Hoop Dreams [VHS]

Hoop Dreams [VHS]
by Steve James

Hoop Dreams [VHS]
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VHS Tape Cover Information

Actor: Arthur Agee, Curtis Gates, Emma Gates, Sheila Agee, William Gates
Director: Steve James
Producer: Steve James
Writer: Steve James
Producer: Catherine Allan
Producer: Frederick Marx
Writer: Frederick Marx
Producer: Gordon Quinn
Producer: Peter Gilbert
Edition: VHS Tape
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
Running Time: 170 minutes
Release Date: 1996-08-20
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Publisher: New Line Home Video
Studio: New Line Home Video

VHS Movie Reviews of Hoop Dreams [VHS]

Movie Review: Very good documentary
Summary: 5 Stars

The Bottom Line:

Hoop Dreams is not the best movie of the 90s nor one of the best movies of all time (some scenes should have been edited out to make the middle portions drag less, and the narration is often clunky) but it's a well-made documentary and a portrait of America that deserves to be seen; you don't need to be a liberal or a basketball fan to appreciate the power of the story.

3.5/4

Summary of Hoop Dreams [VHS]

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

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