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Hoop Dreams Film Analysis

Decent Essays

Whilst watching ‘Hoop Dreams’, the respect that is held for William Gates and Arthur Agee by the filmmakers Steve James, Peter Gilbert and Frederick Marx within the observational documentary (Bill Nichols, 2001) is obvious, and their decorum after the film’s release remains an integral part of the film’s legacy. As a whole, documentaries often do not perform as well as their narrative film counterparts, and so when ‘Hoop Dreams’ soared beyond expectations to make $11.8million at the box office worldwide (according to BoxOfficeMojo.com), the filmmakers famously gave Gates and Agee around $200,000 a piece in royalties. Paying for a social actor’s involvement in the film is the subject of debate worldwide, as many professionals in the industry …show more content…

As Sheila presents herself on screen as being a strong and proud woman, the filmmakers ethically document her asking direct to camera “Do you ever ask yourself how I get by on $268 a month and keep this house and feed these children? Do you ever ask yourself that question?” The largely white, upper or middle class intended audience for this film would be shocked by such questions appearing in their own lives. “Too many of them embraced Ronald Reagan's cartoon of "Welfare Queens" and now endorse Newt Gingrich's even more vicious slanders on welfare mothers.” (Sperber, 1996) The filmmakers themselves then give Sheila the money to pay for her utility bills in this moment of despair. This act of generosity and kindness is exemplified in it’s ethical nature, as the moment itself is never shown on camera, but came out after the film’s release. It is clear from this that it was not done to further the image of the filmmakers, but rather to show support for a family who had been so accommodating for the years spent making this film. “That was the kind of situation where we try to be human beings in the process,” notes Steve James. (Leeman, 2003) “But at the same time, capture the realities of their lives in as honest a way as we could without compromising our essential humanness. We need to be more than just filmmakers. And it's a tough line to

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