THE HILL (2023)

Name: THE HILL (2023)
Item: THE HILL (2023)
Author: Cooper Dowd

"A True Miracle"

Content: -1 Caution advised for older children, including teenagers, and sensitive adults.

Entertainment Quality:

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Language
Violence
Sex
Nudity

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What You Need To Know:

THE HILL tells the inspiring true story of Rickey Hill, a boy with a spinal disease whose dream is to play Major League Baseball. Despite having to wear leg braces during his childhood, and his father’s strong desire for him to become a pastor, Rickey perseveres. Though he can’t run, Rickey spends hours every day hitting small rocks with a stick in the farmland of Texas. When his family is forced to move with nothing but the clothes on their back, Rickey starts to play real baseball. This sparks in him a fire and a passion for the sport.

THE HILL is a morally uplifting story about a real-life miracle. It champions Rickey’s courage, perseverance, faith, and forgiveness. Through forgiveness and humility, the Hill family learns to love one another and trust God’s plan above their own. The performances by Colin Ford and Dennis Quaid as Rickey and his father are captivating. Viewers will be invested in Rickey’s story from start to finish. MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for younger children due to brief foul, some smoking and two scenes of drunkenness in THE HILL.

Content:

(CCC, BBB, L, A, D)

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

Very strong Christian, biblical, moral worldview champions courage and faith, with positive Christian elements such as prayer, Scripture and scenes in church, plus examples of Christian charity

Foul Language:

Brief relatively light obscenities such as “h” and “d”

Violence:

Some heavy themes about Rickey’s disease and the pain he goes through every day, another man tackles a drunk driver, it’s assumed that a man beats his wife, but this is never shown, and a character suffers an injury while playing baseball, but none of the violence is intense, strong or graphic

Sex:

No sex

Nudity:

No nudity

Alcohol Use:

A man shows up drunk to church, and, in a later scene, he tries to drive while drunk

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:

Some brief smoking; and,

Miscellaneous Immorality:

Nothing else objectionable.

More Detail:

THE HILL is a new biographical sports drama based on the true story of Rickey Hill. It stars Dennis Quaid and Colin Ford.

The movie opens with a young Rickey hitting stones with a stick in his backyard. His father, a local pastor in a rural Texas town, and his siblings watch Rickey hit rock after rock with unique accuracy.

Rickey loves his family, God and has a dream to play baseball. However, he was born with a degenerative spinal disease that results in him having to wear leg braces. This makes it hard for him to run and walk.

As he grows up, his family can barely afford new leg braces. Moreover, after Rickey’s father calls out his Baptist congregation for smoking and drinking during church, he is excommunicated. So, they are forced to pack what little belongings they have into their station wagon and find a new home. Rickey and his family face obstacle after obstacle, but Rickey’s love for the game and courage to never quit leads him to start playing real baseball. His father disapproves and would rather Rickey protect his health and become a pastor. As a result, his father never attends his games. If it were up to his father, Rickey would have to choose baseball or God. However, Rickey believes he can honor God by playing baseball.

THE HILL is an inspiring, uplifting, and biblical movie about the miracle God works on Rickey Hill. It champions faith, and never quitting despite our circumstances. It also shows a compelling, authentic family dynamic between Rickey and the rest of his family. Through forgiveness and humility, the Hill family learns to love one another and trust God’s plan above their own.

Despite some brief moments of violence, a scene where congregants in a church are smoking and drinking, and some brief, mild language, THE HILL is a classic sports drama akin to other movies in the genre like RUDY and HOOSIERS, which were also written by THE HILL’s c-writer, Angelo Pizzo. However, THE HILL has a strong, more overt Christian worldview. Colin Ford and Dennis Quaid deliver superb performances as Rickey and his father. The movie moves along at a pace that will captivate audiences of many different ages. THE HILL is a hope-filled movie with an unashamed emphasis on God’s ability to work miracles in anyone. MOVIEGUIDE® does advise caution for younger children due to brief foul language, smoking and two scenes of drunkenness.