I've heard people sing its praises as one of the best documentaries of all-time for a while now, but last night I finally watched Hoop Dreams, that film that revamped the Academy's documentary sector, as well as the film that Roger Ebert called the best of the 1990's. (Until Michael Moore, it was also the highest grossing documentary of all-time.)

This film is amazing, and while it does hold a strong sense of profoundness in its overall focus on the sport of basketball and the NBA dream of these two kids, the smaller scenes in the film, such as a birthday, a graduation, and a final basketball game between a kid and his father, are what ultimately give this film its dramatic weight.

I cried. Twice.

Thoughts on the film? Gimme some.

Hoop Dreams is the best documentary ever made, I think.

Amazing movie.

I think Spellbound is the most entertaining documentary ever made.

You nailed it, though. Hoop Dreams is more heart-melting than most of what comes out of Hollywood.

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room is a little complex (economics, stocks, you name it), but it combines entertainment/humor with drama. It's not as strong as Spellbound or Hoop Dreams, but it's worth the $8, even if you've heard the story a thousand times (which you probably have...). http://www.worldofkj.com/torrino-Enron.php

I put it up there in my top ten. I think its superb and is on the highest rank of docs I've ever seen.

There are only 7 or 8 that really stay with me and Hoop Dreams is definately one of them, along with Thin Blue Line, Spellbound, Cane Toads, Roger&Me, Harlan County USA, 4 Little Girls, The Story of Sound (that one how ever, isn't as much quality as just my obsession with Girl Groups), and The Fog of War. There are probably one or two others, but these are definately great, and Hoop Dreams is among them.

Stevie is the better Steve James documentary of the two.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0334416/

Hoop Dreams is still an incredible piece of filmmaking however.

The only documentary I ever loved was Bowling For Columbine. I'll check this once I get Netflix back next month.

You still haven't seen Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room. [-X

How involving is Roger and Me? It's the only Michael Moore documentary I haven't seen. I'm sure he's developed and changed his style over time, so I don't know if he's always been the same biting filmmaker...

Cool. I'll check that one out.