Sort by Popularity - Most Popular Movies and TV Shows With Steve James
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1. 30 for 30 (2009– )
TV-G | 60 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A collection of documentary films focused on sports.
Stars: Brent Musburger, Chuck D, Larry Bird, William C. Rhoden
Votes: 5,554
2. Hoop Dreams (1994)
PG-13 | 170 min | Documentary, Drama, Sport
A film following the lives of two inner-city Chicago boys who struggle to become college basketball players on the road to going professional.
Director: Steve James | Stars: William Gates, Arthur Agee, Emma Gates, Curtis Gates
Votes: 28,044 | Gross: $7.83M
3. Frontline (1983– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Documentary, News
FRONTLINE is investigative journalism that questions, explains and changes our world and American television's top long-form news and current affairs series since 1983
Stars: Will Lyman, Sarah Childress, Priyanka Boghani, Arun Rath
Votes: 2,301
4. Prefontaine (1997)
PG-13 | 106 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
Based on the life of Olympic hopeful Steve Prefontaine, a long distance runner who lived in Oregon and died young.
Director: Steve James | Stars: Jared Leto, R. Lee Ermey, Ed O'Neill, Breckin Meyer
Votes: 7,677 | Gross: $0.53M
5. Morning Joe (2007– )
180 min | News, Talk-Show
Your one-stop shop for all the late-breaking news in our nation and all over the world.
Stars: Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, Willie Geist, Mike Barnicle
Votes: 1,311
6. Minding the Gap (2018)
Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary, Sport
Filmmaker Bing Liu searches for correlations between his skateboarder friends' turbulent upbringings and the complexities of modern masculinity.
Director: Bing Liu | Stars: Kent Abernathy, Mengyue Bolen, Nina Bowgren, Keire Johnson
Votes: 10,486 | Gross: $0.01M
7. The Featherweight (2023)
99 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
Set in 1964, a camera crew follows Willie Pep, retired featherweight boxing champion. Down and out in Hartford CT, married to a woman half his age and with a drug-addled son and mounting debts, Pep decides to make a return to the ring.
Director: Robert Kolodny | Stars: James Madio, Ruby Wolf, Keir Gilchrist, Stephen Lang
Votes: 156
8. Independent Lens (1999– )
TV-14 | Documentary
Independent Lens is an award-winning PBS documentary series that streams on the PBS App and airs on public television. Independent Lens documentaries focus on stories of underrepresented ... See full summary »
Stars: America Ferrera, Terrence Howard, Stanley Tucci, Mary-Louise Parker
Votes: 635
9. Life Itself (2014)
R | 121 min | Documentary, Biography
The life and career of the renowned film critic and social commentator, Roger Ebert.
Director: Steve James | Stars: Roger Ebert, Chaz Ebert, Gene Siskel, Martin Scorsese
Votes: 16,262 | Gross: $0.81M
10. P.O.V. (1988– )
60 min | Documentary
POV, a cinema term for "point of view," is television's longest-running showcase for independent non-fiction films. Since 1988, POV has presented more than 300 of the best, boldest, and ... See full summary »
Stars: Stacey Abrams, Rashida Tlaib, Lucy McBath, Veronica Escobar
Votes: 245
11. The Hunting Ground (2015)
PG-13 | 103 min | Documentary
An exposé of rape crimes on U.S. college campuses, their institutional cover-ups, and the devastating toll they take on students and their families.
Director: Kirby Dick | Stars: Andrea Pino, Annie Clark, Claire Potter, Melinda Manning
Votes: 6,488 | Gross: $0.41M
12. A Compassionate Spy (2022)
101 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The incredible story of Manhattan Project scientist Ted Hall, who shared classified nuclear secrets with Russia.
Director: Steve James | Stars: Joan Hall, Ted Hall, Joseph Albright, Daniel Axelrod
Votes: 350
13. The Invisible War (2012)
Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary, Crime
An investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military.
Director: Kirby Dick | Stars: Amy Ziering, Kirby Dick, Kori Cioca, Jessica Hinves
Votes: 7,087 | Gross: $0.07M
14. The New Yorker Presents (2015–2016)
M | 30 min | Documentary
From award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney's Jigsaw Productions, Amazon Prime Video presents a groundbreaking new series that brings America's most award-winning magazine, The New Yorker, to ... See full summary »
Stars: Farley Katz, Roz Chast, Liana Finck, Benjamin Schwartz
Votes: 462
15. Stevie (2002)
R | 140 min | Documentary
In 1995, director Steve James (of 'Hoop Dreams') returned to rural Southern Illinois to reconnect with Stevie Fielding, a troubled young boy to whom he had been an "Advocate Big Brother" ten years earlier.
Director: Steve James | Stars: Steve James, Stephen Fielding, Tonya Gregory, Bernice Hagler
Votes: 2,741 | Gross: $0.10M
16. WGN Morning News (1994– )
News
Chicago news, traffic, weather and sports sprinkled with national news of interest, along with interviews, entertainment and technology reports, humorous segments and looks at pop culture.
