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“Hoop Dreams” is a landmark American documentary, released in 1994 to broad acclaim at Sundance. It follows the story of Chicago high school students who dream of becoming professional basketball players — and there are enough ups and downs to fill nearly three hours (171 minutes) of film. You can now watch it, in its entirety, online at Hulu — for free. No signup required, though you do have to sit through occasional brief ads. (Be sure to click “Watch Hi-Res” at right, after the ad finishes playing, for the best video and audio quality.)
“Hoop Dreams” is widely considered one of the best documentaries of the 1990s (Roger Ebert went so far as to declare it “best film” of the 1990s, and has been a tireless proponent), although it wasn’t nominated for the Best Documentary Academy Award. (It did win for Best Film Editing, however, and led to changes in how the Academy votes on documentaries in general.) Here’s a snippet from Roger Ebert’s original review of the film:
A film like “Hoop Dreams” is what the movies are for. It takes us, shakes us, and make us think in new ways about the world around us. It gives us the impression of having touched life itself.
“Hoop Dreams” is, on one level, a documentary about two African-American kids named William Gates and Arthur Agee, from Chicago’s inner city, who are gifted basketball players and dream of someday starring in the NBA. On another level, it is about much larger subjects: about ambition, competition, race and class in our society. About our value structures. And about the daily lives of people like the Agee and Gates families, who are usually invisible in the mass media, but have a determination and resiliency that is a cause for hope.
Read the rest of Ebert’s 1994 review or just sit back and enjoy the film. Note that it’s rated PG-13 for strong language and some content related to drug use. If you’re still not convinced that this is the documentary for you, here’s the trailer:
Comments (6)
Comment
I had to watch this in my high school psychology class a few years back. our teacher never really explained how it had anything to do with what we were learning at the time.
I think that may have influenced my opinion since i was watching from a psychological perspective, expecting a more psychological approach to the subject matter. needless to say i was not really impressed. but then basketball and its influences has never really interested me either.
but, i guess i’m in the minority about this.
posted by Claire on 8-5-2008 at 12:11 pm
Hey Chris, have you seen AMERICAN TEEN yet?
Holy mother. It’s great.
Anyway.
posted by Ransom Riggs on 8-5-2008 at 1:38 pm
Ransom – ooh. Adding to my Netflix queue now.
posted by Chris Higgins on 8-5-2008 at 2:02 pm
I’m adding to my Netflix list, I was just wondering a couple of week ago what happened to those guys. Anyone know?
posted by Jane on 8-5-2008 at 3:22 pm
@Jane – neither kid made it to the NBA. From the Wikipedia page on the film:
“Neither Agee nor Gates made the NBA. Nonetheless, both young men were able to turn the film’s success and their subsequent fame into a better life for themselves and their families. They took the money generated from the film and bought better housing. Additionally Arthur Agee, the younger of the two basketball players, launched a foundation promoting higher education for inner city youth and began the “Hoop Dreams” sportswear line in 2006. Gates has also risen above his earlier circumstances while giving back to the community as senior pastor at Living Faith Community Center in Cabrini-Green, where he works at the Kids’ Club.”
posted by Chris Higgins on 8-5-2008 at 3:29 pm
Chris-
I just finished wating The King of Kong (A Fistful of Quarters), and think this is right up your alley. Talk about social crevices…It chronicals the competition to top Billy Mitchell’s Donkey Kong score from 1984ish, and is full of geeks, as it is devoid of females. There’s this whole movement surrounding the film, which I at first thought was a joke a la The Onion Movie, but it is real.
posted by Johnny Cat on 8-5-2008 at 11:21 pm