Documentary Movie Reviews

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Hoop Dreams (1994)

Rate: 10
Viewed: 6/03, 10/03, 2/05, 8/05, 7/07, 8/11

HoopD
7/07: I think of Hoop Dreams as a Greek tragedy play.

The NBA is the Mount Olympus of basketball. Isiah Thomas is Apollo. Magic Johnson is Poseidon. And the ruler of them all is Michael Jordan, the Zeus from Chicago. Among those who intensely worship these gods are black high school basketball players from the projects. To make it into the NBA is to devote their bodies and minds to the game of basketball.

This is what Hoop Dreams is all about. It's their version of the American Dream. Behind the façade is the hardship of black families living in poverty who struggle to make ends meet.

Men are foolishly chasing the high of life whether it be basketball, drugs, or gangbanging. Women are levelheadedly realistic about life by keeping their family together while trying to make a honest dollar. That's why Sheila Agee and Emma Gates are the true heroes. On the other hand, the villain is Gene Pingatore who comes off as a giant asshole with no fucking clue about life.

All in all, Hoop Dreams is a shattering documentary about the realities of black people who live in the projects.

8/11: "And welcome to the 38th annual NBA All-Star game from Chicago Stadium."

"A standing-room-only crowd."

"A steal by Jordan. He spun it away from the Mailman."

"Right now, I wanna, you know, play in the NBA."

"I dream and think about all the time...playing in the NBA."

That's what Hoop Dreams is all about, and it's still one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. Since then, William Gates' and Arthur Agee's dreams have been long dead. Many of their relatives have passed away including William Agee's older half-brother DeAntonio (murdered in 1994), Curtis Gates (murdered in 2001), and Bo Agee (murdered in 2004). During the 15th anniversary at Gene Siskel Film Center, Arthur Agee told the audience that ten of his friends from the film were no longer alive. It's a sobering reality of living in the projects.

All in all, Hoop Dreams hasn't lost any power.