Rating: 
Summary: good, but a bit too long and narrow
Review: This film follows the lives of two inner city kids who aspire to play basketball in the NBA. All of the hopes and dreams of the youngsters and their failures and succeses are monitored. From young kids to young men, the harsh realities of growing up in the inner city are also shown. The two main things that bother me about this documentary is that it was too long and narrowly focused. Two hours would have been more than sufficient espeicially for only two people. The extra time diminished the value of the film for me. I also think the film is too narrowly focused because there are only two subjects. The director could have selected 5 or maybe 7 subjects from the different cities to give more of a perspective. I won't spoil the film, but I must say that nothing extrodinary happens. Both subjects seem content (one of them more than the other) with their lots in life however. For those interested in seeing an excellent documentary series which follows the lives of people very well though different stages of life, see Micheal Apted's "Up" series.
Rating: 
Summary: A MUST for everyone!!!
Review: This film is the best documentary I have ever seen in my life. The film directors cut an incredible 250 (!!) hours of footage down to (what now sounds very short) 3 hours. If you don't see this film, YOU ARE MISSING OUT! No to mention the soundtrack which is fantastic. You don't necessarily have to be a b-ball fan to see this movie. It's more than a story about basketball. It goes a lot deeper. It's the story of being able to overcome huge obstacles, living in near poverty and surviving, and perseverance. I was touched by the subtle yet obvious inside story with Arthur and his father. All the little things in this movie suddenly become big. You find that you start looking at the overall picture instead of the present moment. You become entranced with this story so much so, that it feels that you are right there with them, going through everything thing that they are too. In the end, you may feel have mixed emotions. Depressed or angry about how certain races are treated. Satisfied with how both kids achieved what they wanted in a way. But probably, INSPIRED because of how the 6 years of video footage tell a story about overcoming problems and facing them head on. The solid 3 hour film unrolls infront of your eyes bringing TRUTH and INSPIRATION to all. GO SEE THIS MOVIE - Roger E. - Chicago Trib.
Rating:
Summary: Heart warming!
Review: This movie brought tears to my eyes showing two black stars trying to make it in a predominately white society and yet play basketball at the same time. At first they both had determination and fear in their eyes trying to compete against each other and trying to stay at the same school and pass their classes. I never had to live in a poverty area where basketball is the only way out but now I don't take life for granted. These guys showed us that blacks can make it in the world and still go to college. Even though they didn't make it to the NBA and they are still not there, they will always be a postitive role model to me and other blacks everywhere!
Rating:
Summary: Emotionally Moving-It will change how you see your life!
Review: This movie is so incredible. We feel the pain of Arthur and William, and we feel thier happiness, we feel everything they do. All thier emotions are captured on film and it is very moving. It makes you realize how lucky you are to have the things you do, no matter how small they may seem. Arthur had a dream and he didn't let anything stop him, not his father leaving, not losing his best friend, not getting kicked out of St. Joe's. William managed to keep his grades up and take care of a child.That is a truly remarkable feat. I cannot even begin to express the impact that this movie has made on me and my life. I cannot express in words how happy I am to see Arthur and William achieve in life, I feel as though I know then personally. This is truly a must see movie!
Rating:
Summary: I wish they had made it...
Review: This movie was a masterpiece. Not only do you come to really care what happens to these two very special boys, but I was very depressed at the end. It doesn't seem like these boys, and countless others like them, get a fair shot in life. They are kind and sweet, but it's like they have strikes against them from the very start. I was saddened at the school system, which gets rid of Arthur because they basically have no use for him, and the living conditions-one of the boys, in his own neighborhood- was held up at gunpoint, and to see him there trying not to cry as he explained the incident, it made me feel like he deserved so much better than that. Both of them did. And you feel equally for their families, I cried when the mom got her nursing assistant license, she worked so hard. They were both good boys, Arthur does not get into drugs, he works at a Pizza Hut for 3 dollars an hour. They wanted so much to realize their dream of the NBA, and it made me so sad to wonder what happened to all those boys who didn't make it. Isn't there someone who can help these boys who aren't fortunate enough to get the chances that everyone deserves? And isn't there still a reward and a payoof if they don't make it? There should be.
Rating:
Summary: The greatest movie i have ever seen
Review: This was quite simply the greatest movie that I have ever seen. I found it moving and very entertaining. Growing up in Chicago, its a shame but the NBA truely does seem like the only way out of the ghetto. This movie is a story of basketball, and life. Also it is about a shameful system where your nobody if you dont succeed in the NBA. Perhaps William Gates said it best when he said, "Sometimes people tell me, 'When you make it to the NBA dont forget about' sometimes i think, 'Well if i dont make it dont forget about me.'"
Rating: 
Summary: A major snooze-o-rama!
Review: What a snooze. A three hour documentary about kids goals of becoming professional basketball players.The subject matter might have worked for an hour long film, but at three hours this is strictly for die hard basketball fans ONLY!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best documentaries I have seen
Review: What makes this documentary so compelling is the growth and maturation in each of the two main characters. We are first introduced to the boys when they are in middle school and see their faraway dreams and smile at their naivete. One is brash, the other reserved. By the end of this film we realize how much the two have grown, how they have been transformed by their actions and the environment. We see their dreams evolve. I read Ebert's review of this after watching the movie. He mentions how well Hoop Dreams captures the "ebb and flow" of life. I completely agree. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: The greatest documentary never to be nominated for an Oscar!
Review: When this film was released, it was a monumental achievement in documenting a person's life. Starting from when the two kids were in High School through their first year in college, you care about them. In spite of their humble surroundings, they managed to survive. Many critics, including Ebert & Siskel called this movie the best documentary ever made. But the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences didn't even give the film it's due. That's right, it was never nominated for an Oscar!! And that's the saddest story of them all. This outstanding work was never given the proper credit. Without question, there should have been some investigation about this. It is the best documentary of all time!!
Rating:
Summary: Still brings tears to the eyes after 10 years
Review: When this movie first came out 10 years ago, I remembered sitting for several minutes in the theater as the credits were rolling, collecting myself. I never cry in movie theaters. And this movie moved me to bawl like a child. To think about the ups and downs, the raw enthusiasm of the young boys when they first started chasing their hoop dreams, the rough realities that they both faced without consistent fatherhood, without steady incomes, without one advantage in their lives, still brings tears to my eyes. This was a brilliant movie that moved public discourse about the importance of steady parenting, the need for educational and employment opportunities in all corners of America, the costs associated with our obsession for celebrity athletes, and the limitations of athletics as a vehicle for moving young men from poverty to wealth. Because of the openness of the families being documented, and because the film's editors and director were able to cut to the core of human needs and desires, this film broke through cultural barriers, bridged gaps in our understanding of one another, and helped us to understand that every life has value, every person has a story to tell, and every child has the right and the power to dream. It also helps us to understand that it is not always the content of character or talent that enable these children to achieve their dreams. It is also privilege, opportunities, and the right guiding hands. And without these, dreams become melancholy memories of something that could have been, only if...
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