

“An Extraordinary True Story.”
Every school day, African-American teenagers William Gates and Arthur Agee travel 90 minutes each way from inner-city Chicago to St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois, a predominately white suburban school well-known for the excellence of its basketball program. Gates and Agee dream of NBA stardom, and with the support of their close-knit families, they battle the social and physical obstacles that stand in their way. This acclaimed documentary was shot over the course of five years.
Directed by Steve James, Catherine Allan, Gordon Quinn
User score
348 votes




Released
September 12, 1994
2h 54m
English
Budget → Revenue
$700.0K → $7.8M

William Gates
Self

Arthur Agee
Self
Emma Gates
Self - William's Mother
Curtis Gates
Self - William's Brother
Sheila Agee
Self - Arthur's Mother
Arthur 'Bo' Agee
Self - Arthur's Father
Earl Smith
Self - Talent Scout
Gene Pingatore
Self - High School Basketball Coach

Isiah Thomas
Self - Professional Basketball Player
Sister Marlyn Hopewell
Self - High School Guidance Counselor
Bill Gleason
Self - Television Reporter
Patricia Weir
Self - President, Encyclopedia Brittanica
Marjorie Heard
Self - High School Guidance Counselor
Luther Bedford
Self - High School Basketball Coach
Aretha Mitchell
Self - High School Guidance Counselor
Shannon Johnson
Self - Arthur's Friend
Tomika Agee
Self - Arthur's Sister
Joe 'Sweetie' Agee
Self - Arthur's Brother
Jazz Agee
Self - Tomika's Daughter and Arthur's Niece
Catherine Mines
Self - William's Girlfriend