The Hill

Prepare for a preachy dose of diabetic coma, but the movie is quite watchable. I think it was unintentional, but it also tells the story of his hypocrite father. Dad had no qualms in following his calling to the detriment of his family but did all he could to deny that opportunity to his son. It's always enjoyable to see the story of someone I never knew existed, and this guy was in that category. The movie could have done with a little more salt and less sugar, as it lands right in the genre of a "Hallmark Christmas movie". But if Rickey Hill had as much input as I've read, then I guess that's what he wanted.

The trailer showed us a corny Christian themed baseball movies and that's what we got. The story is uplifting, and the movie proves we can have family friendly films. I definitely thought they could have cut it down by 20 minutes, but I still enjoyed it.

I don't think you have to be a Christian to like the movie since they don't demand any beliefs from the audience. It is probably aimed at that crowd though. If you love baseball, ever had to overcome something, or can just feel inspired by Rickey's story then this film is for you.

It's great for the entire family.

It's definitely a very white film. I say this as a white person. I don't think the black characters were portrayed in a bad light, but they were only there to support the white characters. All two of them with lines. This is based on a true story in Texas from the 60's and 70's though, so it might have been this way.

It was also good to see them capture the time and family well, without putting full on child abuse on the screen. We were told enough.

This movie will take you back in time and pull at your heartstrings the whole time. I thought this movie was so well acted and directed. Love movies that are based on real life events. It makes it much more relatable. I also saw Gran Tarismo which ironically had similar themes, young men chasing dreams that are seemingly impossible and without the needed support of their fathers. While Gran Turismo was a fantastic action movie and a lot of fun to watch, it lacked the spiritual element of The Hill. And dreams die eventually, and what are we left with? The character of Ricky Hill to me was the driving force and the lovable part of this film. The way he respects and wants to honor his dad and their beliefs is so touching and rare. That's what I loved about this film.

We watched The Hill this weekend and we were amazed by how emotionally engaging it was. The older gentleman next to us was crying at different moments during the film. It was really impactful. The ending was strong and satisfying.

We would recommend The Hill to all our friends. The details in the costumes, locations and decor were all well done. It was a beautiful period film with an enormous heart.

We hope that audiences will come out to see this wonderful story of a young man, his dreams of baseball and his preacher father who didn't understand.

We believe that word of mouth will spread and The Hill will be a big hit. You can tell that the filmmakers put a lot of love into this movie. All you can ask is that audiences sit back and take it in. Well done!

There are so many cute moments in this movie. I had mistakenly chalked it up to "just a faith-based film" before watching it, since the trailer made it seem like it was one of those true stories of a young kid keeping his faith strong despite massive hardships. When I watched it, however, I was seriously impressed. Yes, the main family is a religious one, and the patriarch Dennis Quaid is a pastor, but it's not really a religious movie. The religious community will love it, but so will anyone else who watches it. From the interesting story to the compelling characters, strong acting, and thoughtful direction, it's a very good movie.

The story revolves around a boy who wears braces on his legs but dreams of becoming a professional baseball player. His father, Dennis, would prefer he stop dreaming and embrace reality, but Jesse Barry (and later Colin Ford) just can't stop practicing, despite his handicap. Although Jesse and Colin give strong performances, Dennis absolutely steals the show. He doesn't play his character as a one-dimensional "disapproving father" or a one-dimensional "pastor who ignores his family". There's nothing one-dimensional about him, and you feel that you know him even when the script hasn't fleshed out his backstory. When Dennis finds out his son can walk without his braces, he cries with joy. His children scrimp and save their pennies to buy him a celebratory hamburger, and he turns what could have been a ridiculously corny moment into seriously fine acting. Later, when Dennis can't afford Colin's medical treatment, a collection basket gets passed around the church. He stands at the pulpit with a forced smile on his face as he watches his neighbors give him money. He's humiliated, ashamed, grateful, humbled, and terribly sorry that his son has to endure such suffering.

If you're in the mood for a more wholesome movie than what Hollywood usually produces these days, you don't have many choices. You've probably turned into the type of person who says, "I'm not a movie person," if others ask what you've watched lately. As a film critic, I can't believe I've given that response. Just as with the demise of the Hays Code in the late 1950s, there has been a distinct shift in the type of film being made over the past several years. I enjoy watching good quality movies with an inspiring and wholesome message, and I thoroughly enjoyed The Hill.