Stars: Dean Richards, Mike Toomey, Robin Baumgarten, Larry Potash
Votes: 145
17. America to Me (2018)
TV-14 | 60 min | Documentary
Follows students, teachers and administrators in suburban Chicago's Oak Park and River Forest High School over the course of a year.
Stars: Ke'Shawn Kumsa, Charles Donalson Jr., Kendale McCoy, Grant Lee
Votes: 415
18. Joe and Max (2002 TV Movie)
PG-13 | 106 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
True story of boxers Joe Louis and Max Schmeling and their enduring friendship.
Director: Steve James | Stars: Til Schweiger, Leonard Roberts, Richard Roundtree, David Paymer
Votes: 1,064
19. The Interrupters (2011)
Unrated | 125 min | Documentary, Crime
A year in the life of a city grappling with urban violence.
Director: Steve James | Stars: Tio Hardiman, Ameena Matthews, Toya Batey, Cobe Williams
Votes: 3,617 | Gross: $0.28M
20. The Oscars (2018 TV Special)
TV-14 | 187 min | Comedy, Music, Reality-TV
The 90th Annual Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, celebrates the film industry's biggest achievements for the year 2017.
Director: Glenn Weiss | Stars: Jimmy Kimmel, Helen Mirren, Viola Davis, Willem Dafoe
Votes: 1,672
21. Abacus: Small Enough to Jail (2016)
Not Rated | 88 min | Documentary
A small financial institution called Abacus becomes the only company criminally indicted in the wake of the United States' 2008 mortgage crisis.
Director: Steve James | Stars: Thomas Sung, Hwei Lin Sung, Cyrus Vance Jr., Matt Taibbi
Votes: 2,942 | Gross: $0.10M
22. The Luckiest Guy in the World (2023– )
231 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Follows the life of Bill Walton, from his earliest days as a high school basketball phenom to some of his wildly successful years at UCLA.
Stars: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Julius Erving, World B. Free
Votes: 97
23. The 50 Greatest Documentaries (2005 TV Movie)
150 min | Documentary
A countdown of the top 50 documentaries, based on a vote by documentary filmmakers.
Directors: Garry John Hughes, Elaine Shepherd | Stars: Zoë Wanamaker, David Aaronovitch, Barry Ackroyd, Randall Adams
Votes: 97
24. A Lion in the House (2006)
Not Rated | 225 min | Documentary
Five families struggle with the ups and downs of cancer treatment over the course of six years.
Directors: Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert | Stars: Justin Ashcraft, Adam Ashcraft, Dale Ashcraft, Debbie Ashcraft
Votes: 397
25. Passing Glory (1999 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 100 min | Drama, Sport
A talented all-black high school basketball team challenges the top all-white team in civil-rights-era New Orleans.
Director: Steve James | Stars: Andre Braugher, Rip Torn, Sean Squire, Ruby Dee
Votes: 287
26. The War Tapes (2006)
Not Rated | 97 min | Documentary, War
Called up for service in Iraq, several members of the National Guard were given digital video cameras. This film, edited from their footage, provides a perspective on a complex and troubled conflict.
Director: Deborah Scranton | Stars: Zack Bazzi, Duncan Domey, Ben Flanders, Mike Moriarty
Votes: 1,317 | Gross: $0.25M
27. The Ants & the Grasshopper (2021)
74 min | Documentary
Anita Chitaya has a gift; she can help bring abundant food from dead soil, she can make men fight for gender equality, and she can end child hunger in her village. Now, to save her home ... See full summary »
Directors: Raj Patel, Zak Piper
Votes: 49
28. Head Games (2012)
PG-13 | 95 min | Documentary, Sport
A documentary that follows football player and pro-wrestler Chris Nowinski's quest to uncover the truth about the consequences of sports-related head injuries.
Director: Steve James | Stars: Chris Nowinski, Gene Atkins, Laura Balcer, Hunt Batjer
Votes: 366 | Gross: $0.01M
29. We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss (2014)
Documentary
An anthology of short films that pairs directors with leading economic advisers to create stories that offer a better understanding of how the economy impacts all of our lives.
Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Bob Balaban, Joe Berlinger, Jon M. Chu, Marshall Curry, Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady, Adrian Grenier, Catherine Hardwicke, Mary Harron, Chris Henchy, Lee Hirsch, Albert Hughes, Steve James, Barbara Kopple, Shola Lynch, Adam McKay, Jehane Noujaim, James Schamus, Morgan Spurlock, Miao Wang, Jessica Yu, Geeta Gandbhir | Stars: Chadd Smith, Robert Clotworthy, Billy Eichner, Will Janowitz
Votes: 125
30. These Amazing Shadows (2011)
Not Rated | 88 min | Documentary
Tells the history and importance of The National Film Registry, a roll call of American cinema treasures that reflects the diversity of film, and indeed the American experience itself.
