Hoop Dreams

Rating:
Summary: The best documentary I've ever seen
Review: William Gates and Arthur Agee are two talented kids, shooting for a one-in-a-million chance to make it to the NBA. They live in the poverty-stricken ghetto of Chicago. Arthur's father is a drug addict, William's brother is a former basketball star-turned-depressed-has-been. The filmmakers could have made this a doom-and-gloom cautionary tale of the perils of the American dream, but they did something brave and chose to make this one of the most inspiring movies I've ever seen. One thing that is immediately noticeable is how strong most of the characters are, especially the women. Arthur's mother, Sheila, goes from a depressed welfare mother to the proud, tearful recipient of her nurse's degree. One of the best scenes is her first day on the job as a nurse, she wears her white outfit as if it was a prom dress. When William whines about getting into college via basketball, his girlfriend and the mother of his daughter points out that she is going to college all on her own, with no athletic scholarship, and she is raising the baby. William's brother, Curtis, is a sad character. Once a basketball star, he is now overweight and pushing his brother to relive the NBA dream. Yet he does not give up -- unemployed for most of the movie, he finally lands a job as a security guard. He doesn't like it, but points out that it's better than nothing. And the film's two protagonists, are remarkably resilient young men. The filmmakers obviously developed a rapport with William and Arthur, and they open up to the cameras about their insecurities, both athletic, academic, and personal.
In movies, there are usually clear-cut "villains." In this film there are none, although some characters are astonishingly unsympathetic. Perhaps the most loathsome is Jean Pingatore, a ruthless, hard-nosed basketball coach. Yet one realizes he's probably just a less successful version of Bobby Knight, or Red Auerbach, or any other storied American coach. His constant quest to produce the "next Isiah Thomas" (his one great pupil) in the end comes across as sad. When William says "goodbye" to Jean, a casual question by Jean turns chilling. "I'm studying communications so when people like you call me up and ask for money I'll know how to say no," William says in his charming, sweet voice.
Such moments can't be scripted. The undisguised contempt William has developed for his coach is worth hundreds of feel-good Hollywood movies.

Rating:
Summary: In a nutshell, the best ever
Review: Without a doubt Hoop Dreams is the finest movie that I've ever seen, or will ever see. After viewing it for the first time, my attitude towards life transcended a little (or a lot), and now I know what life is. I've never even met Arthur or William, and I know all about them. Kudo's go to Steve James and his group, for realizing that this is quite a story to document. I do not see how anyone can not love this summit of expression of life.