Two ordinary inner-city kids dare to dream the impossible - professional basketball glory - in this epic chronicle of hope and faith. Filmed over a five-year period, Hoop Dreams follows young Arthur Agee and William Gates as they navigate the ...
Features
 |  Format : Full Screen, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC Publisher : Criterion Company : Fine-line List Price: Our Price: $16.82 You Save: $8.13 (33%) Used Price : $13.95 |
Features
- Color and in stereo. 171 minutes with two audio commentaries; one with filmmaker Peter Gilber, Steve James and Frederick Marx and one with stars Arthur Agee and William Gates.
- Segments of Siskel & Ebert tracking the acclaim for Hoop Dreams.
- Original music video and theatrical trailer. English Subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired. a 40-page booklet featuring new essays by cultural historian John Edgar Wideman and
- Sports Illustrated senior Writer Alexander Wolff: Michael Wise's 2004 Washington Post Follow-up article:
- And a dedicateion by the filmmakers.
Description
Two ordinary inner-city kids dare to dream the impossible - professional basketball glory - in this epic chronicle of hope and faith. Filmed over a five-year 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. The Criterion Collection is proud to present this landmark documentary chronicling two remarkable families who challenge the American dream.Amazon.com essential video
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 center. 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 McCoySimilarProduct