Hoop Dreams

Name: Hoop Dreams
Genre: Documentary
Released: 1994-09-12
Duration: 2 h 54 min
Rating: 7.6
Cast: William Gates, Arthur Agee, Gene Pingatore, Steve James, Dick Vitale

1994·Movie·PG-13·174 min·★ 7.6(333)

Documentary More English titles

“An Extraordinary True Story.”

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.

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Click a service to open Hoop Dreams there. Availability last verified on June 20, 2026.

Where is Hoop Dreams streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	fuboTV, HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
United Kingdom	—	Apple TV Store
Canada	Criterion Channel, Crave, CTV	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Australia	Foxtel Now, DocPlay, DocPlay Amazon Channel	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
Germany	—	LaCinetek
France	—	LaCinetek

About Hoop Dreams

Hoop Dreams is a 1994 English-language documentary film directed by Steve James. The cast is led by William Gates, Arthur Agee, Gene Pingatore. It has a runtime of 2h 54m. Viewers rate it 7.6/10 across 300 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on fuboTV, HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV.

Hoop Dreams was produced by Fine Line Features and Kartemquin Films and made in United States of America. It was released on September 12, 1994, and carries a PG-13 certification. Made on a budget of about $1 million, it went on to gross $8 million worldwide.

Director: Steve James
Writers: Frederick Marx, Steve James
Release date: September 12, 1994
Original language: English
Age rating: PG-13
Status: Released
Country: United States of America
Budget: $1 million
Box office: $8 million
Production: Fine Line Features, Kartemquin Films

#chicago, illinois#sports#narration#ghetto#college#basketball#high school sports#inner city#high school student

Hoop Dreams cast & crew

Hoop Dreams was directed by Steve James and written by Frederick Marx and Steve James.

The cast features William Gates as Self, Arthur Agee as Self, Gene Pingatore as Self, Steve James as Narrator (voice), Dick Vitale as Self, and Bobby Knight as Self.

Behind the camera, cinematography is by Peter Gilbert and it was produced by Peter Gilbert and Catherine Allan.

Is Hoop Dreams worth watching?

Hoop Dreams holds an audience score of 7.6/10 from 333 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed documentary films.

At 2h 54m, it's a full-evening commitment.

If you enjoy documentary, Hoop Dreams is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch Hoop Dreams

In United States, you can stream Hoop Dreams on fuboTV, HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel, and HBO Max, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.