Today is a special episode as I discuss faith and movies and hardships with the director of the new Dennis Quaid movie, The Hill, and joining us is the subject of the film himself, Major League ball player, Rickey Hill. As of now it sets at 100% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and after watching a screener of the film, I really enjoyed it all the way through. We don't get so much into the technical side of the filmmaking process during the interview, but we do discuss the movie's genre and what demographics the film is for, etc. I had the opportunity to speak briefly with Jeff and Rickey before and after the recording, and they are just as kind and humble off camera as they are during the interview you're about to hear. It's guys like these two that give me hope for those who have a taste of celebrity. I tried to ask unique questions that they may have not been asked a hundred times before. For instance, I didn't ask what it was like to work with Dennis Quaid, because we all know the answer is going to be that he was a kind and generous man. Whether that's truly the case or just for PR, I wasn't here to talk about Mr. Quaid, as great as I'm sure he is. I wanted to get inside the director's head, especially in a time when Christian movies are starting to figure out how to fit into the culture and have mass appeal. But, the director will argue that The Hill is not a Christian film, and I can see his point of view on the matter, and I respect it. After all, so many churches and pastors call Braveheart a Christian film, considering that it was written by one of our brothers, but that doesn't mean it has to be labeled as such. Men and women of faith are more than capable of putting out gripping, secular entertainment. Talking with Rickey was such a blessing, and I wish I had so much more time with him, as I kind of feel myself in the middle of a story that's similar to his. I'm not a ball player, and I don't have his strength, but if you've followed my journey, you know that my family and I have been drawing the short stick for a long time now. I will admit there is a point in the conversation where I abruptly change the subject when the conversation was starting to go into deeper wells, and that's not because I was shying away from the emotions it was causing, but I wanted to be mindful of their time, and honestly, I felt like nothing else needed to be said on the matter. Whether that was the right instinct or not, that can be up to you to decide. But I just wanted you to know that I'm very aware of that decision to do so, and I'm at peace with it. But enough of my babbling. Let's cut to the interview, and whether you're a Christian or a baseball lover or not, may you truly be blessed and encouraged by this conversation. To learn more about Mr. Hill's story and the Rickey Hill Ultimate Wellness Kit, visit his website at RickeyHill.com. Epilogue:I hope you enjoyed that conversation. And please, please go see The Hill while it's still in theaters - it really is an old-fashioned sports movie that rarely gets made anymore. Please be sure to check out my other podcasts, Hollywood Horrors about two kids who get sucked into a classic movie. The season 1 finale just came up for air today (it's about Jaws). And my newest podcast called Toying with Faith, where I talk about heavy faith-based issues in a light way. Links for both shows are in the show notes below. And one last thing. I've written a script about the world's most iconic 20th century figure. I've been hunting down investors and podcast channels, and even though each one of them has told me this thing will be big, no one has been willing to prove it with financial backing. One agent even said it would be better suited as a film, but the point of doing it as a podcast is to keep costs low. I know writers and actors are on strike, and I have no cat in that fight, but there are lots of actors and writers like myself who will still work, even now. I picked up a couple of extremely talented people at my church to help me out with the voices for this demo I put together. If you like movies like The Hill and other inspiring biopics, then this is an audio drama that I feel would be beneficial to that same demographic. Please. If you know an investor or a friend of a friend of someone who might be able to drop me a name, please email me at author.andrewtoy@gmail.com, or message me on Facebook if you can find me, and get me in touch with that person. Without further ado, here is the demo reel, if you will, for my podcast audio-drama extravaganza, Fowling Up: The Colonel Sanders Story.