Directors: Paul Mariano, Kurt Norton | Stars: Jeff Adachi, James H. Billington, Robin Blaetz, Brooks Boliek
Votes: 1,758
31. At the Death House Door (2008)
98 min | Documentary
An investigation of the wrongful death of Carlos DeLuna, who was executed in Texas on December 7, 1989, after prosecutors ignored evidence inculpating a man, who bragged to friends about committing the crimes of which DeLuna was convicted.
Directors: Peter Gilbert, Steve James | Stars: Carroll Pickett, Steve Mills, Maurice Possley, Anne Ellis
Votes: 439
32. City So Real (2020)
TV-14 | 341 min | Documentary
A modern, multifaceted look at the city of Chicago.
Votes: 296
33. ASC Clubhouse Conversations (2020– )
Talk-Show
In this interview series, leading cinematographers share their inspirations and experiences while analyzing their work and creative process.
Stars: Patrick Cady, Dave Perkal, Mandy Walker, Nancy Schreiber
34. Reel Paradise (2005)
R | 110 min | Documentary
Former indie film "guru" John Pierson takes his family to Fiji for one year to run the world's most remote movie theater.
Director: Steve James | Stars: Georgia Pierson, Janet Pierson, John Pierson, Wyatt Pierson
Votes: 532 | Gross: $0.03M
35. Edith+Eddie (2017)
TV-14 | 29 min | Documentary, Short
Edith and Eddie, ages 96 and 95, are America's oldest interracial newlyweds. Their love story is disrupted by a family feud that threatens to tear the couple apart.
Director: Laura Checkoway
Votes: 730
36. The 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards (2012 TV Special)
News
Director: Ivan Dudynsky | Stars: Seth Rogen, Zoe Saldana, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, John Hawkes
Votes: 146
37. Hard Earned (2015– )
Documentary
Hard Earned, a six-part documentary series for Al Jazeera America, follows five families around the country to find out what it takes to get by on 8, 10, or even 17 dollars an hour.
Votes: 16
38. The Fabulous Picture Show (2006–2011)
History, Talk-Show
Stars: Amanda Palmer, Cherien Dabis, Scandar Copti, Mohamed Al Daradji
Votes: 43
39. Lucky (II) (2014)
Unrated | 72 min | Documentary, Biography
Spanning more than five years on the streets of New York City, this intimate story of survival follows Lucky Torres, a homeless mother masked in tattoos who longs to rise from a life of darkness.
Director: Laura Checkoway | Star: Lucky Torres
Votes: 28
40. Let the Little Light Shine (2022)
86 min | Documentary
A high-achieving elementary school near downtown Chicago is a lifeline for Black children - until gentrification threatens its closure.
Director: Kevin Shaw
Votes: 29
41. Life After Hoop Dreams (2015 Video)
40 min | Documentary, Short
Directors: Steve James, Abbey Lustgarten | Stars: Arthur Agee, Sheila Agee, Catherine Gates, William Gates
Votes: 43
43. Doc Talk (2006– )
Talk-Show
Stars: Deena Dill, Lucy Walker, Gabriela Fresquez, Davis Guggenheim
Votes: 30
44. The New Americans (2003)
Not Rated | 411 min | Documentary
The New Americans follows a diverse group of immigrants and refugees as they leave their home and families behind and learn what it means to be new Americans in the 21st century.
Directors: Susana Aikin, Carlos Aparicio, Jerry Blumenthal, Steve James, Indu Krishnan, Gordon Quinn, Renee Tajima-Pena
Votes: 42
45. Split Screen (1997–2000)
Reality-TV, Talk-Show
Split Screen is an irreverent, sly, magazine format show which looks at the tremendous diversity within the world of independent filmmaking in the United States. Created, written and hosted... See full summary »
Stars: John Pierson, Brian Flemming, Kevin Smith, Keythe Farley
Votes: 66
46. Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso (II) (2016 Podcast Series)
Stars: Sam Fragoso, Ashish Jha, W. Kamau Bell, Jenny Slate
Votes: 13
47. Hoop Dreams Reunion (1995 TV Special)
Sport
Stars: James Brown, Arthur Agee, William Gates, Peter Gilbert
Votes: 23
49. The Rescue List (2020)
81 min | Documentary
Two boys escape from slavery, spend a year in a rehabilitation shelter, and eventually reunite with their families. Meanwhile, the man who rescued them launches another mission to liberate more children. For him, the work is personal.
Directors: Alyssa Fedele, Zachary Fink | Stars: Manny Addo, Mary Addo, Solomon Kewku Addo, Stephen Kwame Addo
Votes: 47
50. Hoop Dreams
Drama | Announced
Two high school kids in Chicago follow their dreams of becoming pro basketball players.