Faith based – We Are Movie Geeks

THE HILL (2023) – Review

Two true-life sports movies opening on the same weekend! Oh yeah, it was bound to happen but we’re taking a big detour (hmm), maybe even a U-turn (okay, enough already) from the video game F1 flick. For one thing. this one is set squarely in the past, before Pong was a staple, way back in the splashy 1970s, after a brief stop in the sensational ’60s. Oh, and this concerns the American pastime (as in hot dogs and apple pie), in the tradition of THE NATURAL and THE ROOKIE (with which it shares a star). Now the title doesn’t refer to the pitcher’s mound, but rather to the obstacles its focus must face (perhaps closer to a steep mountain). And since it’s also the last name of the family in this faith-based drama it’s simply THE HILL.

After the briefest of prologues in which a seemingly angry teen jumps in his beat-up 70s auto and cranks up a power ballad, we’re whisked away about ten years ago as he spends a lazy day outside his father’s country church. Little Rickey Hill (Jesse Beery) smacks pebbles over the treetops using a stick as a makeshift bat. That’s because his pop, Pastor James Hill (Dennis Quaid) doesn’t believe in encouraging this “sport” by buying proper equipment. And he can’t afford it, as the family barely scrapes by (Sunday dinner is a pan of cornbread). Oh, plus Rickey can’t run the bases with any speed as he’s still wearing a pair of leg braces due to a degenerative spinal condition. Things get worse when the preacher is booted out by his surly congregation (he called them out for “chewin'” and smoking during his sermons). So, he’s got to pack up his three kids, his wife, and her mother-in-law, the no-nonsense Gram (Bonnie Bedelia), and hit the road. Through a bit of chance, they learn of a nearby Texas town in need of a pastor. But there, Rickey’s love of baseball is stoked by the grade school team, Thus begins a new battle of wills between father and son, until Rickey learns he can shed the braces. Flash forward several years as teen Rickey (Colin Ford) is a homer-smackin’ high school phenom. But an injury benches Rickey and gives more fuel to his father’s hopes that he’ll follow him to the pulpit. Somehow the town rallies to fund the needed surgery. But can Rickey heal in time to impress a major league scout, Red Murff (Scott Glenn) at an upcoming audition? And will Papa Hill ever embrace his son’s athletic aspirations?

Though he’s not “on the field”, the film’s “heavy hitter” is Quaid (a “rookie” no more) who easily dominates every scene as the stern, but often sympathetic man of God. He’s able to channel a bit of that old “Jerry Lee” charisma (can that FIRE flick really be 34 years old) when Pastor Hill is delivering “the word” and can be quite intimidating as the strict head of the household. But Quaid shows us that hint of uncertainty as his faith is tested time and again. And he’s got a very strong spiritual sparring partner in Bedelia as the feisty, sassy Gram who won’t be “bulldozed” by his ways. Ford is a likable and sweet-natured sports hero as the slugger aware of his gifts but thwarted by his physical “restraints”. Ditto for Berry as the pre-teen version, as he aches for a chance to take on a bully who taunts him with the moniker “Robo-boy”. Glenn is stern and savvy as the baseball “wizard” who needs to test Rickey’s stamina and skills.

Director Jeff Celentano strives to bring a new spin on the familiar story of the athlete hero fighting a debilitating illness (BANG THE DRUM SLOWLY amongst many others), while addressing conflicting religious beliefs (Papa Hill believes baseball cards encourage the worship of false idols). The father is the main obstacle (after Rickey’s health) and he often seems a tad obstinate but he’s never cruel and is capable of change. And though I must praise the producers for giving the press access (most faith-based films aren’t screened for us), I had problems with the odd script choices. I attended services through the 70s and never encountered the chain-smoking congregations shown here (even at Hill’s new church), so it feels contrived. More than that, the huge leap in time, probably a decade) as Rickey goes from grade-schooler to high school senior seems like two separate stories barely stitched together. What changed in those “shadow years”? Plus the “rekindled romance” feels a tad “tossed in”, more to give Rickey a “sounding board”. And the mix of movie pros with more inexperienced actors can be distracting. These quibbles just can’t push my interest in this “true tale” over THE HILL. Maybe a solid double or so…

1.5 Out of 4

THE HILL is now playing in theatres everywhere

AMERICAN UNDERDOG – Review

Anna Paquin as Brenda Warner and Zachary Levi as Kurt Warner in American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story. Photo Credit: Michael Kubeisy/Lionsgate

So, you’ve survived the big holiday rush and are feeling a bit restless after the big meal. Perhaps you usually recoup by watching one of several football games on the tube that afternoon. But what if you’re not that invested in the match-ups and just want to get out of the house for a bit? Well, why not combine the two by taking in a new flick at the multiplex…one all about football. Oh, but it’s not a fictional tale of a group of “ragtag’ misfits pulling together for a beloved but often cranky coach. No, it’s all true, a sports biopic, but also a love story in the vein of the classic PRIDE OF THE YANKEES, minus the disease finale. And unlike that “chestnut, this man’s story is still “being written”. So, as all the details are revealed it becomes clear why the title is AMERICAN UNDERDOG..

