Movie Review: The Hill

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

A wonderful Christian sports drama. 

Often I will agree with the critics on a movie, but there are a few times when I feel like I saw a completely different film than they did. This is one of those times, as I felt this was a great film. As someone who personally finds baseball incredibly boring, I did not expect myself to get as invested in this movie, about a real-life baseball player, as I did. However, I cannot deny that I was completely moved by this film. Like all feel good movies that are worth watching, this film revolves around a character who seems to have the world stacked against him. This may be a formula, but it is one that still works very well. To see this boy overcome many physical problems that make it even difficult for him to walk to become a great baseball player is something that is even inspiring to those of us who no interest in the sport. And the way this film is constructed it is hard not care very much about him and want to cheer when he has any form of success. One may argue that the way this is conveyed can get a little corny at times, but corny doesn't exactly mean bad. When something corny is done well it can have a real charm to it and this movie is simply full of a charm that I found irresistible. Much of this is because writers Angelo Pizzo and Scott Marshall Smith craft a fine screenplay that may sometimes follow the sports movies clichés but never feels bound by them. Perhaps that these writers could turn out a good sports movie screenplay like this should come as no surprise, as Angelo Pizzo has previously worked on Hoosiers (1986) and Rudy (1993). They keep this film going by keeping a good hearted and charming feel to the whole movie. However this film's biggest asset is the relationship between our main character and his pastor father (a very heartfelt performance by Dennis Quaid). This is where the movie has it smartest and best writing. It leads to some very intelligent discussions as the characters talk about whether the exhilaration baseball gives our main character is worth the possible consequences, how to know what God's calling for your life is, whether you are truly hearing what God tells you or what you want to happen, whether pursuing baseball would be squandering our main characters gift at preaching and if it is possible to serve God through a sport. Even if it a Christian film, this does not come off as preaching to the audience but instead giving an intelligent discussion of things that go through many Christian's minds. This movie also never makes either side of these discussions look foolish but instead takes every point these characters make seriously. The relationship between the main character and his father also benefits from it not being too overly simplistic. It would be easy to simply cast the father as a villain who stands in the way of our hero's dream, but that is not what is done here. This is a good man, who does his best to always follow God's word and help others. Yet even as a good Christian, he is still human and has his struggles and accepting his son as a baseball player is one of them. Because of this even though the two characters are opposed to what the other is trying to do, they never disown each other or love each other less. This makes it so we can feel the love between the two of them even when they are fighting. 

This is a great movie and I hope that people go and see it for themselves and enjoy it like I did.