If you have never seen the movie i strongly encourage you to obtain. One of the most acclaimed and successful documentaries ever, hoop dreams tells the story of arthur agee, william gates, and their families over a 4. First exhibited at the 1994 sundance film festival, where it won the audience award for best documentary, kartemquins hoop dreams is the remarkable true story of two american dreamers. The films themes of hope, pain and redemption, its creeping sense that the deck is just stacked against some kids those are even more. Also known as aka original title hoop dreams reunion. In its unflinching portrait of innercity life, hoop dreams is as much a social commentary on class privilege and race division as it is a film about basketball and presents the audience with a lasting deconstruction of the american dream. Rent hoop dreams 1994 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. Acclaimed film hoop dreams can help fill the basketball void. More importantly, hoop dreams enlarged the scale of what a socially engaged documentary could be. He began a film to discover the forces that had shaped stevie s entire life. Arthur agee 22 and william gates 23 from the award winning documentary film hoop dreams, shared a common goal of aspiring to play professional basketball in the nba.
It follows the story of two africanamerican high school students in chicago and their dream of becoming professional basketball players. Jazz on the screen is a reference work of filmographic information and does not point to digitized versions of the items described. Filmed over a fiveyear period, hoop dreams, by steve james, frederick marx, and peter gilbert, follows young arthur agee and william gates and their families as the boys navigate the complex. It observes, dissects, and records the life of two teenagers in innercity chicago, arthur agee and william gates, with such breadth and depth that it becomes a microscopic examination of human lives. Hoop dreams in our writers favourite films series, christian bennett explains why the story of two teenagers aiming to make it big in basketball is a slam dunk of a documentary. A hoop dreams reunion will reveal what has happened in the lives of agee and gates since the conclusion of the film. Hoop dreams aired on pbs on november 15, 1995 with a new half hour update on william, arthur and the filmmakers, hoop dreams reunion.
A film like hoop dreams is what the movies are for. Steve james essential innercity epic chronicles the lives of two young blacks growing up in a chicago housing project. And as the film follows agee and gates through high school and into their first year of college, we understand all of the human dimensions behind the easy media images of life in the ghetto. Agees dreams are still hoop dreams, and that may never change. Enlarge image hoop dreams star arthur agee with former president bill clinton at arkansas state in 1995. Hoop dreams is a richly human and profoundly american film. Im referring to the 1994 critically acclaimed documentary, titled hoop dreams. He is an actor, known for hoop dreams 1994, early edition 1996 and. Roger ebert and gene siskel both named hoop dreams as their best film of 1994. Two ordinary innercity kids dare to dream the impossible professional basketball glory in this epic chronicle of hope and faith. Frederick marx achieved international fame for a film he cowrote hoop dreams with steve james the director of the film. Acclaimed film hoop dreams can help fill march madness void.
Sep 30, 2019 roger ebert and gene siskel both named hoop dreams as their best film of 1994. It premiered at the 2014 sundance film festival, where the film s director steve james also premiered his new film, life itself, which is about one of hoop dreams greatest champions, roger ebert. This heartfelt and affecting film follows two teenagers chasing scholarships that hold out the chance of a. A feature length film about real people in a real life situation. This movie provides an excellent way for families to talk about issues such as race and class in urban america, longterm goals, teen sex and drug use, and. Rent hoop dreams 1994 starring william gates and arthur agee on dvd and bluray. Over 15 years ago a wonderful sports movie debuted. Hoop dreams is 20 years old this year, but its eternal. The film was an unlikely success, achieving both critical acclaim and crossover boxoffice appeal despite its three hours. He is a former basketball player, but best known for appearing in the 1994 kartemquin films documentary hoop dreams. Hoop dreams, the documentary of his quest, was a slice of real life, and now that his college basketball career is ending, gates knows there will be no fairytale finale, no sevenfigure contract. He was named a chicago tribune artist of the year for 1994, a 1995 guggenheim fellow, and a recipient of a robert f. When it comes to basketball, reality is still suspended.
For his work, he has received nominations from international organizations and juries, including those at the british academy of film and television arts, cannes and the academy of motion picture arts and sciences. Heres a chance to see or see again the acclaimed 1994 film about two chicago high school basketball players with visions of themselves in the national. Heres the opening for the 1995 vhs of hoop dreams and heres the order. In 1995, director steve james of hoop dreams returned to rural southern illinois to reconnect with stevie fielding, a troubled young boy to whom he had been an advocate big brother ten years earlier. Frederick marx is a producer and editor, known for hoop dreams 1994, the unspoken 1999 and. Memorable quotes and exchanges from movies, tv series and more. With james brown, arthur agee, william gates, peter gilbert. Arthur agee, william gates, isiah thomas, dick vitale, bobby knight, emma gates official content from criterion collection acclaimed. This is the trailer to hoop dreams, the movie that. Hoop dreams are still alive film subject battles setbacks. The film has been called the best sports documentary ever, and consistently is rated in top 20 best ever lists.
Hoop dreams is a 1994 american documentary film directed and produced by steve james. It is one of the highest grossing nonmusical documentaries in united states history. Two ordinary innercity chicago kids dare to reach for the impossible professional basketball glory in this epic chronicle of hope and faith. A film following the lives of two innercity chicago boys who struggle to become college basketball players on the road to going professional. Hoop dreams is now available in bluray and dvd special editions from the criterion collection. Just click the edit page button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the plot summary submission guide.
