“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail” earned a shocking Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature despite being ranked 12th in our predictions with 100/1 odds. But despite relatively little fanfare it rights a wrong at the Oscars going back 23 years: filmmaker Steve James, the man behind the landmark movie “Hoop Dreams” (1994), is finally up for Best Documentary for the first time in his career.
“Hoop Dreams” spent years following a pair of black students from poor communities as they attempted to build their futures by playing high school basketball. Widely hailed as a classic — including by Roger Ebert, who was among the most vocal in championing the film — it won James a Directors Guild Award, an Ace Eddie Award, an Independent Spirit Award, an International Documentary Association Award and even an MTV Movie Award. But then it wasn’t even nominated for Best Documentary at the Oscars, leading to such a protest...
“Hoop Dreams” spent years following a pair of black students from poor communities as they attempted to build their futures by playing high school basketball. Widely hailed as a classic — including by Roger Ebert, who was among the most vocal in championing the film — it won James a Directors Guild Award, an Ace Eddie Award, an Independent Spirit Award, an International Documentary Association Award and even an MTV Movie Award. But then it wasn’t even nominated for Best Documentary at the Oscars, leading to such a protest...
- 1/30/2018
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Similar News
Rewind: ‘Return to Oz’ Review
- 4/15/2024
- by James Rodrigues
- Nerdly
Before Andrew Scott: Who else has played ‘Ripley’?
- 4/12/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
“It’s not a competition”: Alan Rickman Came to Kevin Costner’s Defense After Listening to Claims of Outshining His Co-Star Despite Playing the Villain
- 4/10/2024
- by Siddhika Prajapati
- FandomWire
First Slam Film Festival To Launch With 30th Anniversary Screenings Of Basketball Pics ‘Hoop Dreams’, ‘Above The Rim’ & ‘Blue Chips’
- 1/24/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Documentary Review: Tokyo Olympiad (1965) by Kon Ichikawa
- 1/22/2024
- by Sean Barry
- AsianMoviePulse
Best Independent Film Streaming This January: ‘Near Dark,’ ‘Bachelorette,’ and More
- 1/6/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Star Trek Discovery Season 5 Will Make a Long-Awaited Change to Its Story
- 3/15/2024
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
‘Hoop Dreams’ Helmer Steve James Teaming With Alex Gibney On AI Docuseries ‘Mind Vs. Machine’
- 2/1/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Steve James, Alex Gibney Team for AI Docuseries ‘Mind vs. Machine’
- 2/1/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.
More to explore
Sundance Film Festival Courting New Host City for 2027 and Beyond
- 4/17/2024
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety - Film News
Tribeca Festival Reveals 2024 Feature Film Lineup Including New Movies With Lily Gladstone, Jenna Ortega and Michael Cera
- 4/17/2024
- by Jack Dunn
- Variety - Film News
Netflix LGBTQ Comedy Doc ‘Outstanding,’ Featuring Rosie O’Donnell, Billy Eichner and Wanda Sykes, Unveils Trailer, Premiere Date (Exclusive)
- 4/17/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety - Film News
Studio Ghibli to Receive Honorary Cannes Palme d’Or
- 4/17/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
‘For All Mankind’ Renewed for Season 5, Soviet Space Program Spinoff in the Works at Apple TV+
- 4/17/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety - TV News
Rachel Zegler, Kit Connor to Star on Broadway in ‘Romeo and Juliet’
- 4/16/2024
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Selena Quintanilla Deserves to Be Celebrated This Year - Not Exploited
- 4/16/2024
- by Lucas Villa
- Popsugar.com
Bad Bunny's First NYC Show From His Most Wanted Tour Is Proof His Latine Fans Still Come First
- 4/12/2024
- by Johanna Ferreira
- Popsugar.com
Olivia Rodrigo's "Guts" Tour Made Me Feel Like a Teen Again
- 4/8/2024
- by Yerin Kim
- Popsugar.com
Jennifer Lopez's Viral "the Bronx" Controversy Proves Younger Latines Don't Find Her Authentic
- 4/3/2024
- by Miguel Machado
- Popsugar.com
‘Quiet on Set’ Survivors Say Docuseries Was Made Under False Pretenses: ‘How Dare You’
- 4/18/2024
- by Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
‘The Plot Thickens’ TCM Podcast Unveils ‘Decoding John Ford’ Season
- 4/18/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Quentin Tarantino Is No Longer Making ‘The Movie Critic’ as His 10th Film
- 4/17/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Quentin Tarantino Scraps ’The Movie Critic’; Brad Pitt Would Have Reprised Cliff Booth Role From ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’
- 4/17/2024
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
Everything Coming to Hulu and Disney+ in May 2024
- 4/17/2024
- by Proma Khosla
- Indiewire
Sundance Film Festival Courting New Host City for 2027 and Beyond
- 4/17/2024
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety - Film News
Tribeca Festival Reveals 2024 Feature Film Lineup Including New Movies With Lily Gladstone, Jenna Ortega and Michael Cera
- 4/17/2024
- by Jack Dunn
- Variety - Film News
Netflix LGBTQ Comedy Doc ‘Outstanding,’ Featuring Rosie O’Donnell, Billy Eichner and Wanda Sykes, Unveils Trailer, Premiere Date (Exclusive)
- 4/17/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety - Film News
Studio Ghibli to Receive Honorary Cannes Palme d’Or
- 4/17/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Box Office: Dracula’s Daughter ‘Abigail’ Tries to Take a Bite Out of ‘Civil War’ With $12 Million Debut
- 4/17/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
‘For All Mankind’ Renewed for Season 5, Soviet Space Program Spinoff in the Works at Apple TV+
- 4/17/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety - TV News
‘Oldboy’ English-Language TV Series in the Works From Park Chan-wook, Lionsgate
- 4/17/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
‘Quiet on Set’ Survivors Say Docuseries Was Made Under False Pretenses: ‘How Dare You’
- 4/18/2024
- by Alison Foreman
- Indiewire Television
Live: Ryan Gosling / Chris Stapleton SNL By The Numbers – S49 E17
- 4/18/2024
- by Saturday Night Network
- LateNighter
‘AHS: Delicate’: What Happens to Kim K’s Character According to the Book
- 4/18/2024
- TV Insider