The film has a 98% approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes, based on 60 reviews with an average rating of 8.8/10. Ebert in his initial television review proclaimed "This is one of the best films about American life that I have ever seen", and later called it the best film of the decade and "one of the great moviegoing experiences of my lifetime." In 2004, The New York Times placed the film on its Best 1000 Movies Ever list. Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert gave the film "Two Thumbs Up" on their show, with both critics naming Hoop Dreams the best film of 1994. The film was universally acclaimed by critics. With their large funds, the crew shot 40 days junior year, and shot 100 days between the summer of junior year and the end of the film. Once demo reels were released, the filmmakers began to hear back positive results and gain funds. Without any money, the crew shot five days in the summer going into freshman year, seven days of freshman year and 10 days of sophomore year. The filmmakers followed the children back to their homes, and after nearly eight years, and with over 250 hours of raw footage, a 30-minute PBS special turned into a three-hour feature film on the lives of Gates and Agee, while grossing $7.8 million.Īt one point, the electricity was turned off in the Agee home the filmmakers continued filming and (off-camera) provided money for the lights to be turned back on. The film was originally intended by filmmakers Peter Gilbert, Steve James, and Frederick Marx to be a 30-minute short, shot in three weeks, to be aired on PBS, focusing on one playground court and its young players. government funding of PBS, which was reduced in the following years. The film was given as an example to defend the level of U.S. Kartemquin Films of Chicago is credited as a production organization along with KTCA. Seed money for Hoop Dreams came from several sources, including the National Endowment for the Arts, PBS, and PBS member station KTCA in Minnesota. The film raises a number of issues concerning race, social class, economic division, education, and values in the contemporary United States. Along the way, their families celebrate their successes and support each other during times of economic hardship caused from the school change. Taking 90-minute commutes to school, enduring long and difficult workouts and practices, and having to acclimate to a foreign social environment, Gates and Agee struggle to improve their athletic skills in a job market with heavy competition. Gates lived in Cabrini–Green while Agee and his family resided in West Garfield Park. The team was led by Gene Pingatore, who coached National Basketball Association (NBA) Hall of Fame player Isiah Thomas.Īgee and Gates are both from poor African-American neighborhoods in Chicago, Illinois. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois, a predominantly white high school with an outstanding basketball program. The film follows William Gates and Arthur Agee, two African-American teenagers who are recruited by a scout from St. In 2005, Hoop Dreams was included in the annual selection of 25 motion pictures added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and recommended for preservation.
#High school dreams 14 tv#
Hoop Dreams was ranked #1 on the Current TV special 50 Documentaries to See Before You Die. Despite its length (171 minutes) and unlikely commercial genre, it received high critical and popular acclaim, and grossed over $11 million worldwide. It was only the second documentary film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing (the first being Woodstock).
Hoop Dreams premiered at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival where it won the Audience Award for Best Documentary. The filming of the special led to five years of filming and 250 hours of footage. Hoop Dreams was originally intended to be a 30-minute short film produced for the Public Broadcasting Service, and this 30 minute special was eventually completed under the name Higher Goals, directed by Frederick Marx, which was nominated for the 1993 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Special.
#High school dreams 14 professional#
It follows the story of two African-American high school students, William Gates and Arthur Agee, in Chicago and their dream of becoming professional basketball players. Hoop Dreams is a 1994 American documentary film directed by Steve James, and produced by Frederick Marx, James, and Peter Gilbert, with Kartemquin Films.