Of course not every family in the ghetto is in a position where a father is a criminal and drug user, but when two kids in the same story are in that situation, it's got to be somewhat prevalent. The film has endless insights into the black urban experience.

That kind of relaxed confidence is so rewarding to watch. In one scene, Arthur laments being around mainly white kids for the first time in his life, and says it'll be difficult but he'll manage.

Of course this is about two kids and their love for basketball, and about the 'road to' that takes place as they try to get there, but it's really about the way people in near-poverty live, the education system and its downfalls, the manipulation of organized sports and tendency for people to try and achieve their goals through others (Arthur's father, William's brother), and the situation between blacks and whites in America. Their struggles, sometimes unflattering, are put forth for us to relate to, and we all can.

The two subjects and their families are simple and somewhat naive, in an endearing way. The filmmakers here show an admirable dedication to their art and to the underprivileged, spending five years tracking two kids, Arthur and William, and their dreams of basketball stardom.

High school dreams play