Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Hoop Dreams

Play trailer Poster for Hoop Dreams PG-13 1994 2h 50m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
98% Tomatometer 60 Reviews 92% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Every school day, African-American teenagers William Gates and Arthur Agee travel 90 minutes each way from inner-city Chicago to St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois, a predominately white suburban school well-known for the excellence of its basketball program. Gates and Agee dream of NBA stardom, and with the support of their close-knit families, they battle the social and physical obstacles that stand in their way. This acclaimed documentary was shot over the course of five years.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

Hoop Dreams

Hoop Dreams

What to Know

Critics Consensus

One of the most critically acclaimed documentaries of all time, Hoop Dreams is a rich, complex, heartbreaking, and ultimately deeply rewarding film that uses high school hoops as a jumping-off point to explore issues of race, class, and education in modern America.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Geordie Gray The Australian 05/28/2024
It remains the greatest, most incredibly moving sports documentary ever made... Go to Full Review
Bill Stamets Chicago Reader 06/07/2022
3/4
Recruiters, coaches, teachers–even the boys’ fathers–could be easy targets, but the filmmakers forgo cheap shots. Go to Full Review
Adam Nayman The Ringer 03/27/2020
At once a rigorous exploration of the sports-educational industrial complex and an intimate piece of portraiture... Go to Full Review
John Marriott Radio Times 07/31/2024
5/5
An unforgettable and thoroughly engrossing movie that's certainly not just for fans of basketball. Go to Full Review
Sheila Reid Women in the Life 05/16/2022
It’s a compelling story that gives you an in depth look at their world. Go to Full Review
John Bleasdale CineVue 11/02/2020
5/5
It's the film's humanity which is at the core of its genius. It takes its subject seriously. It never sneers or judges. It sees the context and is wise enough not to hold itself aloof. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
@Mikedbigame Dec 16 I saw it in the theater when it came out, and I was blown away... Where a modern film like "Boyhood" is thought a miracle of filmaking because it was filmed over a 12 year period, Hoop Dreams did something similar over a 6 year period, with REAL people... And in this case, the Non-fiction story was far, far more interesting than the Fictional story. See more Ed . Aug 29 Celluloid nightmare. Everybody but me loves this docudrama. In its favor, it doesn't embellish or do any reality tricks so common today. You can't help but care and be sympathetic to those showcased. However, I found it be be exceedingly long and obvious and manipulative of emotions. Since I and a handful of others are by far outliers of opinion, chances are you will highly enjoy Hoop Dreams. See more Yash B Jul 10 "Hoop Dreams" is a documentary made with care and attention to detail. This movie is full of drama, just like any narrative feature film would be. The story is complex and full of emotional highs and lows that make it an honest depiction of aspiring to be a professional athlete. It is a heartbreaking reminder that dreaming big and working hard are not always enough. Outside of the sports aspect of the film, the movie is a journey of these two young boys and their families, and it is a fascinating watch. Overall, it is an engaging documentary that doesn't require much knowledge of basketball to fully appreciate, which is commendable. See more Stephen C @bob25009 Jul 7 Success in 2 hour, 51 minutes, and 45 seconds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $7,800,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Connor S 07/12/2024 I left the movie less inspired than when I went in, which seems to defeat the major purpose. See more Joel H 11/17/2023 Hoop Dreams is one of the first full-length documentaries that I made a decision to watch. I was, and still am amazed by how a simple slice-of-life story like this can be so compelling. Especially since I've never had dreams of playing in the NBA and my upbringing was quite different from that of William Gates and Arthur Agee. Nevertheless, it's a relatable movie. It's long, and it feels very amateurish now with its low-quality video and flat narration, but that lack of polish is also part of its charm. Hoop Dreams is a rookie with aspirations of success, just like the subjects of this documentary. See more Read all reviews
Hoop Dreams

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW
The Big One 92% 68% The Big One Watchlist The Last Days 96% 91% The Last Days Watchlist The Cruise 86% 87% The Cruise Watchlist TRAILER for The Cruise Looking for Richard 85% 80% Looking for Richard Watchlist Gunnin' for That No. 1 Spot 72% 69% Gunnin' for That No. 1 Spot Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Every school day, African-American teenagers William Gates and Arthur Agee travel 90 minutes each way from inner-city Chicago to St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois, a predominately white suburban school well-known for the excellence of its basketball program. Gates and Agee dream of NBA stardom, and with the support of their close-knit families, they battle the social and physical obstacles that stand in their way. This acclaimed documentary was shot over the course of five years.
Director
Steve James
Producer
Peter Gilbert, Steve James, Frederick Marx
Distributor
Fine Line Features, New Line Home Video [us]
Production Co
KTCA Minneapolis, Kartemquin Films
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 14, 1994, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$7.8M
Runtime
2h 50m
Sound Mix
Stereo
Most Popular at Home Now