Hoop Dreams (1994): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1994, Hoop Dreams is a documentary film directed by Steve James, running about 174 minutes. “An Extraordinary True Story.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Every school day, African-American teenagers William Gates and Arthur Agee travel 90 minutes each way from inner-city Chicago to St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois, a predominately white suburban school well-known for the excellence of its basketball program. Gates and Agee dream of NBA stardom, and with the support of their close-knit families, they battle the social and physical obstacles that stand in their way. This acclaimed documentary was shot over the course of five years.

Who’s in it. Hoop Dreams stars William Gates as Himself, Arthur Agee as Himself, Steve James as Narrator and Dick Vitale, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.7/10, Hoop Dreams has been warmly received by audiences. It went on to earn $7.8M at the box office.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on fuboTV, HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV and Criterion Channel and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Hoop Dreams page.

If you liked it. Fans of Hoop Dreams tend to enjoy One Direction: This Is Us, Burn the Stage: The Movie, BTS World Tour: Love Yourself - Japan Edition and Senna.