Roger Ebert Was So Angered By This Documentary's Oscars Snub, He Kickstarted an Awards Revolution

Steve James’ iconic, genre-defining documentary Hoop Dreams earned great acclaim upon its release in 1994. The film was instantly a hit with critics and earned an impressive $11.8 million at the worldwide box office, a rare feat for a documentary at that time. Due to this success, the film was considered to be a favorite in the Best Documentary category at the Oscars by many critics and prognosticators, with some even thinking a Best Picture nomination was possible. When the nominees for the 67th Academy Awards were announced though, many were stunned to see Hoop Dreams omitted from both categories, only earning one total nomination for Best Editing, which it would go on to lose. The film’s snub in the documentary category caused immediate outrage. Among the angered fans was famed film critic Roger Ebert. Hoop Dreams’ snub bothered him to such a degree that his vocal objection would contribute to the Academy being forced to overhaul some of its voting rules.

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By: Shane Vassar
Title: Roger Ebert Was So Angered By This Documentary's Oscars Snub, He Kickstarted an Awards Revolution
Sourced From: collider.com/roger-ebert-oscars-hoop-dreams/
Published Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2025 01:18:12 GMT