Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Rickey Hill + Jeff Celentano, Director and Producer of The Hill Movie
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Rickey Hill + Jeff Celentano, Director and Producer of The Hill Movie
RICKEY HILL
The Baseball Legend and Inspiration for THE HILL movie-In Theaters August 25th! Born in Fort Worth, Texas to a poor Baptist preacher, Rickey Hill’s life was a symphony of trials. Despite adversity, from poverty, bullying due to the braces on his legs, and balancing expectations and dreams, Rickey’s relentless pursuit of his passion in baseball made him one of the greatest hitters the game has ever seen. His life is proof that every day is a canvas for growth, an opportunity to overcome hurdles and emerge stronger. Rickey’s journey is more than just a success story – it’s an inspiration for all to never let go of their dreams.
Jeff Celentano, Director & Producer Born and raised in the small rural town of Pemberton, in Southern New Jersey. Jeff says his hometown “looks more like the backlot at Universal Pictures than a suburb in South Jersey." Celentano began his career as an actor while living on the east coast. Today, he is fast becoming one of the freshest new directors in Hollywood. The actor turned-writer/director has managed to effectively combine comedy and drama with his own personalized style.
The story of Rickey Hill is a true-life drama of perseverance, faith, and talent emerging from a childhood of hardship, physical pain, and living in the shadow of his loving yet stern father. In adapting a film of Hill’s story, director Jeff Celentano (Glass Jaw, Breaking Point) recognized right away the potential for greatness a movie made from it could have — much like Rickey himself had a potential on the baseball field that needed to be nurtured before it could fly. “I began this journey fifteen years ago,” says Celentano. “It all started when my brother, Mark, happened to be sitting in the lobby of a hotel next to a stranger. That stranger turned out to be Rickey Hill. My brother had overheard Rickey talking on the phone to someone about how a film about Rickey’s life had been in the process of getting made, but quickly fell apart.” “Mark struck up a conversation with Rickey and said, ‘You have to meet my brother, Jeff — he’s the perfect person to get your film made,’” Celentano continues. “Sometime after that, I met Rickey and flew to Fort Worth, Texas, to meet Michael A. Blubaugh, who owned the rights to Rickey’s life story.” Shortly after that meeting, the rights were secured and Celentano proceeded to climb the mountain that was THE HILL.
Be sure to follow @thehillmov + grab your tickets Friday, August 25th!
Connect with Danielle on social @farmhousestoryteller
Learn More at Farmhousestoryteller.com
Get in touch at [email protected]
View all episodes
By Danielle Foulk
5
1414 ratings
RICKEY HILL
The Baseball Legend and Inspiration for THE HILL movie-In Theaters August 25th! Born in Fort Worth, Texas to a poor Baptist preacher, Rickey Hill’s life was a symphony of trials. Despite adversity, from poverty, bullying due to the braces on his legs, and balancing expectations and dreams, Rickey’s relentless pursuit of his passion in baseball made him one of the greatest hitters the game has ever seen. His life is proof that every day is a canvas for growth, an opportunity to overcome hurdles and emerge stronger. Rickey’s journey is more than just a success story – it’s an inspiration for all to never let go of their dreams.
Jeff Celentano, Director & Producer Born and raised in the small rural town of Pemberton, in Southern New Jersey. Jeff says his hometown “looks more like the backlot at Universal Pictures than a suburb in South Jersey." Celentano began his career as an actor while living on the east coast. Today, he is fast becoming one of the freshest new directors in Hollywood. The actor turned-writer/director has managed to effectively combine comedy and drama with his own personalized style.
The story of Rickey Hill is a true-life drama of perseverance, faith, and talent emerging from a childhood of hardship, physical pain, and living in the shadow of his loving yet stern father. In adapting a film of Hill’s story, director Jeff Celentano (Glass Jaw, Breaking Point) recognized right away the potential for greatness a movie made from it could have — much like Rickey himself had a potential on the baseball field that needed to be nurtured before it could fly. “I began this journey fifteen years ago,” says Celentano. “It all started when my brother, Mark, happened to be sitting in the lobby of a hotel next to a stranger. That stranger turned out to be Rickey Hill. My brother had overheard Rickey talking on the phone to someone about how a film about Rickey’s life had been in the process of getting made, but quickly fell apart.” “Mark struck up a conversation with Rickey and said, ‘You have to meet my brother, Jeff — he’s the perfect person to get your film made,’” Celentano continues. “Sometime after that, I met Rickey and flew to Fort Worth, Texas, to meet Michael A. Blubaugh, who owned the rights to Rickey’s life story.” Shortly after that meeting, the rights were secured and Celentano proceeded to climb the mountain that was THE HILL.
Be sure to follow @thehillmov + grab your tickets Friday, August 25th!
Connect with Danielle on social @farmhousestoryteller
Learn More at Farmhousestoryteller.com
Get in touch at [email protected]