When the groundbreaking documentary hoop dreams hit theaters in. Hoop dreams is a documentary that tells a story with little commentary, letting the audience be the judge. The movie may have ended, but the story plays on by seth davis apr 3, 2020 39 theyre both grandfathers, which seems preposterous until you do the math. Todays film landscape is vastly different from the one in which hoop. Hoop dreams is the most powerful movie about sports ever made.
Over 15 years ago a wonderful sports movie debuted. As a sports movie, hoop dreams is both stirring and wrenching. 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. It gives us the thrill of the game, but it doesnt cheat on either the vibrant social context or the deep human story. The filmmakers behind the 1994 documentary hoop dreams and one of the subjects of the filmtalked about the impact of the movie at a recent screening. Movies of this power and originality dont come around all that often, so when they do, its something special to say the absolute least. For more information on movie geeks united, and to access our archive of over filmmaker. There are many films that have been praised to be something more than just a movie, but hoop dreams is one of the few to deserve such praise. Because we see where william and arthur come from, we understand how deeply they hope to transcend to use their gifts to become pro athletes. It follows the original basketball hero past his dream and into reality, examining where life has carried him over the decade, and taking a look at where he is today, as. It did back in 1994, and it deserves to be remembered among the true achievements in motion pictures. Hoop reality is the sequel to the 1994 documentary hoop dreams and explores what happened during the last decade from where hoop dreams left off. Hoop dreams causes change at the oscars the academy of motion picture, arts, and sciences overhauls documentary nominating process. Over the course of five years, director steve james trails william gates and arthur agee, two innercity african american young men from the time they are found as grammar school kids on their neighborhood basketball.
He even started a hoop dreams clothing line in the mid2000s with the slogan control your destiny. 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 remake takes place at clemens san antonio. Two men convicted of shooting chicago hoop dreams player. Filmed over a fiveyear period, hoop dreams, by steve james, frederick marx, and. Hoop dreams is an incredible film about following your passion and dreams and never giving up. Hoop dreams is, on one level, a documentary about two africanamerican kids named william gates and arthur agee, from chicagos inner city, who are gifted basketball players and dream of someday starring in the nba. Hoop dreams doesnt treat its documentary material like a traditional documentary would. In many ways, hoop dreams was the first reality show.
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. During his younger years he lived in the north side chicago area near where the other star of hoop dreams, william gates, lived. Describing the lives of arthur agee, william gates, gene pingatore, sheila agee, bo agee, curtis gates, emma gates, and luther bedford, the article summarizes material drawn from interviews and news reports published since the release of. Yet hoop dreams was no slam dunk for its makerswho could hardly have envisioned its appeal and. Now, for some reason, documentaries dont sound like they can be interesting or exciting. When the filmmakers began, they planned to make a 30minute film about eighthgraders being recruited from inner. Thats where they and we first meet gates, a hotshot prospect about.
Lives forever changed the costars of hoop dreams didnt make it to the nba, but thats no tragedy by l. The way they speak of it suggests that they feel a sense of relief, that a burden has been released. Cnn when dwyane wade was a 12yearold shooting jumpers on the playgrounds of chicago, a movie came out that would help navigate. The film centers around two boys, arthur agee and william gates, who live and breathe basketball. The movie still presents a powerful portrayal of the lowerclass inner city blacks in america and the desperation they have to endure. Hoop dreams movie subject charged with battery of woman.
Its about the neartotal divorce in our cities between black society and. Describing the lives of arthur agee, william gates, gene pingatore, sheila agee, bo agee, curtis gates, emma gates, and luther bedford. Compiled from more than 250 hours of footage shot over five years, this extraordinary documentary about two chicago teenagers. Originally intended to be a 30minute short film, hoop dreams filmmakers shot 250 hours of footage for a threehour film spanning six years in the lives of gates and agee as they chased nba dreams that neither reached. Filmed over a fiveyear period, the two young boys navigate the complex, competitive world of scholastic athletics while striving to overcome the intense pressures of family life and the realities of their chicago streets. At the surface level, the 1994 documentary hoop dreams seems to simply be the story of two boys, arthur agee and william gates, who dream of being nba stars. Hoop dreams has just showed at cinema rediscovered in bristol, and its out in cinemas across the uk on friday, october 25th.
Martin satterfield, shot six times in the spring of 2014, is now paralyzed. Though theyre there, the interview sound bites arent excessive, and the film doesnt bother overloading. James and producers frederick marx and peter gilbert initially envisioned the project as a halfhour special on public television. Jon wertheim leading off a historic benchmark tim isaac is the first to benchpress 800 pounds. Hoop dreams is now available in bluray and dvd special editions from the criterion collection. Filmed over a fiveyear period, hoop dreams, by steve james, frederick marx, and peter gilbert, follows young arthur agee and william gates and. Hoop dreams is a 1994 american documentary film directed and produced by steve james, frederick marx, and peter gilbert, with kartemquin films. However, when examined deeper, it is clear that hoop dreams is actually about the structural racism that occurs in lowerclass neighborhoods, and about the negative effects that the resulting hoop dreams can have on a. Shawn harrington, who was in the 1994 movie hoop dreams and became. It picks up everything happening in the gym, in the stands and even outside. Agee is the second child and first son of arthur bo agee sr. Hoop dreams 1994 stream and watch online moviefone. One of the only outs for their kids seems to be sports scholarships.
