Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

A really good Documentary about two high school students becoming Professional Basketball Players. Its shot on a beta max camera but, Its the 90's you can't complain about it and there is a charm with it as well. The two high school students are likable and i fell for them when you see there success and failures in life also, there parents are Likable as well. I'm not to crazy about sports but, i did remember playing Basketball , i didn't play for any teams, i play it as a hobby and i remember being good at. OK getting off topic right there what i was saying is i'm not to crazy about sports but, the story really kept me invested and i care what was going on. my minor complains are that the film gets a little to long but, i can handle it and that i really think it would have been nice to see the two high school students name William and Arthur meet each other in the documentary which you don't see them come face to face in the documentary but, that's just a minor complain. Overall i Highly Highly Recommend seeing this documentary.

I'd heard a lot about this documentary, but had never seen it. I've even read comments by few people calling it their favourite film, "even though it's a documentary" (as if that was a bad thing!). It's understandable to see why this film speaks to the hearts of so many people."Hoop Dreams" follows two teenaged Chicago residents, Arthur Agee and William Gates, and their dreams of becoming professional basketball players - more than that, basketball superstars a la Michael Jordan. From their first year of high school until they start college, we observe all of the expectations, efforts, joy, disappointments, and numerous obstacles that make their journey.Will Agee and Gates manage to overcome all the obstacles and become more than most of their peers even dream to achieve? The suspense is well-built through clever editing and a good sense of rhythm, pace and storytelling (documenting is also storytelling, after all), and the film doesn't feel 170 minutes long. By the end, you realize you've watched two real people growing up and doing what they can or cannot - failing and trying again - to achieve their goals and dreams, no matter what are the odds imposed by their economical and social backgrounds. Hoop Dreams come(s) true as both a slice of life and a fascinating socio-anthropological study. Not bad for a 'basketball documentary'.

Strong, incisive docu-drama that follows the aspirations and misfortunes of two very talented teenage sensations from basketball crazy Chicago.Film gets inside the minds and lives of both these boys as they race toward adulthood and hopeful stardom. Steve James and Peter Gilbert do a great job in giving us an expose on both the youngster's psyche's and less fortunate African-American families in Harlem.Especially good is our journey into the lives of the Agee family. Perhaps basketball fans will get more out of it than most, but all audiences are sure to gain something from this quality documentary which is as much a social study as it is a sports commentary.Monday, August 31, 1998 - Hoyts Croydon

I'll never understand the USA's obsession with high school sports. Putting this much pressure on 14-18 year old kids and calling them athletes and referring to their basketball as a 'career' is harmful. Sure, it's an entertaining game but that's all it is. Once business takes over all bets are off and lives are ruined. The promise of the American dream of wealth and success is nothing but a bald-faced lie. These topics were briefly touched on but for the most part the movie was a rather passive documentary that simply chronicled two different boys' lives in high school basketball for four years. That in itself was interesting enough for me to give this movie a good rating. 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. The movie still presents a powerful portrayal of the lower-class inner city blacks in America and the desperation they have to endure. One of the only outs for their kids seems to be sports scholarships. Enter the over-zealous coach, competitive scouts and legions of fans. It's interesting to see because no one in Canada is as obsessed with high school sports. I think it's mainly because it's the only way out for poor, inner-city blacks in America. The concept makes for an entertaining, emotional documentary.