Full of unexpected turns, hoop dreams ends with gates and agee. It takes us, shakes us, and make us think in new ways about the world around us. Hoop reality is the sequel to the 1994 documentary hoop dreams and. He is an actor, known for hoop dreams 1994, early edition 1996 and hoop dreams reunion 1995. It is at once an allegory about striving to achieve, and the politics and pressures of achievement.
Find out where hoop dreams is streaming, if hoop dreams is on netflix, and get news and updates, on decider. William gates i william gates was born on december 28, 1971 in chicago, illinois, usa. Its the most fascinating account of the lives and careers of two potential basketball stars, who were selected at the. The film is the second doc produced by barack and michelle obama. Agees life was opened to the world through the movie hoop dreams. One of the most critically acclaimed documentaries of all time, hoop dreams is a rich, complex, heartbreaking, and ultimately deeply rewarding film that uses high school hoops as a jumpingoff point to explore issues of race, class, and education in modern america. Him and kevin macdonald are my two favorite doc filmmakers because they can actually direct a feature also.
Coach d is ballin in the dollhouse this week, as she takes her game to the next level and enlists her husband to help with an ambitious basketballthemed creative routine. Pbs online and kcta have created the hoop dreams home page which has a lot of great material including an interview with arthur and william. Filmed over a fiveyear period, hoop dreams, by steve james, frederick marx, and peter gilbert, follows young arthur agee and william gates and their families as the boys navigate the complex, competitive world of scholastic athletics while. And despite being famously snubbed by the oscar committee, it is the most successful and critically acclaimed documentary in american history, roger ebert wrote in 1995 obviously prior to michael moores blockbusters. It looks like we dont have a synopsis for this title yet. Hoop dreams 1994 has the form of a sports documentary, but along the way it becomes a revealing and heartbreaking story about life in america. Jun 29, 2015 filmed over a fiveyear period, hoop dreams, by steve james, frederick marx, and peter gilbert, follows young arthur agee and william gates and their families as the boys navigate the complex. Release dates 2 also known as aka 3 release dates usa 15 november 1995. His most acclaimed works are the crime film heat 1995 and the docudrama the insider 1999. It follows the story of two africanamerican high school students in chicago and their dream of becoming professional basketball players originally intended to be a 30minute short film produced for the public broadcasting service, it eventually led. Two innercity chicago boys with hopes of becoming professional basketball players struggle to become. It is about the texture and reality of daily existence in a big american city. Hoop dreams is, on one level, a documentary about two africanamerican kids named william gates and arthur agee, from chicagos inner city, who are. Hoop dreams is a documentary that comes with a reputation and it deserves it.
Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. Hoop dreams is a 1994 american documentary film directed and produced by steve james, frederick marx, and peter gilbert, with kartemquin films. But its also a moving and revealing look at the daytoday struggles of two lowincome families living in the projects of chicago. Sheila agee at an event for hoop dreams 1994 peter gilbert at an event for hoop dreams 1994. When the filmmakers began, they planned to make a 30minute film about eighthgraders being recruited from innercity playgrounds to play for suburban schools. With william gates, arthur agee, emma gates, curtis gates. Filmed over a fiveyear period, hoop dreams, by steve james, frederick marx, and peter gilbert follows young arthur agee and william gates as they navigate the complex, competitive world of scholastic athletics while dealing with the intense pressures of. The film is suitably engrossing as a sports film assuming you like to watch basketball and lots of it but hoop dreams is, of course, a commentary on society, the poor, and the difficulty of. Filmed over a fiveyear 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.
One of the most critically acclaimed documentaries of all time, hoop dreams is a rich, complex, heartbreaking, and. For this new remaster, criterion has gone back to the betacam source and created an hd master of the movie, which is presented here in its original aspect ratio of 1. So weve assembled a crack team of film fanatics, culture vultures, popculture pundits and various critics to weigh in on the 100 greatest movies of the nineties. However, it was not even nominated for an academy award. In 1995, director steve james hoop dreams returned to rural southern illinois to reconnect with stevie fielding, a troubled young boy he had been an advocate big brother to ten years earlier.
When the critically acclaimed hoop dreams premiered at the new york film festival last year. First exhibited at the 1994 sundance film festival, where it won the audience award for best documentary, hoop dreams is the remarkable true story of two american dreamers. It looks like we dont have any plot summaries for this title yet. The cards are considered to be nrmtmt condition or better. Hoop dreams reunion 1995 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
Two ordinary innercity chicago kids dare to reach for the impossibleprofessional basketball gloryin this epic chronicle of hope and faith. The brady bunch movie, just cause, billy madison, mr. The film earned james the directors guild of america award and the mtv movie award for best new filmmaker. Yes, the place is in a particular kind of neighbourhood. It gives us the impression of having touched life itself. Airing for the first time on television wednesday night on pbs, the threehour hoop dreams is a trenchant film about the rigors and politics involved in bigtime high school basketball. Hoop dreams original motion picture soundtrack 1994, cd. Steves first film hoop dreams won every major critics award in 1994, as well as a peabody and robert f. Recently, hoop dreams was selected for the library of congress national film registry. Hoop dreams painstakingly tempers the romanticism characteristic high school athletes by paying special attention to the many roadblocks that stand in the way of gates and agees dreams. Hoop dreams was shot primarily on analog beta sp videotape, so the image was cropped and transferred for its commercial release. First exhibited at the 1994 sundance film festival, where it won the audience award for best documentary, hoop dreams has been hailed as the great american documentary and.
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