Originally intended to be a 30minute short film, hoop dreams filmmakers. I absolutely loved this movie when it came out, but even back then i remember thinking, i hope that twenty years from now theyre not making. Two ordinary innercity chicago kids dare to reach for the impossibleprofessional basketball gloryin this epic chronicle of hope and faith. The film has been called the best sports documentary ever, and consistently is rated in top 20 best ever lists. 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 chicago streets.
Documentary chronicling the story of two ordinary innercity kids who chase the dream of professional basketball glory. 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. Its a film whose truths are so powerful, whose perspective is so focused and yet so warm. At a young age, gates was viewed as the second coming of nba great isiah. Filmed by three white guys in chicago from a script by god, hoop dreams is an epic of american life in the hereandnow. Two teens reach for their hoop dreams in this nonfiction. Released in 1994, hoop dreams followed a pair of talented young basketball players, agee and william gates, through high school as they tried to balance the highs of their celebrated high. This script is a transcript that was painstakingly transcribed using the screenplay andor viewings of hoop dreams. Hoop dreams is a movie that i try to make sure to watch once a year.
It closely follows the story of a couple different boys who love basketball and dream of going to college and pursuing it in their future. Agee now has five children and still lives in the chicago area. It gives us the thrill of the game, but it doesnt cheat on. It revels in every display of prowess by william and arthur, feeding off the excitement of their fans and family while also sticking close to both young men as they miss shots, fall short, and crack under the pressure. Beginning in 1987, the movie chronicles the lives of two intercity africanamerican boys from age 14 to 18 as they strive to reach their dreams of playing for the nba. A hoop dreams sequel, written by gun violence the new. This is because, the viewers are given an intimate view at a pursuit towards dream in basketball, while in reality its happening. Of course, they were clapping for the families as much as the movie. The 100 greatest movies of the nineties from serial killers to slackers, fight club to pulp fiction the best comedies, dramas, thrillers and killer horror flicks of the 1990s. Im referring to the 1994 critically acclaimed documentary, titled hoop dreams. Hoop dreams says a lot about african american life in particular and the united states society.
The fundraiser, whose attendance this year has already reached 175 guests, will be held in fenways state street pavilion overlooking the playing field, and will. Agee has four grandchildren now, three by his son and one by his daughter. Hoop dreams has the movie equivalent of allcourt vision. Arthur agee, motivational speaker for inner city youth and star of acclaimed film hoop dreams, will be the guest speaker at esperanza academys annual breakfast at fenway park on. Hoop dreams star shawn harrison pictured39, was paralyzed after he was shot by two gunmen while in his car in 2014. Correspondent digital video producer, rich gedney speaks with the stars of the documentary film hoop dreams. The filmmakers behind the 1994 documentary hoop dreamsand one of the subjects of the filmtalked about the impact of the movie at a recent screening. William, theres a moment in the movie that beautifully. Today his work is focused on his foundation, which seeks to help. The movie does all these in ways in which no other movie on sports has ever done. The influence of hoop dreams, twenty five years later time. Hoop dreams followed the lives of arthur agee and william gates as they tried to navigate high school, aiming for glory in the nba. Finally, the hoop dreams script is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the steve james basketball movie about arthur agee and william gates. 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.
Hoop dreams is a chronicle of the power of sports to fuel dreams and generate possibility in the great struggle of life. In the years following hoop dreams, agee faced some serious personal struggles, including the murder of his father in 2004. Hoop dreams is about beating the odds in a world where the greater your achievement. 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. I know, i know, i still need to get the cast names in there and ill be eternally tweaking it, so if you have any corrections.
Hoop dreams basketball documentary still relevant in 25th. Watch hoop dreams streaming online hulu free trial. A hoop dreams sequel, written by gun violence shawn harrington, who appeared in the 1994 documentary hoop dreams and later became a high school assistant basketball coach, was shot in. Hoop dreams will close the new york film festival on sunday night at 8, the first documentary ever to do so. With william gates, arthur agee, emma gates, curtis gates. It will open in new york next friday and around the country on oct. Hoop dreams has the right to be called a once in a life time phenomenon. A hoop dreams sequel, written by gun violence the new york. Gates was a star of hoop dreams, a 1994 movie that roger ebert called the great american documentary. On another level, it is about much larger subjects. The people are compelling and it was good to know that eventually at least one of the boys came to realize that his nba dreams were unrealistic.
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