Hoop Dreams

Critically hailed as one of the best films of 1994, Hoop Dreams hasn't lost any of its relevance in the 11 years since it was first released. The product of a diligent five-year effort on the part of filmmakers Steve James, Frederick Marx, and Peter Gilbert, this remarkable three-hour documentary offers a riveting real-life drama that no screenwriter could invent. What began as an educational film about playground basketball blossomed (much to the filmmakers' surprise) into an epic chronicle of hope and perseverance focusing on the young lives and supportive families of two inner-city Chicago teenagers--Arthur Agee and William Gates--who dream of following their hero, Isaiah Thomas, to fame and glory as NBA basketball stars. But this is no mere sports story: as Hoop Dreams accompanies Agee and Gates through their final year of high school and into the challenging, competitive world of college athletics, the film also explores the concept of the American Dream--i.e., the tenacious belief that hard work will be rewarded--through the prism of ghetto life. With triumphs and setbacks (such as Gates' recurring knee injuries and low grades, and the emotional stress of Agee's separated parents), the picture takes the time to tell the complete story of these admirable young men at the most pivotal stage of their lives, when dreams constantly collide with reality, and the responsibilities of adulthood emerge. Some of the details may have grown dated, but Hoop still serves as a powerful story about striving to achieve one's full potential with self-respect and dignity, even if the dream doesn't always come true. The Criterion Collection edition includes excellent bonus features, most notably two full-length commentaries (one by the filmmakers, and one by Agee and Gates, now nearing 30 with families of their own), and a 40-page booklet of essays and articles, including a 2004 update from The Washington Post that revisits the Hoop Dream-ers 10 years after the film was produced. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (J. Shannon)[Blu-ray/DVD Review—Mar. 24, 2015—Criterion, 172 min., not rated, DVD: 2 discs, $29.95; Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1994's Hoop Dreams sports a great transfer and a DTS-HD 4.0 soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition. Extras include two audio commentaries (the first with filmmakers Steve James, Frederick Marx, and Peter Gilbert; the second with film subjects Arthur Agee and William Gates), a “Life After Hoop Dreams” retrospective (40 min.), additional scenes (20 min.), excerpts from Siskel & Ebert on the film (16 min.), the original 1994 music video for the film's theme, trailers, and a booklet featuring essays by author John Edgar Wideman and filmmaker and critic Robert Greene. Bottom line: a landmark documentary makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]