Hoop Dreams

United States

1994

171 Min

Color

1.33:1

English

Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
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PROD Frederick Marx, Steve James, Peter Gilbert

CAST William Gates, Arthur “Man” Agee, Jr., Emma Gates, Curtis Gates, Arthur “Bo” Agee, Sr., Sheila Agee, Joe “Sweetie” Agee, Tomika “Tony” Agee, Earl Smith, Isiah Thomas, Spike Lee, Bobby Knight, Kevin O’Neill

ED Frederick Marx, Steve James, William Haugse

SOUND Adam Singer, Tom Yore

Sundance (Documentary Competition): Audience Award

Synopsis

Two ordinary inner-city kids dare to dream the impossible — professional basketball glory — in this epic chronicle of hope and faith. Filmed over a five-year period, Hoop Dreams follows young Arthur Agee and William Gates as they navigate the complex, competitive world of scholastic athletics while striving to overcome the intense pressures of family life and the realities of their Chicago streets. —The Criterion Collection

Director

Steve James

Steve James is the director of the acclaimed film Hoop Dreams, which won the Documentary Audience Award at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival and went on to win multiple major critics’ prizes and an Academy Award nomination for best editing; Stevie, which won the Documentary Excellence in Cinematography Award at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival; and At the Death House Door, which won numerous festival awards. James has just completed No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson for the acclaimed ESPN series 30 for 30. –Sundance