Hoop Dreams
Product ID: 285288870
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Product Description Shot over five years, this Oscar-winning documentary follows the passage of two young men with dreams of making it big in the world of basketball. Arthur and William are two black teenagers from Chicago, who both hope to earn themselves a place in the NBA. Sports scholarships ensure that they attend prestigious colleges after leaving high school, but this step up the ladder brings them to a new level of training, with a demanding coach who drives them to the very limits of their abilities. From .co.uk 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 centre. 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
R**K
Quite simply, one of the best documentaries ever made.
At last this Oscar winning documentary makes it onto DVD.Why is it trashy Adam Sandler, Tom Green etc movies get released on DVD immediately but truly brilliant and moving stories like Hoop Dreams languish for years? It never ceases to amaze me what rubbish comes out on DVD yet Scorsese's After Hours or Joe Dante's Explorer's are not - bizarre.A wonderful story about 2 boys from a poor neighbourhood in Chicago who dream of being "like Mike". The story follows them for a few years as they start to get noticed, get picked to go to posh private schools to play basketball etc. The story packs a real punch dealing with issues of fame, money, family dysfunction, race, education etc etc. This is more rewarding than 99% of Hollywood movies put together with more tension, excitement and drama to boot.I just hope this is the start of more documentaries being released on DVD - with Hollywood churning out cookie-cutter clone nonsense it's independent documentary makers who make the cinema worth visiting. Hopefully War Photographer and Spellbound make it onto DVD soon for starters.
M**2
Loving the DVD
This film is old, but i had never seen it before. I just love it, reminds me of the good old days. But it is about real people and real life and has two different stories with two different families. Besides this if you like basketball you will like this. I like how it is directed and takes you through the lives of the boys. You just want to see them do well to the end ... but im not going to spoil it. Wish there was a part two - but I think there is another documentary related to this shot many years late called real hoop dreams? not sure. However I am sure you will enjoy the trials and tribulations of making it big to the college pro's!
G**N
Great doc
Ice cubes lyrics even more politically charged in current climate and a very relevant and powerful doc
A**E
ONE OF THE BEST EVER
This documentary remains one of the best ever despite the failure of Oscar voters to recognise it at the time. For people aspiring to work in documentaries this film is a must.
H**T
A winner!!
A fantastic film. Highly recommended - and not just for those interested in basketball but by anyone interested in great documentaries.
C**L
Five Stars
Fine
S**O
Great
Great
J**L
Hoop Dreams , Hope hopes and Hoop Survival.
An amazing story of hope and determination, someone has adequetly summed it up as "the pursuit of happyness" meets "Coach carter" but far better than both.Such a sad but moving story of two very talented boys who had all the potential to become top professional sports stars but have non of the support systems in place to help them , they also have almost every possible barrier possible put in their way due to their familiy and the circumstances of their poverty.This is a story of raw determination despite the odds , it does not end well unlike a typical hollywood version of this type of story but thats what makes it so gripping and heart wrenching.
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