Ordinary Angels Movie Review

  

Ordinary Angels

Synopsis: Based on a true story of how a hairdresser single-handedly rallies her local community to help a widowed father save the life of his critically ill young daughter.

Director: Jon Gunn

Stars: Hilary Swank, Alan Ritchson & Emily Mitchell

Runtime: 1 hour 58 mins

Genre: Drama

Based on her memoir Ordinary Angels written by Sharon Stevens, the movie which is co-written by the same team behind the excellent God, Are You There It's Me Margaret (2023) was released back in February in the USA. At the time of writing it has an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 99% audience score.

Let's break it down..

Story and Plot

Set in the mid-nighties, this movie tells the story of Sharon Stevens (Swank) a hairdresser, who is also an alcoholic, she attends AA meetings and has to deal with her own demons. To stop her ever downward spiral she befriends widower Ed (Ritchson) and his young daughters, the youngest of which Michelle (Mitchell) is in desperate need of a liver transplant. Trouble is there is a huge snow storm rolling into Louisville, Kentucky and they have to battle the elements to find ways of transporting the little girl to hospital in time.

I really enjoyed Ordinary Angels, it's a feel good inspirational movie that puts your faith back in people, rather than a higher power. It tugs at the heart strings whilst never feeling too saccharine. It maybe based on a true story but that never diminishes it's impact. It cleverly contrasts the ordinary with the extraordinary. Swank and Ritchson were excellent in their respective roles. Make sure to stay during the end credits to get updates on the story and seeing the real people.   

Cast

Two time Oscar winner Hilary Swank shines centre stage as Sharon, portraying a character who oscillates between impulsiveness and capability. I found shades of Julia Robert's ballsy turn as Erin Brockovich in Swank's performance as Sharon.

Alan Ritchson, best known to audiences as Jack Reacher from the acclaimed Amazon Prime TV series of the same name continues to physically dominate the scenes he is in with his sheer presence. Take away his physicality it has been said that Ritchson may struggle to deviate much from his role in Reacher. Having said this, I found he gave an excellent stoic performance (sporting a killer moustache) as his character grapples with loss and uncertainty. 

I also liked Nancy Travis as Ed's mum Barbara, it did make me feel really old though given I still very clearly remember her as the cute 29 year old Sylvia in Three Men and a Little Lady but that was back in 1990!

Sound and Spectacle

Great sound design was employed in the movie as people zoned out after hearing bad news, and it was also used to good effect when Sharon experienced her drinking sessions. 

Although there is a credit for a VFX department, it must have had minimal use of CGI, perhaps with the snow storm at the end, if so it was very well done. 

On screen Action

Given the type of movie it is there is not a huge amount of action. What there is, is mainly in the third act as they race against the storm to get Michelle to the hospital. It's well shot as the tensions ramps up towards the end. They must have filmed in a real snowstorm. 

Music and Score

Pancho Burgos-Goizueta's score is beautiful as it weaves it way through the movie and the movie had some nice needle drops with an especially great rendition of Pretty Bird originally by Hazel Dickens. 

Ordinary Angels” is a heart warming movie that hooks you from the first scene and builds tension throughout its almost two-hour runtime. It may have a touch of made for streaming movie, but it’s well-made, inspiring, and guaranteed to leave you smiling through the tears.

Verdict  - Unexpected Surprise