Dennis Quaids Netflix-Trending 81% RT Movie Continues A Big Streak After His Divisive Streaming Hit Earlier This Year

One of Dennis Quaid’s latest films is currently trending on Netflix, a film which garnered a whopping 81% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film’s recent release closely tails another one of Quaid’s streaming hits from earlier in the year, both films showcasing Quaid’s appeal to the sports biopic genre. The conversation sparked about these two films since both have hit streaming on Netflix, and are both performing well.

Both of Quaid’s films are sports films based on real-life events, showcasing the triumphs and feats of the players and the people around the players, and the numerous adversities that these real people had to face in order to play the game that they know and love. Quaid’s involvement in the recent streaming films augments attention and discussion about the truthfulness behind the depicted real life events, events that happened not too long ago. Now that they’ve both been trending on Netflix, it creates room to talk about historical tales in the sports industry.

Both Of Dennis Quaid’s 2023 Sports Biopics Have Been Streaming Hits On Netflix This Year

The Films Have Hit The Top 10 In 2024

Dennis Quaid starred in two 2023 sports biopics that both hit streaming on Netflix this year: The Hill and The Long Game. The true story of The Hill, directed by Jeff Celentano, follows Rickey Hill, the son of a pastor (Quaid,) who overcomes his physical adversities to achieve his dreams of playing in major league baseball. The true story of The Long Game, directed by Julio Quintana, is about five Mexican-American high schoolers who learn how to play golf and create their own course, eventually going on to win the Texas state high school championship.

Both films hit theaters in 2023 with, coincidentally, identical 6.7/10 ratings on IMDb. Now well into 2024, The Hill and The Long Game have hit streaming on Netflix, so viewers can have the chance to watch and immerse themselves in the true stories, and to learn more about the real people who overcame societal rules and objections, and the verifiable events that transpired. Both films are undoubtedly inspirational, following the different kinds of trials and tribulations that certain athletes are judged by solely based on their race or physical status, and not their athletic skill.

Why Dennis Quaid’s True Story Sports Movies Are So Popular On Netflix

Their Stories Are Inspirational And Educational

Quaid’s sports biopics are popular on Netflix right now – The Long Game is currently second in the top 10 movies in the U.S. today, The Hill in Netflix’s top 10 in January. Both films address sports adversities, not as players but as bystanders to the physical turmoil that athletes face, but also the emotional stress. Additionally, the films are technically period pieces – The Hill taking place between the 1960s and 1970s and The Long Game in the 1950s – so the status quo of predominantly white and able-bodied athletes augmented adversities for players of color and/or with disabilities.

These true story sports films specifically have Quaid as a bystander to the athletes, him being the father in The Hill and a coach in The Long Game; both characters witness the hardships these players overcome in order to prove they deserve a place to play. Quaid’s underlooked sports biopics are popular because underdog stories never fail to inspire and educate people who don’t know about these tales. The fact that these are true stories invokes hope, to understand that adversity doesn’t have to set people back, it can motivate them to trudge forward, defying the odds and prove people wrong.

The sports biopics The Hill and The Long Game not only show great work from Dennis Quaid’s end, but also are prominent stories that viewers should know about. These inspirational tales dig into the truth behind the sports industry, that it hasn’t always been welcome to people of color or those with disabilities. The stories behind those who broke down the barriers in the athletic world stimulate motivation and are narratives that all sports fans should know about, because they are important to the respective sports’ history.

The Hill (2023)

The Hill (2023) is a drama film directed by Jeff Celentano. The film stars Colin Ford as Rickey Hill, a young boy with significant spinal issues who aspires to play professional baseball. Set against the backdrop of the 1970s, the story explores Rickey’s determination and challenges in overcoming both physical and social obstacles in pursuit of his dream.

Director

Jeff Celentano

Release Date

August 25, 2023

Distributor(s)

Briarcliff Entertainment

Writers

Angelo Pizzo , Scott Marshall Smith

Cast

Dennis Quaid , Colin Ford , Joelle Carter , Scott Glenn , Randy Houser , Bonnie Bedelia

Runtime

126 minutes

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The Long Game (2024)

In 1956, JB Peña and his wife moved to the small town of Del Rio, TX, partly for a job as a school superintendent, but mostly to fulfill JB’s dream of joining the prestigious, all-white Del Rio Country Club. So when JB is rejected on the basis of his skin color, he is devastated. But his world soon collides with a group of young latino golf caddies who work at the country club, and JB is inspired by the handmade course the boys built in the country to teach themselves golf. With little experience and even fewer resources, JB convinces the boys to start their own high school golf team, starting them all on a journey where they learn that it takes more than just golf skills to make history.

Director

Julio Quintana

Release Date

April 12, 2024

Writers

Paco Farias , Humberto G. Garcia , Julio Quintana

Cast

Dennis Quaid , Gillian Vigman , Jay Hernandez , Jaina Lee Ortiz , Brett Cullen , Oscar Nunez , Cheech Marin , Julian Works

Runtime

112 Minutes

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