Sarge-23 Review of Hoop Dreams

Hoop Dreams (1994)

Very moving.

[10/10 · 17 March 1999]

Simply outstanding. This documentary spoke to more than just the overlying story of the two young men who followed their overriding dream by doing what they deemed necessary, with the film itself chronicling their true-life tribulations along the way. It also spoke to the thousands of young, urban, inner-city youth who try to follow a path laid out for them via desegregation court orders, bussing from inner cities to far-flung suburbs, all in the hope to receive better educations via superior academic and athletic facilities. One of the most poignant scenes showed Arthur and William both alighting from the bus that has carried them from Cabrini-Green to a seeming Heaven (the Catholic high school in the suburbs where they matriculated), and trudging through the snow up to the entrance to the school, after a bus ride of more than an hour, starting at 6AM. The effort shown in this one act speaks volumes for the dedication these very young adolescents had toward attaining their goals, as well as the hopes their parents had for their future well-being. The true-life events detailed throughout the rest of the documentary enhanced and heightened the emotional triumphs and failures as seen through the eyes of these two youths and those closest to them.

At the same time, one could also see the ruthless, non-forgiving side of competition, and how it could be used to manipulate those participating in it.

This was and is truly one of the most outstanding documentaries of all time. I would urge anyone, anyone at all, regardless of their background relating to sports, to sit back and watch this documentary, and to try to see it, feel it, through the eyes of the protagonists. It is unforgettable.