Sport as a Proxy for Life with Hoop Dreams

PhilFilm Hoop Dreams

Hoops Dreams is about the trials and tribulations of two top basketball recruits going through high school. They both have a lot of struggles getting through for various reasons including financial, familial, academic, and on the court.

The film begins with Arthur, one of the protagonists, admiring Isaiah Thomas. He is about to attend a basketball camp at the place where Isaiah Thomas attended high school. This relates to the Federer Moments discussed in of readings.

Throughout the film the constant theme is putting hope and belief in sports. Arthur and the other protagonist, William, refer to Basketball as their ticket out of the ghetto. Both show promise as basketball players but the film focuses on their lives as a whole. It juxtaposes the struggles of their home life and the pressure from people around them with the pressures of the sport. They put all of their hope and strength into the game. They use it as a proxy for life where if they can reach their goals in basketball then they have won.

They are slowed down at various points. Arthur can't afford to keep playing at the private school and starts going to public school. He has trouble in school. His father leaves and his mother has chronic pain so she can't work. Their family has to live off of very limited welfare between three children. All of this puts more pressure on Arthur to do well.

William gets a full ride from a sponsor to go to the private school. He injures his knee and has to get surgery. This affects his games and takes him out for most of a year. When he comes back his is off his game. He gets one more surgery. He comes back and plays well but need better grades. All of the injuries and tutoring were paid for by the school insurance or his sponsor.

In the last part of the movie, William's team can't make it to state but Arthur's team does. This highlights the sports as being a struggle to succeed. Because despite Williams having the advantage in many ways (if Arthur had been injured he probably would have had to quit) Arthur went further in high school.

At the end of the movie Arthur and William. Both go to school on full scholarships. In a way their hoop dreams came through. They both got to a much better place because of basketball. William even went to the place his older brother wanted to go to school. Both of them have aspirations besides basketball, and basketball was a conduit through which they can achieve that.