Warms the most cynical of hearts. Two-time Academy Award-winning Hilary Swank makes a triumphant return to the silver screen in Ordinary Angels. Her outstanding performance in this remarkable true story will stir your soul, and remind us that with all the conflict and self-centeredness in the world, that there are still those that strive to make it a better place, even if it’s just helping one person. Despite some pacing issues, most notably in the second act, and some forced dialogue here and there, Ordinary Angels genuinely surprised me by how well it was written and directed. Moreover, there is a discernible emotive dimension to the editing and cinematography as well. Many movies based on true stories can feel like an extension of a Wikipedia article, but not so with this film. From beginning to end, it is a moving story that provides hope for humanity even when we feel broken.
Sharon (Swank), a struggling hairdresser, finds a renewed sense of purpose when she meets Ed (Alan Ritchson), a widowed father, working hard to care for his two daughters. With his youngest critically ill and waiting for a liver transplant, the fierce woman single-handedly rallies an entire community to help.
Okay, let’s address the white elephant (for many) in the room, and get it out of the way. Yes, Ordinary Angels is a motion picture from a faith-based production company. And even I have written how those types of movies are often poorly written and acted. Generally, the technical aspects of production are on par with more mainstream studios; but the writing and acting usually suffer. Suffice it to say, that is not the case here. I was shocked by how much I enjoyed the story and how the story was crafted.
The conflict is real, relatable, and raw. The characters feel like real people, flaws and all, especially Sharon and Ed. Whether it’s a true or fictional story, I always strive to find a character(s) with whom I can identify with his or her struggles and goals, because it’s our flaws and dreams that bring us together.
Why? Relatability. Characters in motion pictures need to feel relatable. Sometimes that relatability is identified in paralleling struggles or conflicts in our own lives to that which we observe on the screen. That which is most personal is most relatable. Furthermore, often times the best heroes are those that are just as broken as those around them, but it’s the overcoming of emotional or psychological baggage that greatly resonates with us.
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Hilary Swank on the silver screen, and it was so refreshing to see her once again. She brings such gravitas to every scene in which she is featured in Ordinary Angels. Throughout this performance, there are hints of the indelible quality she brought to us in Boys Don’t Cry and Million Dollar Baby. Sharon feels like your hairdresser or your friend or neighbor. She’s the perfect every man because there is neither pretense nor anything particularly special about her, save her infectious, brassy energy. And as much fun as she’s having on the outside, she is broken on the inside. That is, until she reads of the story of the little girl who needs a liver transplant and lost her mother the year prior.
And before you begin thinking this otherwise self-centered alcoholic mother with a son from whom she is estranged does everything without care for herself, you learn that she is using her philanthropic skills to help fill a void in her own life. Yes, she cares deeply for the little girl and her family; however, deep down, Sharon is also hoping to makeup for her failures as a mother. But through her journey helping this little girl, Sharon learns how to acknowledge the demons in her own life, and to grow from them instead of always compensating for or excusing them. True healing begins in the heart.
The character of Ed is also incredibly relatable. He represents an every man whom is angry at the world, angry at God, angry with himself, and full of stubborn pride. After losing his wife, five years after she gave birth to our dying little girl, he feels abandoned by the faith he once held dear. And how many of us wouldn’t feel exactly the same after losing a loved one, and on the verge of losing another, all while trying to manage a household on a shoestring budget with medical bills mounting? His response is a very human response. I particularly like his behavior after there is a light at the end of the tunnel–he is still wrestling with all those same anger issues, but demonstrates the beginning of recapturing his faith in God and humanity.
While the subject matter is rather dark–the dire straights in which the little girl’s family finds themselves–and the fact without a liver, the little girl will most certainly die, there are moments of levity that serve as emotional resets. My biggest problem with the writing is the second act in which pacing is rather sluggish. There is about 10-15mins that could’ve easily been carved out of the second act in order to maintain proper pacing throughout the entirety of the movie. Furthermore, there are moments in which the dialogue feels more plot-driven than character-driven. Not to the point it turns into a melodrama, but some lines feel a trifle artificial.
If you’re looking for a motion picture that shows that there is still hope for humanity, hope that we can–despite differences–help one another, help our neighbor, then this is a picture to check out while it is still in cinemas.
Ryan teaches Film Studies and Screenwriting at the University of Tampa and is a member of the Critics Association of Central Florida and Indie Film Critics of America. If you like this article, check out the others and FOLLOW this blog! Interested in Ryan making a guest appearance on your podcast or contributing to your website? Send him a DM on Twitter. If you’re ever in Tampa or Orlando, feel free to catch a movie with him.
R.L. Terry ReelView 