10 Best Movies To Watch Like The Hill

Summary “The Hill” tells an inspiring true story of Rickey Hill, who overcomes his spinal degenerative disease to pursue his love of baseball.
Similar films focus on themes of faith, overcoming hardship, and baseball, offering audiences a range of options to enjoy similar stories.
From “Cinderella Man” and “Running The Bases” to “Hacksaw Ridge” and “42,” there are films that explore resilience in the face of adversity and the power of sports.
2023’s The Hill is an inspiring true tale with some surprisingly similar contemporaries, not being the first film to focus on faith, overcoming hardship, and the great American pastime of baseball. The film tells the true story of Rickey Hill, the son of a pastor who overcomes his spinal degenerative disease in order to fulfill his love of baseball. Featuring cameos from real-life hall-of-fame baseball players, The Hill may provide an utterly unique tale of perseverance in the face of adversity, but it’s far from the only film to focus on similar themes.
The movies that most closely resemble The Hill, of course, revolve around the true history of baseball, throughout which many similarly inspiring real tales can be found, and have been adapted into feature films. Beyond the best baseball movies, some productions instead echo The Hill’s focus on Rickey’s faith, owing to his pastor father, James Hill, or his struggles with his rare disease. It’s safe to say that audiences that loved The Hill have no shortage of previous films to turn to in order to enjoy a similar experience.
10 Cinderella Man
2005
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While the fictional boxer Rocky Balboa may have the most well-known underdog story in the ring, Cinderella Man tells the true story of professional heavyweight boxing champion, James J. Braddock. Much like Rickey Hill, Braddock also suffered from economic hardship, struggling to earn a living in Great Depression-era New Jersey, and contended with skeletal issues that stood in the way of his career, having shattered his hand during his tenure as a light heavyweight. The film’s depiction of Braddock’s ability to turn his disadvantages into benefits mirrors Rickey’s own story for those that can stomach the violence of boxing.
9 Running The Bases
2022
Compared to The Hill, Running The Bases leans harder into the intersection of the church and the baseball diamond. Telling the story of a small-town baseball coach who gets scouted for a bigger high school, Running The Bases has a similar relationship with the sport, using it as a vehicle to profess the protagonist’s unwavering faith in the face of his struggles. Christian movies won’t appeal to everyone who loved The Hill, but those looking for an even more theologically-inclined take on a similar story will enjoy how well-made Running The Bases is for its genre.
8 Simon Birch
1998
While Simon Birch’s titular character may not have made it into the big leagues like Rickey did, the parallels between both characters, who nurture a deep love for baseball despite overwhelming physical limitations, are undeniable. More of a coming-of-age story, Simon Birch chronicles a pair of childhood best friends who contend with poignant losses amid a keen passion for baseball and Simon’s struggles with his dwarfism. Though it may be dangerously heart-wrenching and even sappy at times, few films compete with The Hill’s specific look at baseball through the lens of a differently-abled protagonist quite like Simon Birch.
7 Hacksaw Ridge
2016
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An intense war movie may seem like a far cry from the sports-based idealism of The Hill, offering a completely different genre that should have little in common. However, Hacksaw Ridge offers a similar testament to the power of faith in the face of overwhelming adversity, even if the stakes are much higher. Desmond Doss and Rickey Hill are living contradictions — A pacifist soldier and an athlete with a degenerative bone disease. Yet both manage to defy the odds thanks to their unshakable mental strength, drawing an interesting comparative story for fans of The Hill that can withstand Hacksaw Ridge.
6 Rudy
1993
Rickey Hill may not have gone on to have an illustrious baseball career, forced to drop out of his contract after just four seasons, but the achievement of making it into the Minor Leagues at all in the face of his challenges makes it a noteworthy achievement all the same. Similarly, Rudy Ruettiger of 1993’s Rudy only took the football field for a total of three plays, and even this achievement is awe-inspiring considering Ruettiger’s many disadvantages. Both Rudy and The Hill demonstrate how one can follow their dreams through the medium of sports, highlighting accomplishments big and small.
5 Remember The Titans
2000
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One of the all-time greatest sports films, Remember The Titans puts on a similar front to The Hill with its messages of perseverance in the face of society’s expectations. A poor son of a preacher with a degenerative spinal deformity, Rickey Hill got little support on his baseball journey. On a larger scale, Denzel Washington’s unification of a biracial football team in Virginia circa 1971 tells the same story, defying societal norms through the power of team sports.
4 The Blind Side
2009
The Blind Side revolves around Michael Oher, an impoverished teenager living on the streets who finds purpose in his high school football career in an inspiring tale of resilience in the face of adversity. In a way, Oher actually had a better situation than Rickey Hill, with a perfect build for his sport and the eventual love and support of Sandra Bullock’s character compared to Hill’s ever-disapproving father. Still, both stories offer similar odysseys of personal growth in the intersection between very real personal issues and athletics.
3 The Rookie
2002
As heartwarming as underdog tales like Rudy and The Hill are, sometimes it’s best to indulge in an underdog story in which the protagonist has a more decisive victory. Enter The Rookie, the true story of professional MLB baseball pitcher Jim Morris’ odds-defying comeback. After retiring to a quiet life acting as a high school science teacher, Morris makes a triumphant return to his baseball career at age 35. Considering how simple age can make a prospective player just as much of an outcast as Rickey Hill’s medical issues, it’s hard not to cheer for Morris’ blistering fastball.
2 Pride Of The Yankees
1942
It may be surprising to find such an old film acting as such a great contemporary to The Hill, which released as recently as 2023. However, it seems as though baseball and medical hardship have always gone hand-in-hand, as chronicled by 1942’s The Pride Of The Yankees. Chronicling the incredible life of Lou Gehrig, the famed first baseman who played alongside Babe Ruth, The Pride Of The Yankees was released only a year after Gehrig’s death to a neurodegenerative disease that would later become known by his name. The film’s clear admiration for the player still shines even today.
1 42
2013
Few icons of the sport of baseball have had to endure as much as Jackie Robinson, the first African American player to ever be signed to the major leagues. Based off the legendary player’s designated number, 42 gives The Hill a run for its money in depicting the unbelievable true tale of how much difficulty a single player can overcome, as Chadwick Boseman’s legendary performance captures the spirit of Robinson’s steadfast commitment to the sport in the face of vile racism. Few films can empathize with The Hill’s themes of perseverance in the baseball world quite like 42.

10 Best Movies To Watch Like The Hill

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