The film's great achievement is to reveal the relentless way in which coaches and recruiters refuse to see Arthur and William as anything other than social cliches. full review

It's about three hours long. But it moves like Isiah, fast and smooth, and it's over in a heartbreak. full review

Hoop Dreams has shown us that the rules of the game are stacked against kids like Gates and Agee. Even better, it shows us how they fight back, with the inside moves of hope. full review

A heady dose of the American dream and the American nightmare combined -- a numbing investigation of how one point on an exam or one basket or turnover in a game can make all the difference in a family's fortunes. full review

A prodigious achievement that conveys the fabric of modern American life, aspirations and incidentally, sports, in close-up and at length, Hoop Dreams is a documentary slam dunk. full review

An ironic drama so beautifully sculpted it could be transposed without alteration into a fictional film.

A documentary that breathes new life into the subject by showing the everyday reality of that dream. full review

Along the way it becomes a revealing and heartbreaking story about life in America. full review

The most powerful movie about sports ever made. full review

An extraordinarily affecting documentary. full review

This picture has a legitimate dramatic structure that is equally as compelling as a scripted slice of fiction. full review