reporter
Patricia Weir	...	Self - President: Encyclopedia Brittanica
Marjorie Heard	...	Self - High School Guidance Counselor
Luther Bedford	...	Self - High School Basketball Coach
Aretha Mitchell	...	Self - High School Guidance Counselor

Storyline

This documentary follows two young African-Americans through their high school years as they perfect their skills in basketball in the hopes of getting a college scholarship and eventually play in the NBA. Arthur Agee and William Gates both show great potential and are are actively recruited as they look to enter high school. They start off at the same high school but unable to pay an unexpected bill for tuition fees, Arthur has to withdraw and go to the local public high school. The film follows them through their four years of high school and their trials and tribulations: injuries, slumps and the never ending battle to maintain their grades. Through it all, their hoop dreams continue.

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Plot Keywords:

basketball | athlete | national film registry | high school | college | 

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Taglines:

An Extraordinary True Story.

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Genres:

Documentary | Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for drug content and some strong language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 October 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hoop Dreams

Filming Locations:

Cabrini Green Housing Complex, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$700,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$18,396, 16 October 1994

Gross USA:

$7,830,611

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$11,830,611

Company Credits

Production Co:

KTCA Minneapolis, Kartemquin Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

170 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

William Gates was chosen by NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan to play as part of a group of former and current pro-NBA Players when he was making his comeback with the Washington Wizards in 2001. Gates who had been a whopping 260 pounds had gotten into serious shape and had lost over 50 pounds (190 pounds at that point) because he felt that it was the right time for one more comeback to play in the NBA with the encouragement of his wife, Catherine. Unfortunately, a broken foot and the tragic murder of his brother Curtis, who was helping him with his comeback attempt happend before he was ready to report to play with Jordan.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Announcer: Welcome to the 38th Annual NBA All Star game from Chicago Stadium.

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Crazy Credits

Thanks to the St. Joseph High School community and Coach Gene Pingatore who agreed to participate in a not for profit Kartemquin Educational film telling William and Arthur's stories. Today, St. Joseph, with a 39% minority enrollment, remains committed to the dream of a better life for all. Awarding need based financial aid to 40% of its students, St. Joseph with limited resources continues to maintain its academic excellence. A Hoop Dreams Fund has been set up to provide academic scholarships.

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Connections

Referenced in At the Movies: Blue Chips/Midnight Cowboy/Reality Bites/The Critic/The Scent of Green Papaya (1994)

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Soundtracks

Happy Birthday to You
Written by Patty S. Hill & Mildred J. Hill (as Mildred M. Hill)
Summy-Birchard Music, A Div. of Summy-Birchard, Inc.

User Reviews

Documentary film-making at its best

It runs for three hours but it feels much less, such is the power that this documentary holds. Absorbing, you get sucked in and the film has this grip on you.

If Reality TV is your thing, I'd seriously give this film a go, then you can stop watching Reality TV and start to recognise, understand and prioritise real-world situations that actually matter, like racism, poverty, drug abuse, peer pressure and well, dreams.

You'll fall in love with the characters, and there's even a bad-guy for us to boo. You can sometimes question the manipulative techniques on display, but the film is actually not as guilty as some, the makers have a genuine affection for their subjects and do as much as they can within the rules of documentary to help them out without compromising their objectivity.

Be that as it may, this film should be compulsory viewing for many younger audiences, as it shows you exactly how real life differs from the garbage that passes for representation of youth on TV and in film today.

I really can't say enough about the need for more films like this, the fact that the Academy Awards were changed because of the strength of this film goes some way to showing you exactly how powerful it is.