Faith and baseball meet in this tear-inducing, inspirational summer film
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The film “The Hill” (PG) premieres in theaters on Aug. 25.
Ricky Hill, son of a Baptist preacher, is the subject of a new inspirational film starring Colin Ford, Dennis Quaid and Joelle Carter.
Hill has a degenerative spinal disease, which means he has to wear leg braces to walk. He has had a love of baseball since he was a child and wants to pursue his dreams of becoming a baseball star. His father — a preacher — wants Ricky to follow in his footsteps.
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The film is about the true story of Hill succeeding in minor league baseball and his relationship with his father. Faith also plays a big role in the film.
In addition to baseball and family, the movie “is also about the dedication of pursuing one’s God-given talents. Ricky had an insane belief in himself and insane belief in his faith. And I think that they were linked,” Ford (who plays Ricky Hill) told Christian Headlines.
True story of ‘The Hill’
Ricky Hill’s road from son of a Baptist preacher born in Texas to successful minor league baseball player was difficult.
Hill told USA Today he was born without a disk in his back and was jeered at for the braces he wore. Still, he wanted to be “the next Mickey Mantle.”
“We were so poor I remember eating dog food out of a can. My dad had to make my own leg braces, and I tried to hide them under my pants,” Hill said to USA Today. “I didn’t have money for anything; I didn’t have a glove until I was 12. But I never learned the word ‘quit.’”
“There is no such thing as no in my book,” Hill told The Athletic. “I hope (people watching this) take the fact that even though they told me my disease was going to end me, I wasn’t going to accept that. I said I’m not accepting no, and I didn’t. I said I would play (pro ball) until every tire went flat.”
Hill ended up making it to the minor leagues. Baseball scout Red Murff discovered Hill and said he was “the best pure hitting prospect he’s ever seen,” USA Today reported. He played minor league baseball for four seasons before his health prevented him from continuing. “I was just built for baseball. God gave me a talent, I could hit,” Hill said to USA Today.
Hill was particular about the director who would take on the project. He landed on Jim Celentano, who told The Athletic, “I cried six or seven times reading the first script. I wanted to make a movie that people didn’t have to worry about anything but leaving inspired.”
How to watch ‘The Hill’
The film was released in theaters on Friday. The trailer is below.
‘The Hill’ box office
Across 1,570 theaters, the movie ‘The Hill’ grossed $2,515,000, according to Box Office Mojo.
