Netflix’s hit The Hill, starring popular leading man Dennis Quaid, is a great reminder to watch, or double-back and rewatch, another inspirational baseball film the actor led two decades ago. Quaid appears alongside a warm cast of characters, including Colin Ford as Ricky Hill, Scott Glenn as Red Murff, and Joelle Carter as Helen, in the new sports drama depicting the unimaginable story of Hill’s endeavor into Major League Baseball. Like many sports films Quaid has featured in, and most sports dramas in general, The Hill’s story bleeds sentimentality, tugs at the heartstrings, and is all around pleasant to watch.
Throughout his career, Quaid has surprisingly led or supported the cast of countless movies in the genre, dating back to 1983 when he played singer-turned-boxer Art Long in the romantic sports drama Tough Enough. Like Tough Enough, the 2008 college football movie The Express, the MMA tournament-based movie Born A Champion, and many more have all expressed, Quaid is no stranger to participating in worthy and inspirational sports movies. Be that as it may, fans looking to watch something similar to The Hill should look no further than Quaid’s 2002 sports film The Rookie.
The Hill’s Netflix Success Is A Reminder To Watch Dennis Quaid’s The Rookie
Although The Hill failed to impress in theaters back in August 2023, garnering a mere $7.7 million total box office (via Box Office Mojo) compared to August’s multimillion-dollar moneymakers like Meg 2 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, the sports drama is now effectively becoming a hit on streaming. The Hill is making considerable waves on Netflix, dominating the platform’s Top 10 Movies in the U.S. at the No.1 spot. Its success indicates just how crowd-pleasing sports dramas can be and is also a great reminder to watch Quaid’s other sports hit, The Rookie.
Walt Disney Pictures’ The Rookie was released in 2002 and, quite similar to Quaid’s new movie, was a hit with crowds. The Rookie drew enough of an audience to more than double its estimated budget of $22 million, earning $80.6 million globally (via IMDB). Much like The Hill, which boasts an incredible 97% Rotten Tomatoes audience score, The Rookie proved to enamor viewers and is also one of Quaid’s higher-rated movies by audiences at 70%.
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What The Rookie Has In Common With The Hill
Not just crowd-pleasing movies, The Hill and The Rookie also have incredible true-to-life stories that they are based on in common. The Rookie dramatized the life events of professional baseball player Jim Morris, who debuted in Major League Baseball at age 35. Quaid played the lead as Morris, helping to bring the story of his transformation from an all-but retired high school baseball coach to his dream position of an MLB pitcher to life.
Similarly, The Hill portrays the real-life events of baseball player Ricky Hill, who became a professional athlete despite battling a degenerative spinal disease. Quaid does not play the role of the player in question but performs as his father and religious role model, Pastor Hill. Dennis Quaid sports movies may be plentiful, but more than them and other movies in the genre, The Rookie deserves a watch after the similarly heartwarming baseball story of The Hill.
The Hill
- Release Date
- August 25, 2023
- Director
- Jeff Celentano
- Cast
- Dennis Quaid , Colin Ford , Joelle Carter , Randy Houser , Jesse Berry , Bonnie Bedelia , Scott Glenn
- Runtime
- 126 Minutes
- Writers
- Angelo Pizzo , Scott Marshall Smith
- Story By
- Bill Chaffin, Stephen Hintz, Aric Hornig
- Studio(s)
- Vitamin A Films , Rescue Dog Productions , Piney Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Briarcliff Entertainment
