PG 2024 ‧ Drama ‧ 1h 58m
Ordinary Angels is based on a true story made in conjunction with a faith-based studio. The result is a by-the-numbers, heart-warming movie about an alcoholic (Hilary Swank) who redirects her struggles into helping a family of a five-year-old in need of an organ transplant and facing mounting medical bills. Swank seems to be channeling Erin Brokovich for this role; she has a hard time taking "no" for an answer. Alan Ritchson (“Reacher”) plays Ed Schmitt, the stoic, reserved father of the down-on-its-luck family. Having just completed watching “Reacher,” Ritchson’s acting is far stronger in this movie than it was on that show.
I will say the crowd I watched the movie with seemed to love it. They laughed at the right times. They were moved at the right times. That said, I think it was a pretty forgiving audience. At one point when Ed is told how much a medical procedure is going to cost, an audience member involuntarily says aloud, “That’s a lot of money!” Yep, it was a lot of money, but saying it aloud made me think the audience member had perhaps been dropped on their head.
I enjoyed Ordinary Angels fine, but in the same way that I would have enjoyed a well-done made-for-TV movie on Hallmark, Lifetime, etc. I’d say add it to your queue and watch it when it comes on a streaming service.
Thanks Jeff