Review of Hoop Dreams (1994) by Kellen V — 02 Jun 2010
One of the best documentaries I've ever seen, and quite possibly the best sports movie I've ever seen. It's three hours long, but doesn't feel like it. The movie follows the high school years of two poor Chicago kids, both of whom excel at basketball and build their entire lives around it.
Since the movie was shot over the course of five years, you watch them both grow up and see how their attitudes to basketball, school, and life change (or stay the same). You also see a lot of their families and coaches, who turn out to be interesting people in their own right.
There are enough down-to-the-wire, gamechanging dramatic moments for both kids to make it seem like a fictional sports movie, but it's all real. In terms of how it portrays poor inner-city life, I would say it is much better than Precious.
These kids don't have it as tough as Precious, but their lives still aren't very much fun. Nevertheless, they do manage through hard work to better their circumstances, at least a little. It's genuinely inspiring.
This review of Hoop Dreams (1994) was written by Kellen V on 02 Jun 2010.
Hoop Dreams has generally received very positive reviews.
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