It all starts with a young boy’s dream of tossing the ole “pigskin” like his idols on TV. That lad studying the tube and practicing his throw grows into the quarterback for the University of Northern Iowa Panthers, Kurt Warner (Zachary Levi). After much prodding from a teammate pal, he sets aside his studies and practice for an evening at a local country-western bar. And that is where he meets her, Brenda Meoni (Anna Paquin). He’s so gobsmacked that his buddy teaches him line dancing in order to join her on the dance floor. The former marine and current nursing student is stunned when Kurt shows up on her doorstep with a rose. That day he meets her mama along with her two children from a previous marriage, sweet five-year-old daughter Jesse and ten-year-old son Zack who is legally blind. The kids, especially Zack, bond with him immediately, so the ‘gun-shy” Brenda agrees to date him. Their budding romance is tested over the next four years as Kurt tries to get a shot at the NFL Then finally the Green Bay Packers tap him for a tryout. But his time is short there, as the coach sends him back home after just two days. Brenda’s family lets him stay in their basement as he stocks groceries at night while still dreaming of another opportunity. And it happens, not with the NFL though. The scrappy owner of the Iowa Barnstormers, a team in the AFL(Arena Football League), Jim Foster (Bruce McGill) offers him a contract. After barely scraping by, Kurt takes the job despite the hardships of traveling on his new family. Eventually, he marries Brenda just as a rep for the NFL’s St. Louis Rams comes to see him. And though he’s a bit “long in the tooth” for a rookie, he works with coach Dick Vermeil (Dennis Quaid) as a backup quarterback. But things change when the first-string QB is injured. And though the media believes that he’s an “aging hack”, Kurt, buoyed by the love of Brenda, knows that this is his moment.

In the title role, Levi deftly balances the drama and athlete aspects involved in this story. He looks confident on the field, while also doing his best to prove his worth to his soulmate. He’s charming in their courtship and warms to the kids with no prodding. But he still has his frustrations as he looks wistfully at a box of Wheaties, thinking he’ll never adorn it. Luckily Levi has great chemistry with Paquin as the tough, world-weary Brenda. She’s touched by this lumbering “puppy dog’ even though her emotional wall is still solid. We see the sadness in her eyes as she opens up to Kurt about her first marriage. And Paquin doesn’t make her merely a devoted “cheerleader”, confronting him about his goals. They’re the heart of the film, ably assisted by a quartet of great teachers/ coaches to Kurt. Adam Ballwin is his growling bulldog-like college coach (“Stay in the pocket”). And just as tough, but more amusing is McGill as the larger-than-life Foster who’s got Foghorn Leghorn’s bluster paired with Scrooge McDuck’s wallet as he promises a “C-note” for every touchdown. But he’s a pushover compared to Rams coach Mike Martz, played with scowling intensity by Chance Kelly. Luckily he’s offset by the warm, father-like Vermeil played with a calm strength by Quaid, Their conversation in which he sees Kurt as a kindred spirit is an emotional highpoint of the film.

The direction by the brothers Erwin (Andrew and Jon) is brisk and confident, whether in the locker room or at the dinner table, making it an engrossing story for those with little interest in sports. Though many of the domestic scenes have the feel of a basic cable miniseries, the sprawling intensity of the game scenes elevates the story taking us right to the center of the action, and groaning with each tackle and “hit”. The script by Jon, Joe Gunn, and David Aaron Cohen adapting the book “All Things Possible” by Michael Silver and Kurt avoids many sports film cliches as we see how the relationship of the Warners endure through the dark dire times ( a scene on a snowy road is harrowing) right through the triumphs. And although the Erwins are mainly known for “faith-based” films, the message is never hammered home but is tackled with subtlety and sincerity. They show us how to move past the disappointments and tragedies of the past, often gaining strength from adversity and turning failure into determination. It’s inspiring and sweet without getting syrupy. As far as biographies go, AMERICAN UNDERDOG is often a solid scorer.

2.5 Out of 4

AMERICAN UNDERDOG opens in theatres everywhere on Christmas Eve

I STILL BELIEVE – Review

Here’s a unique flick, unlike nearly any other film now at your multiplex (or single screens or drive-ins down south). That’s mainly because it’s a mix of several film genres (if it were a meal would it be a stew or a petite buffet). It’s a coming of age story since it’s about a young man leaving his midwestern hometown for college in sunny ‘Cal. And he meets “the girl” and begins a romance, so it’s a love story. Like the fifty-plus-year-old flick of that name, things don’t go…smoothly, so it’s a “tear-jerker”. Oh, did I mention that this college kid is a real guy? Yup, it’s a biography and a musical one at that since he’s a singer. Actually he’s one of the most popular contemporary Christian singers of the last couple of decades, so this movie is at the forefront of the faith-based film genre, one from a fairly prominent studio, Lionsgate. To tie everything together, it shares its title with perhaps the subject’s most popular song, I STILL BELIEVE.

