READ THIS FIRST: This is a 12-inch Diameter Laserdisc, which is NOT the same as DVD and cannot be played on a DVD player!

Laserdisc Title: "HOOP DREAMS"
Edition: Fullscreen Edition (Double-Disc Set)
Directed By: Steve James
Starring: Arthur Agee, William Gates
Production / Year: 1994 Fine Line Features
Running Time: 171 Minutes / Color
Audio Format: Digital Sound, Stereo, CX Encoded
Video Format: NTSC, CLV (Extended Play)
Miscellaneous Features: Rated PG-13, Close Captioned
Distributed By: Image Entertainment
Catalog / Spine Number: ID3001LI

Cosmetic Condition:
Disc (s): UNOPENED / FACTORY SEALED
Jacket: UNOPENED / FACTORY SEALED

Synopsis:
This completely absorbing three-hour documentary follows the lives of two inner-city African American teenage basketball prodigies as they move through high school with long-shot dreams of the NBA, superstardom, and an escape from the ghetto. Taking cues from such works as Michael Apted's 35 Up, director Steve James and associates shot more than 250 hours of footage, spanning more than six years, and their completed work actually moves like an edge-of-the-seat drama, so brimming with tension, plot twists, successes, and tragedies that its length--170 minutes--is never an issue. Yet, what makes the film more impressive is how James moves his scope beyond a competitive sports drama (although the movie has plenty of terrific, nail-biting basketball footage) and addresses complex social issues, creating a scathing social commentary about class privilege and racial division. The film opens by introducing William Gates and Arthur Agee, two Chicago hopefuls, as they are being courted and recruited by various high schools to play ball, and continues until the pair are college freshmen. James allows the audience the experience of not only watching their journeys and daily routines (it's a sobering portrait of inner-city life), but also witnessing their maturation. Each takes a separate path along the way, stumbling over several obstacles (William suffers injuries, Arthur fails to meet his coach's high expectations); but James takes particular care to stress the importance and strong commitment of each character's family along the way, giving the film a essential center. The parents and siblings emerge with as much depth and complexity as the two main "characters," and turn Hoop Dreams into an unforgettable film experience. This movie should be mandatory viewing for high school kids. As the title implies, most of the piece deals with the lives of two promising high school basketball players from the inner city. In reality, this documentary is a whole lot deeper. The audience follows around the two main protagonists through their daily routines. The fact that most of the talking is done by the two athletes and their parents is what makes this such a powerful piece. Life in the inner city has never seemed so closer as I found myself cheering for these kids to make it at the same time thinking I wish they would take their studies more seriously. The struggles their families had to go through, at times, made you think about what chance do people from the inner cities have. The importance of having an education is echoed stronly and while the title implies achieving athletic greatnes - the theme of knowledge lingers throughout.

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