Film Illiterate, wherein the proprietor records movies seen, and sporadic progress through assorted lists of the "best". Originally started after regretfully renting something forgettable for the third time. I've forgotten what, but never again! A tedious endeavour since 2005. Hello. 🙂
Interesting to see this after Moneyball, since one of the subplots there dealt with the deleterious effects of Billy Beane's offer of a big league baseball spot at the cost of attending Stanford or Yale. The players in Hoop Dreams are younger and the stakes higher: basketball is a ticket out of poverty, a scholarship to a good school, the chance to go to college.
It's a very good documentary, more interested in telling the story than judging the actors. It seems pretty clear that putting kids into this sort of pressure-cooker is not positive -- but, ultimately, the outcomes for some of them are good. Is giving up your youth for your future a fair trade?
Anyway, worth seeing.