Despite its sobering themes, Hoop Dreams is a deeply inspiring film. The movie is ostensibly a documentary about two young men’s pipe dream to reach the NBA, but it’s really a movie about the importance of perseverance and faith in the face of adversity.
Throughout the film William Gates and Arthur Agee demonstrate how their perseverance and faith propels them through the challenges of poverty, discrimination, and happenstance. Hoop Dreams shows William and Arthur’s families struggle to make ends meet. It shows their dilapidated and underfunded schools. It displays the discrimination and racism they face on a daily basis. But what it shows above all else is William and Arthur providing a shining example of persistence.
The resilience and determination that William and Arthur display throughout the film can be seen as a testament to the strength that resides within the human spirit. However, the film is careful to present those traits in the context of community-based faith. Despite the many obstacles they face, both William and Arthur find the support and encouragement they need to try to succeed from the people around them. Their families, friends, and coaches imbue them with a Herculean sense of confidence by way of the emotional and spiritual support each group delivers. This sense of community helps sustain these two young men through setback after setback and gives them the strength they need to pursue a dream that is statistically almost impossible to achieve.
Hoop Dreams makes viewers believe that it is possible to continue to push forward with a sense of purpose and conviction despite living in a grim reality if they can garner similar spiritual support. This message of interconnectedness and the importance of supporting one another is central to many spiritual traditions, and can serve as a reminder of the fundamental unity of all people, regardless of race or class. — Edward Brown (2023)
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