The true tale begins in 1999 as Jeremy Camp (K.J. Apa) waves goodbye to his family in Indiana, papa Tom (Gary Sinise), mama Terry (Shanina Twain), and his two younger brothers (Reuben Dodd and Nicholas Bechtel), and boards a Greyhound bus bound for Murrietta, CA where he’ll begin his freshman year at Calvary Chapel Bible College. After settling into his dorm room, he spots a flyer about the concert on campus that night. Posing as a ‘roadie’, Jeremy sneaks into the backstage area where he befriends the lead singer of the group Kry, Jean Luc (Nathan Parsons) by tuning his guitar. During the show, Jeremy walks on stage to give Jean Luc the instrument. Looking out into the audience, a radiant young blonde catches his eye. After the concert he sees her leaving with some friends. Dashing up the aisle, Jeremy introduces himself to Melissa Henning (Britt Robertson), a sophomore at the college. Soon the two begin a friendship, hanging out all around the campus. Jeremy wants to begin a romantic relationship with her, but it turns out that Jean Luc has the same intentions. To make things more complicated the elder established singer has taken Jeremy “under his wing”, introducing him to record execs and agents and getting him to record some of the songs he’s written. As the romantic triangle gets sorted out, Jeremy heads back home for the holidays. Late one night he gets a call from Jean Luc telling him that Melissa is in the hospital and wants to see him. It’s the start of an emotional roller coaster ride for the two young “lovebirds”. Despite all the medical setbacks, they decide to build a life together pinning all their hopes for the future on their shared love and faith.

In their second pairing as an on-screen couple (the first time was three years ago for A DOG’S PURPOSE) Robertson and Apa have a pleasant easy-going chemistry. Unfortunately, the work that has really showcased their talents are their small-screen roles. Robertson has been memorable in quirky off-beat TV shows such as “Swingtown” and “Casual’, but film stardom has proved elusive, whether it’s in indies like CAKE, a trek to Nicholas Sparks-land with THE LONGEST RIDE or infamous big-budget fantasy misfires like THE SPACE BETWEEN US and TOMORROWLAND. As Melissa, she’s got a dazzling smile, but the script’s bland characterization is near impossible to overcome. It’s tough to believe that these two “dreamy music makers” are vying for her attention. She sheds a bit of her saccharine excess when a pickle jar finally causes her to vent her anger. But soon after she’s back on a “pedestal” (and remains till the final fadeout). Apa, “Archie Andrews” in The CW’s very racy take on the classic comics, “Riverdale”, is all eager earnest smiles, when he’s not using his fingers to give his hair the perfect “bed head” look ( oh, and it’s a rich black, not the red sheen from TV). And like his co-star, there are few rough edges (sneaking into the concert just makes him a “rascal”), the ‘safe’ beau who is written with no cracks in his rise to stardom. Even his rival Jean Luc played as a surrogate big brother by Parson, can’t stay mad or slightly annoyed at the grinning guy. Sinise does bring some needed gravitas to his fatherly role, particularly as his voices his disappointments in a “heart to heart” moment with Apa. And country music queen Twain projects lots of maternal warmth, but mainly reminds her boy to eat (“Ya’ want Breakfast?”, “I kin’ fix ya’ some Breakfast?”).

The whole uplifting true tale is given a glowing “Hallmark card” look by a directing duo, the Erwin Brothers, Andrew and Jon (who co-wrote it with Jon Gunn). Actually the whole film feels like it sneaked out of that same-named basic cable channel (or Lifetime or Freeform, etc.). There’s an over-all “slickness’ to every scene in every setting (the school, the Camp family home) that strips away any rough “lived in” quality to the sequences, dirt-free to the point of being almost sterile. It’s especially true in the concert pieces which pale next to the work in last year’s STAR IS BORN remake which felt epic and intimate. A list appears to be followed strictly: overhead shot of the crowd, close-up of Camp, cut to the enthralled audience (often mothing the lyrics), medium shot from the back (usually silhouette), and repeat. The formula of a brave noble heroine facing a noble demise has been a drama mainstay, from DARK VICTORY to TERMS OF ENDEARMENT, and the filmmakers don’t really veer away as they put the religious message at the forefront. Most of all, everyone’s really nice, and nobody offends (these are those “well-mannered” young folks). Much of the film’s intended audience will appreciate it as they wipe away the tears (it is relentless in hammering at the emotions), but they deserve a more edgy and realistic (another ‘falling-in-love” montage of the leads cavorting around the campus) story than I STILL BELIEVE.

2 Out of 4