Half of what sports fans love about a game are the teams, the players and the stories behind them. Hoop Dreams succeeds by drawing you into the backstories of two young men; the way it makes you care for and understand them brings a whole new perspective to basketball.
William Gates and Arthur Agee are both from rough parts of Chicago. Fellow Windy City native Kanye West once sang that “the midwest is young and restless” and it’s an apt description for these two talented young men, whose fierce determination might navigate drugs, crime, violence, and family instability to secure them scholarships at good schools and a brighter future.
This nearly three-hour film documents five years in their lives, not as rivals, but parallels. They deal with their personal problems, school obligations, financial worries, long commutes and more – all while talent scouts constantly hover (often with a self-interest that’s spoofed in a great Mr. Show sketch). It’s impressive the composure both maintain throughout, especially when you remember what an emotional wreck you were at their age.
From the directors who went on to make The Interrupters, this 1994 film has just been released on DVD through Madman – and it still holds up. The off-court plot lines make the on-court developments gripping, and when you think that the ups and downs Arthur and William go through – in just five years – are probably not dissimilar to what hundreds of young recruits endure, it makes the mechanics of the game seem that much more extraordinary.
WIN
Thanks to Madman, we have a DVD to give away! To enter, email
brisbane.win@thethousands.com.au with the subject 'the midwest is young and restless'
