Hoop Dreams

I'll never understand the USA's obsession with high school sports. Putting this much pressure on 14-18 year old kids and calling them athletes and referring to their basketball as a 'career' is harmful. Sure, it's an entertaining game but that's all it is. Once business takes over all bets are off and lives are ruined. The promise of the American dream of wealth and success is nothing but a bald-faced lie. These topics were briefly touched on but for the most part the movie was a rather passive documentary that simply chronicled two different boys' lives in high school basketball for four years. That in itself was interesting enough for me to give this movie a good rating. The people are compelling and it was good to know that eventually at least one of the boys came to realize that his NBA dreams were unrealistic. The movie still presents a powerful portrayal of the lower-class inner city blacks in America and the desperation they have to endure. One of the only outs for their kids seems to be sports scholarships. Enter the over-zealous coach, competitive scouts and legions of fans. It's interesting to see because no one in Canada is as obsessed with high school sports. I think it's mainly because it's the only way out for poor, inner-city blacks in America. The concept makes for an entertaining, emotional documentary.