Fresh
It's about three hours long. But it moves like Isiah, fast and smooth, and it's over in a heartbreak.
Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine
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Hoop Dreams
Overview
Every school day, African-American teenagers William Gates and Arthur Agee travel 90 minutes each way from inner-city Chicago to St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois, a predominately white suburban school well-known for the excellence of its basketball program. Gates and Agee dream of NBA stardom, and with the support of their close-knit families, they battle the social and physical obstacles that stand in their way. This acclaimed documentary was shot over the course of five years.
Director and cast
- Steve James Director
- William Gates as Self
- Arthur Agee as Self
- Emma Gates as Self - William's Mother
- Curtis Gates as Self - William's Brother
- Sheila Agee as Self - Arthur's Mother
- Arthur 'Bo' Agee as Self - Arthur's Father
- Earl Smith as Self - Talent Scout
- Gene Pingatore as Self - High School Basketball Coach
- Isiah Thomas as Self - Professional Basketball Player
- Sister Marlyn Hopewell as Self - High School Guidance Counselor
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
98%
Tomatometer
Fresh
Hoop Dreams has shown us that the rules of the game are stacked against kids like Gates and Agee. Even better, it shows us how they fight back, with the inside moves of hope.
David Ansen, Newsweek
Fresh
A heady dose of the American dream and the American nightmare combined -- a numbing investigation of how one point on an exam or one basket or turnover in a game can make all the difference in a family's fortunes.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Fresh
A prodigious achievement that conveys the fabric of modern American life, aspirations and incidentally, sports, in close-up and at length, Hoop Dreams is a documentary slam dunk.
Todd McCarthy, Variety
Fresh
Unforgettable.
Derek Adams, Time Out
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Comments
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