Did Rickey Hill Marry Gracie In Real Life? Who He Ended Up With After The Hill

The Hill chronicles the struggles for real-life athlete Rickey Hill trying to accomplish his professional baseball dreams, as well as Ricky Hill’s wife. However, the movie also highlights his personal life, including his relationship with Gracie Shanz. After watching the story unfold, some wonder what happened to Rickey and Gracie following the film’s events. The 2023 biographical drama, directed by Jeff Celentano and written by Angelo Pizzo and Scott Marshall Smith, takes place in the 1960s and 1970s as Rickey works to overcome his physical ailments to play the sport he loves.

Colin Ford stars as Rickey Hill, while Siena Bjornerud plays Gracie in The Hill. Of course, much of the movie focuses on Rickey’s aspiration to play baseball professionally. But his story couldn’t be told without including his loved ones, including his significant other. While Rickey reportedly never dated a woman named Gracie in real life, Bjornerud’s character was loosely based on his girlfriend at the time, Sherran. The film changed her name and some aspects of the character, but The Hill couldn’t have been made without Sherran being somewhat present in the story.

Rickey Hill Married The Real-Life Inspiration For The Hill’s Gracie In 1975

Rickey & Sherran Got Married On A Baseball Diamond

Shortly after The Hill’s ending, Rickey Hill and Sherran got married. Their wedding fittingly took place at home plate on a baseball field on August 5, 1975, when Rickey was only 18 years old. His father, Pastor James Hill, officiated the ceremony, and their family and friends surrounded them to celebrate their love. Rickey also started playing rookie ball for the Montreal Expos that year, so everything seemed like it was going right for the baseball player in the mid-1970s.

Rickey Hill & His Wife Sherran Divorced In 1986

The Couple Had Two Kids

Unfortunately, Rickey Hill and Sherran’s marriage was not built to last, and the couple divorced 11 years following their wedding day on August 5, 1975, on that baseball diamond. However, they had two children together between 1975 and 1986. It is unclear why Rickey and Sherran decided to end their marriage and what became of their relationship following their divorce, but what happened to Rickey after The Hill is known.

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The Hill doesn’t properly sell the obstacles in Rickey’s way, and its refusal to deepen its central figure makes the whole affair feel hollow.

The athlete played in the Expos’ minor league system for four years before he was forced into retirement. Rickey’s spine gave out in the late 1970s, and he could not play baseball anymore to preserve the good health that he had left. Following his retirement, the ex-athlete coached Little League Baseball in Fort Worth, Texas, as he refused to abandon baseball completely and dedicated his life to telling his story, as depicted in The Hill.

What Did The Hill Change About The True Story?

Ricky’s Relationship With His Dad & Coach Changed

Movies based on real people must undergo major changes to work as feature-length films. One of the biggest changes to The Hill was Pastor Hill’s inability to support his son’s baseball dreams. This added tension to the film, but Rickey Hill said his dad always supported him and his dreams. However, while his dad supported him in real life, the ending of The Hill saw Pastor Hill show up for his son’s big tryout, but that didn’t happen in real life. In fact, his dad never saw him play baseball at all in his entire career.

There were also other narrative differences in the film. Rickey Hill’s coach, Red Murff, was antagonistic toward the young baseball prospect, which was also added to The Hill to add tension to the story. However, in real life, Rickey said his coach was never this abrasive towards him and was much kinder in their interactions. However, while much was added to increase the drama, one exciting moment was committed. Rickey said he scaled a 10-foot wall to talk to Red to get his tryout. The filmmakers might have thought this was too unrealistic.

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

Cast

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

Runtime

126 minutes