Reaction Paper to Hoop Dreams - Movie Review Example

This is seen in the movie as it entails the story of two high school students In Chicago who had a dream of becoming professional basketball players. The two African American teenagers; Arthur Agree and William Gate, studied in a white, Roman Catholic high school called St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois after being recruited by the schools’ scout (Joravsky, 1996). Despite the economic adversity, long hours commuting, change in environment and difficult training, Agree and Gates worked very hard to enhance their basketball skills despite the competitive industry in the job.

Their families also played an important role in supporting them with the school basketball program. In the film we get to see Americas’ present view of education, race, economic diversity, social class and values. William Gates of the two students is obsessed to play in the National Basketball Association. Four years down the line William Gates progresses to the Nike All-America basketball camp. During the camp one of the coaches, Mr. Lee, informs them that the only reason they were in the camp was to make their schools win and make a lot of money.

At the camp, the college coaches tended to overlook high school players. This reveals the relentless procedure in which coaches and recruiting scouts neglect to recognize such people like Arthur Agree and William Gates. The life of the two students seemed to be opening up smoothly where William is aiming for a stunning college career as well as the pro basketball view whereas; Arthur Agree seems to progress downwards. The two are engaged into a system that is not ready to take them in easily (Joravsky, 1996).

The film was also used as a tool to express the social issue in the American community which it achieves and puts in even more important questions. It also portrays how money affected the society as well as major institutions, for example in the case scenario where ‘coach Lee’ gives advice to Arthur Agree and William Gates that everything they were getting involved was at it about money and even quoted; “the whole thing is about money” and tried to explain how they were being used by the school so that it would win and make a lot of money.

He even went to further to tell them that, the only way that people like them, people from the poor black neighborhood, would defend themselves as well as their interests from such situation, was through being aware of the fact that it was not just about playing basketball but everything was revolving around money (Joravsky, 1996). Arthur Agree lived with his parents who broke up but later made u and were back together after Arthur’s father had a drug problem (crack) but managed to get over it.

They lived in the Cabrini-Green housing project, whereas; William Gates lived with his single mother and his older brother called Curtis who had missed out on his own basketball career in college but didn’t give up but rather invested his dreams in his younger brother William Gates. He had so much trust in his small brother such trust in his younger brother such that he even made a comment saying he does not see how the brother, William Gates was not