Hoop Dreams - Criterion Collection
from: Criterion
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Product Description:
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 is proud to present this landmark documentary chronicling two remarkable families who challenge the American dream.
Amazon.com essential video:
This completely absorbing three-hour documentary follows the lives of two inner-city African American teenage basketball prodigies as they move through high school with long-shot dreams of the NBA, superstardom, and an escape from the ghetto. Taking cues from such works as Michael Apted's 35 Up, director Steve James and associates shot more than 250 hours of footage, spanning more than six years, and their completed work actually moves like an edge-of-the-seat drama, so brimming with tension, plot twists, successes, and tragedies that its length--170 minutes--is never an issue. Yet, what makes the film more impressive is how James moves his scope beyond a competitive sports drama (although the movie has plenty of terrific, nail-biting basketball footage) and addresses complex social issues, creating a scathing social commentary about class privilege and racial division. The film opens by introducing William Gates and Arthur Agee, two Chicago hopefuls, as they are being courted and recruited by various high schools to play ball, and continues until the pair are college freshmen. James allows the audience the experience of not only watching their journeys and daily routines (it's a sobering portrait of inner-city life), but also witnessing their maturation. Each takes a separate path along the way, stumbling over several obstacles (William suffers injuries, Arthur fails to meet his coach's high expectations); but James takes particular care to stress the importance and strong commitment of each character's family along the way, giving the film a essential center. The parents and siblings emerge with as much depth and complexity as the two main "characters," and turn Hoop Dreams into an unforgettable film experience. --Dave McCoy
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 is proud to present this landmark documentary chronicling two remarkable families who challenge the American dream.
Amazon.com essential video:
This completely absorbing three-hour documentary follows the lives of two inner-city African American teenage basketball prodigies as they move through high school with long-shot dreams of the NBA, superstardom, and an escape from the ghetto. Taking cues from such works as Michael Apted's 35 Up, director Steve James and associates shot more than 250 hours of footage, spanning more than six years, and their completed work actually moves like an edge-of-the-seat drama, so brimming with tension, plot twists, successes, and tragedies that its length--170 minutes--is never an issue. Yet, what makes the film more impressive is how James moves his scope beyond a competitive sports drama (although the movie has plenty of terrific, nail-biting basketball footage) and addresses complex social issues, creating a scathing social commentary about class privilege and racial division. The film opens by introducing William Gates and Arthur Agee, two Chicago hopefuls, as they are being courted and recruited by various high schools to play ball, and continues until the pair are college freshmen. James allows the audience the experience of not only watching their journeys and daily routines (it's a sobering portrait of inner-city life), but also witnessing their maturation. Each takes a separate path along the way, stumbling over several obstacles (William suffers injuries, Arthur fails to meet his coach's high expectations); but James takes particular care to stress the importance and strong commitment of each character's family along the way, giving the film a essential center. The parents and siblings emerge with as much depth and complexity as the two main "characters," and turn Hoop Dreams into an unforgettable film experience. --Dave McCoy
Features:
- Classic DVD
- Exclusive interviews, highlights, and behind the scenes coverage
- DVD's main menu allow you to jump directly to the action
- Presented in full-screen digital video
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: 
- A True Life Rocky Story and A Steal of a Price for Criterion.
Hoop Dreams is an amazing film.Not only is it the best documentary of all time but one of the greatest movies of all time.
I was amazed at how director Steve James was able to get this on film so perfectly.The story follows two inner city kids, Arthur Agee and William Gates, and their dream of making it to the NBA and out of the ghetto.The doc was filmed over five years we watch these two boys at fourteen grow to be young men and the ups and downs they go through.Viewers also get ... Read More
Rating: - Alumni Buy This
Alumni of St. Joseph High School will like this because it shows the inside of the school and their teachers from the 80's.
Rating: - Great product. Great delivery time
This was a great product. The timing of the delivery was great as well. A +
Rating: - The Best Documentary of All-Time
Hoop Dreams is probably the most engrossing documentary ever made. It covers two young kids with unrealistic dreams that they will be the next Michael Jordan, or Isiah Thomas, their idols. Both can play, and play very well at that. However, being from poor families and growing up in a dangerous neighborhood, their only chances of realizing their dream is to play high school basketball out of the area. This documentary shows their lives at home, their lives at school and most of all their lives on ... Read More
Rating: - One Of The Better Documentaries You'll Ever See
At three hours, this is a long but interesting documentary about two Chicago-area high school basketball stars, William Gates and Arthur Agee, who try to make something from their basketball talents.
Both athletes, of course, dream of becoming pro players some day. There are hundreds of similar tales each season - of great players, mostly black - who don't make it through college or even to college despite their enormous talents and one can get idea of some of the obstacles by watching ... Read More
- A True Life Rocky Story and A Steal of a Price for Criterion.Hoop Dreams is an amazing film.Not only is it the best documentary of all time but one of the greatest movies of all time.
I was amazed at how director Steve James was able to get this on film so perfectly.The story follows two inner city kids, Arthur Agee and William Gates, and their dream of making it to the NBA and out of the ghetto.The doc was filmed over five years we watch these two boys at fourteen grow to be young men and the ups and downs they go through.Viewers also get ... Read More
- Alumni Buy ThisAlumni of St. Joseph High School will like this because it shows the inside of the school and their teachers from the 80's.
- Great product. Great delivery timeThis was a great product. The timing of the delivery was great as well. A +
- The Best Documentary of All-TimeHoop Dreams is probably the most engrossing documentary ever made. It covers two young kids with unrealistic dreams that they will be the next Michael Jordan, or Isiah Thomas, their idols. Both can play, and play very well at that. However, being from poor families and growing up in a dangerous neighborhood, their only chances of realizing their dream is to play high school basketball out of the area. This documentary shows their lives at home, their lives at school and most of all their lives on ... Read More
- One Of The Better Documentaries You'll Ever SeeAt three hours, this is a long but interesting documentary about two Chicago-area high school basketball stars, William Gates and Arthur Agee, who try to make something from their basketball talents.
Both athletes, of course, dream of becoming pro players some day. There are hundreds of similar tales each season - of great players, mostly black - who don't make it through college or even to college despite their enormous talents and one can get idea of some of the obstacles by watching ... Read More
