Hoop Dreams

Hoop Dreams

Directed by Steve James • 1994 • United States

Two ordinary inner-city Chicago kids dare to reach for the impossible, professional basketball glory, in this epic chronicle of hope and faith. Filmed over a five-year 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 dealing with the intense pressures of their home lives and neighborhoods. This revelatory film continues to educate and inspire viewers, and it is widely considered one of the great works of American nonfiction cinema.

Hoop Dreams
  • Hoop Dreams

    Directed by Steve James • 1994 • United States

    Two ordinary inner-city Chicago kids dare to reach for the impossible, professional basketball glory, in this epic chronicle of hope and faith. Filmed over a five-year period, HOOP DREAMS, by Steve James, Frederick Marx, and Peter Gilbert, follows y...

Extras

  • HOOP DREAMS Commentary: The Filmmakers

    This audio commentary, recorded in Chicago in January 2005, features HOOP DREAMS filmmakers Peter Gilbert, Steve James, and Frederick Marx.

  • HOOP DREAMS Commentary: Arthur and William

    This audio commentary features HOOP DREAMS subjects Arthur Agee and William Gates and was recorded in Chicago in 2005. Arthur’s voice is directed to the left channel, William’s to the right.

  • Life After HOOP DREAMS

    The following documentary, produced in 2014, catches up with film subjects Arthur Agee and William Gates and their families.

  • Mary Karr on HOOP DREAMS

  • “Siskel & Ebert” on HOOP DREAMS

    This collection of segments from film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert’s television show displays their efforts to galvanize support for HOOP DREAMS. They begin by praising the documentary on its way to the Sundance Film Festival, then recommend it to the Academy Awards review committee, and f...

  • HOOP DREAMS Additional Scenes

    The following scenes either didn’t make the final cut of HOOP DREAMS or are alternate edits of scenes in the film. They are presented here in the order in which the events occurred in the lives of film subjects Arthur Agee and William Gates.

  • HOOP DREAMS Music Video

    Directed by Peter Gilbert, with music produced by Ben Sidran and featuring rapper Tony M., this rarely seen music video for the theme song of HOOP DREAMS was created to promote the film’s soundtrack CD, released in 1994.