Hoop Dreams

Can anyone be successful if she or he tries hard enough? Can a person push through the personal or social barriers that stand in the way in order to find what they are searching for? What is it this person is trying to succeed at?

That's a question usually asked when someone decides to embark on a set path. In the black culture, this question is usually answered with selling drugs, engaging in hip-hop, or in this case, playing basketball in order to make money to make a better life for them. This is the case of Arthur Agee and William Gates, two kids documented for five years about their dream of making it to the professional basketball level. They have this dream for they are living in a society where they can't do much. The environment they live in is all they know--the south side of Chicago--they are confined in a culture where a low paying job or selling drugs is the only way to get by. With all this, can someone be successful if they try hard enough?

Arthur Agee's story begins in 1987 when he graduated from grammar school. Arthur loved to play basketball, of course, and his childhood hero was Isaiah Thomas, a well known figure of the NBA. Agee was discovered by a talent scout named Earl Smith and was recommended to attend St. Joseph's High School, the same school Isaiah Thomas attended. The Agee family would have to shell out quite a bit of money and gain financial help from the school in order to send him, despite the fact they were barely living off their mother's check with bills and three children to feed for most of the documentary, a result of their low, working social class. The father would also leave the family to lead a life of drug selling and abuse, which left Arthur's mother to fend for the family alone.

Arthur's tenure in St. Joseph's was a bit difficult for him personally, having to get up at 5:30 in the morning for ninety minutes of train and bus travel time to get to St. Joseph's. St. Joseph's is a high educational prep school, and Arthur would have to conform to the rules and regular activities in order to work through towards his dream. He was assimilated into this type of society, possibly losing some of his disabilities and differences he has been accustomed to, but he still had a problem of performing, as a scholar, up to the school's standards. However, he performed well on the court, a point of his individualism no one can take away.

Arthur would end up leaving St. Joseph's for few reasons, most notably the fact the Agee's can't cover his payments, and the school has helped as much as they possibly can. He would transfer to Marshall High School; where not only the school wasn't notable for good grade students, but not a good basketball team as well, as the team finished way under .500 last season. Arthur ended up seemingly worse as far as studies were concerned, and with St. Joseph's not releasing Arthur's transcript for reasons of past payments unable to be made, he would have to end up taking summer school every quarter in order to graduate with his class.

Despite these cultural disabilities, Arthur would lead Marshall to a winning record and to the state championship, something that hasn't been realized in over six years.

Meanwhile, his mother was still struggling to make end's meet and took up a nursing class to get a nursing degree. Her fear of not being able to pass the class was coupled with the father still doing drugs, physically abusing her, and the fact that the family has been living with no power for a couple of weeks at a time. She would eventually gain her nursing degree with the highest test average and graduated the top of her class, with Arthur and family watching proudly. She was essentially the first out of the characters that, despite all the barriers, was the first person to succeed in their dream in the film. Arthur's family would also be reunited with the return of his father after enduring a stint in prison and turning over to God to become a pastor.

Arthur had one central friendship, William Gates. William lived near Arthur and endured basically the same problems