The Hill Parent Guide

Rickey Hill (played as an adult by Colin Ford) couldn’t have asked for a more appropriate surname. Born with a degenerative spinal disease, a young Rickey (Jesse Berry) is told his chances of walking are insurmountable, but he beats the odds by wearing leg braces. Falling in love with baseball, the boy spends many hours using a stick as a bat and rocks as balls. Yet despite how amazingly hard and far Rickey hits those rocks, everyone knows that a disabled kid could never really face the pitcher’s mound. Or could they?

Rickey’s physical limitations are only one of the mountains he will need to move if he wants to participate in the sport. The bigger problem looming over his fantasy is his father (Dennis Quaid). A poor preacher barely able to provide food for his family, James Hill is simultaneously tenderly protective of his frail son and harshly strict about him dedicating his life to God. Believing the boy has a gift, James wants Rickey to pursue a higher purpose rather than put his body at risk chasing a pointless pastime.

Based on a true story, this movie(also released as Eleven for Eleven), follows the uphill battle of this tenacious youth. As well, the story parallels Rickey’s determination with his father’s, as the two strong-willed males wrestle over the correct way to demonstrate their devotion and desire to use their talents to serve the Lord.

As trials continue to plague both Rickey and James, their hope and faith are tested. Some of these challenges are depicted in the film, including childhood bullying, threats between adults, family strife and implied domestic abuse. In one scene a dad gets his belt ready with a firm belief if he spares the rod, he will spoil the child. In others, characters defy authority figures and make difficult personal sacrifices, and still have their dreams dashed. Occasionally, they respond with a few muttered profanities, more often with prayerful pleas.

Although the screenplay suffers from predictability, it offers some beautiful moments of familial love, even when characters are torn between their roles as supportive wife or caring mother (played by Joelle Carter), observant mother-in-law or interfering grandmother (Bonnie Bedelia), and obedient children or loyal siblings (Mason Gillett/Ryan Dinning and Hailey Bithell/Carina Worm). Still, the film hits it out of the park is with the portrayal of this father and son seeking reconciliation with each other and with God. Audiences interested in guidance for climbing their own hills will find much to ponder from watching this divided team learning to navigate the game of life.

About author

Donna Gustafson

Donna Gustafson has been involved with her husband Rod's work since the beginning. Handling many of the behind-the-scenes tasks, she also creates preview pages for up-coming movies, acts as managing editor and occasionally writes reviews.