Rickey Hill has the same dreams as many American boys growing up in the 1960s — to be the next Mickey Mantle in the big leagues. Rickey has a gift for hitting the baseball, but also suffers from a degenerative disease that makes it dangerous for him to play. Can Rickey overcome his disability to achieve his dreams — and can he overcome his father’s protective love to even get the chance?

The Hill opens today, a somewhat surprising faith-based film in the summer blockbuster season in which the big tentpole films usually dominate. Sound of Freedom has already shocked the industry with over $175 million in sales for its faith-adjacent look at the child-trafficking industry. The Hill tells a more intimate and personal story, more reliant on faith as a story element, which might make it seem less accessible.

That would be a mistake, however. The Hill tells the true-life story of a determined young boy and young man, whose preacher father struggles to learn what he can control, what he cannot, and how to truly recognize a calling. Rickey (Colin Ford as the older Rickey, Jesse Berry as the younger) knows exactly what he wants — to use a talent gifted to him to its maximum potential. James (Dennis Quaid) knows exactly what he wants, too; he wants his younger son to be a preacher so he doesn’t end up seriously injured and permanently disabled. Like many great baseball movies, The Hill is less about the game and more about the perseverance and faith required to go the distance.

In many ways, this is a film not so much about Rickey but about James. Rickey certainly has moments where his faith gets tested, but Quaid’s James is forced to recognize that he won’t allow himself to rely on the Lord. It’s not a question of being a bad person; in some ways, Quaid’s James reminds me of John Lithgow’s nuanced and ultimately sympathetic preacher in Footloose, whose personal tragedy also blinds him to the need to trust (in a film that was less engaged on faith itself). Quaid delivers a terrific performance, and one that makes the payoff in the emotional climax all the more compelling.

The rest of the cast does well, especially the two actors playing Rickey. Scott Glenn comes on for a smaller role as real-life scout Red Murff, who passed away just as the effort to make this film first began. Bonnie Bedelia is almost unrecognizable as Gram, who believes in Rickey all along, and newcomer Siena Bjornerud is memorable as Gracie, Rickey’s sweetheart who later becomes his wife.

The Hill is definitely a faith-based film, well made and well executed. It also is a compelling character study about fathers and sons, about brothers, about a boy and a girl falling in love, and about family. It’s also a fine baseball movie, and based on an inspiring true story. It transcends its genres and delivers what most of us miss in modern cinema: an inspiring story about timeless values made with respect and dignity.

This film deserves to find an audience, and audiences deserve more films like The Hill.

On the Hot Air scale, The Hill gets a 5:

• 5 – Full price ticket
• 4 – Matinee only
• 3 – Wait for Blu-Ray/DVD/PPV rental or purchase
• 2 – Watch it when it hits Netflix/cable
• 1 – Avoid at all costs

The Hill is rated PG, but it should be fine for children of all ages.

I interviewed the real Rickey Hill and producer-director Jeff Celentano earlier this month. Here’s the interview again: