Sneak peek at 'The Hill' baseball movie: First look at emotional Dennis Quaid scene

Marco della Cava, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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Even the most passionate of baseball fans may not know the name Rickey Hill. That's likely because the Texan never made it much beyond the farm team of the Montreal Expos in the mid-'70s.

But his story is epic enough to be the subject of a new movie, "The Hill" (in theaters Friday), starring Colin Ford as the young baseball phenomenon and Dennis Quaid as James Hill, his earnest Baptist pastor father. Hill should have never made it into Little League let alone The Show: He was born with a degenerative spinal disease that made deep pain and leg braces a part of daily life.

Colin Ford, left, stars as Rickey Hill and Dennis Quaid as Pastor James Hill in the inspirational true story "The Hill."
Colin Ford, left, stars as Rickey Hill and Dennis Quaid as Pastor James Hill in the inspirational true story "The Hill."

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Despite his physical disability, Hill's powerful batting skills and indomitable spirit landed him a tryout at age 19 with the Montreal Expos. The Major League Baseball franchise signed and then soon released Hill, who went on to play a few years of minor league ball.

"The Hill" focuses on the bond and struggles between father and son. The former, anguished by his son's suffering, discourages Rickey from setting his sights on a career in baseball. The son, driven by a strong faith, believes it is his duty not to give up on a dream.

In this movie scene premiering exclusively at usatoday.com, Quaid and Ford spar over the meaning of faith.

Dennis Quaid, left, stars as Pastor James Hill and Jesse Berry as young Rickey Hill in "The Hill."
Dennis Quaid, left, stars as Pastor James Hill and Jesse Berry as young Rickey Hill in "The Hill."

Every day Hill played baseball, "I played in pain," Hill told Fox Sports in 2020. "Multiples of pain. We had trainers. They did everything backwards. I always said, ‘I will play until the tire goes flat.’ It went flat.”

The movie also stars Bonnie Bedelia as Gram, the family's tough matriarch, and Scott Glenn as Red Murff, a scouting legend who also found a Texas icon: pitcher Nolan Ryan.

“Dennis asked me if the story was real," director Jeff Celentano ("Breaking Point") says in the film's production notes. "I assured him it was and well-documented. He loved the story and believed in the film, just as I did."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'The Hill' movie exclusive: Dennis Quaid in Rickey Hill baseball film