Ordinary Angels Review – Uplifting Family Friendly Film Inspires

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Category: Film

Published on Thursday, 22 February 2024 10:52

Written by Janet Walker

Ordinary Angels, from Lionsgate, brings to the screen a true story of ordinary people, a hairdresser looking for atonement, a family crippled by grief, and a town of ordinary people coming together to help a dying child.

The film opens with a couple, Ed, played by Alan Ritchson, and Theresa, played by Amy Acker, celebrating the birth of their daughter and decide to name her Michelle. Then, the film jumps ahead five years, and now, Ed is holding his dying wife’s hand.

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Immediately the film moves to a bar, where Sharon, played by Hilary Swank, and her best friend and business partner Rose, played by Tamala Jones, are supposed to be enjoying one drink, and we see immediately that Sharon is an alcoholic, enjoying free flowing vodka shots, dancing on the bar, falling off, even as she believe she is the life of the party, she is an embarrassment.

Rose decides enough is enough and explains to Sharon she needs help and drops her off and an AA meeting. And on this day, she doesn’t have the courage to admit she is alcoholic and in need.

So, she is at the store buying alcohol when she is caught in the checkout line by the local newspaper. On the front page is the story of Michelle, who lost her mother and is dying from a rare disease.

Sharon decides to go to the funeral, and she meets Ed, and his two daughters, Michelle, played by Emily Mitchell, and Ashley, played by Skywalker Hughes. She just explains she felt drawn to attend.

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Unbeknownst to Ed, who is crippled by the loss of his wife, and the crush of medical bills, and the continued medical needs and cost of Michelle’s care, plus the normal monthly expenses, he is squeezed on every side Sharon, has decided to channel all her energy into raising money for the family.

As Ed and his mother, Barbara, played by Nancy Travis, are in the kitchen arguing over why Ed forgot half the items on the grocery list, we understand he is drowning in debt, behind on every bill, and is unable to think clearly, when his mother explains he shouldn’t give up hope, God will find a way. For Ed, his faith is depleted, and God is a distant stranger more than an ever-present help.

Just then the doorbell rings, and the girls explain it’s the woman who showed up at the funeral. When the family opens the door, she hands him an envelope of cash from the haircutting fundraiser. Which, of course, begins the second half of the film.

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We see that Sharon, and thankfully she has directed all her energy to helping Ed and his family, and still we understand that she has replaced one addiction with another. She is a force of nature, and moves mountains, and still that old lifestyle interjects itself, again, and this time it is in front of Ed and his family. She drinks until she passes out. This sets up the climatic ending.

Ordinary Angels is an inspirational, uplifting, and feel good film.

As it is a true story, the idea that this broken vessel, looking for atonement, can rally a town, shows that even those most broken among us are able, by the grace of God, to move mountains.

Hilary Swank supercharges this cast, with an energized portrayal, along with the ensemble of Alan Ritchson, Nancy Travis, Tamala Jones, Skywalker Hughes, and Emily Mitchell each deliver memorable performances adding to the strength of this family friendly film.

Compelling and encouraging, Ordinary Angels opens exclusively in theaters Friday, February 24, 2023. See it.

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Country: U.S.

Language: English.

Runtime: 116 minutes.

Release Date: Friday, February 23, 2024.

Director: Jon Gunn.

Producer: Jon Berg, Roy Lee, Dave Matthews, Johnathan Dorfman, Sarah Johnson, David Beal, Kevin Downes, Jon Erwin, Andrew Erwin.

Writer: Meg Tilly, Kelly Fremon Craig.

Cast: Hilary Swank, Alan Ritchson, Nancy Travis, Tamala Jones, Drew Powell, Amy Acker, Skywalker Hughes, Emily Mitchell.