A Really Good Movie

Yesterday, I wrote about one of the worst movies I've seen in a long time--Fast Food Nation.

Today, I am going to write about one the best movies I've seen in a long time--Hoop Dreams.

Miller and I watched it last night and experienced the full spectrum of emotions. It was at times uplifting, depressing, and humorous. Though about basketball on the surface, it was more about the nearly insurmountable obstacles put in the way of inner-city youth.

The documentary follows the high school experiences of two Chicago boys--both with the dream of going to the NBA. I had the same dream when I was younger. However, for me the dream never became more than some far-off fantasy. For Arthur Agee and William Gates, the dream is the focal point of much of their early life.

This past Thursday, only 60 players were selected in the NBA draft. That's 60 out of thousands of college players, hundreds of thousands of rec. players. Yet, Arthur and William banked on going to the NBA. It was the only way they saw themselves leaving the inner-city and creating a better life for themselves and their family. Arthur and William are probably not unique in this respect. There are many other inner-city kids who put all their eggs in basketball. And if they're not one of the 60 athletes selected to the NBA, which is most likely the case, then back to the inner-city they go.

The movie explored the hypocrisy of the "student-athlete." The seeming impossibility of maintaining normal family life in the inner-city. The escape that sports can provide for the worst of situations. And the psychological effect of missing out on a dream and then attempting to live out that dream through someone else.

I can't guarantee that you'll feel all that great after watching this movie. It doesn't present the most uplifting view of things in America's cities. However, irregardless of this, you'll be glad that you watched it. It tells an extraordinary story.