Ordinary Angels (2024)
Ordinary Angels is based on the true story of the Schmitt family of Louisville, Kentucky. In 1994 the city banded together to save the life of then-five-year old Michelle Schmitt, who suffered from biliary atresia and needed a liver transplant. Ed Schmitt is a widower, broke, without health insurance, and desperate to save his daughter. The bills are piling up, and if a suitable liver does become available, he doesn’t know how he’ll afford it.
Enter Sharon Stevens, a hairdresser who saw a newspaper article about Michelle and wanted to do something to help. She stages a Hair-a-Thon and raises about three thousand dollars for the family, as well as helping Ed find ways to make more money and save more money. He’s a little weirded out by her, especially at first, because he meets Sharon at his wife, Theresa’s funeral in 1992, but he comes to depend on Sharon and her continual quick thinking.
It all comes down to the January night when Michelle needs to get to the hospital in Omaha for a transplant. If she doesn’t arrive in time, the liver will go to someone else. In the meantime, some pretty amazing stuff is going to transpire, and all of it is miraculous.
Hillary Swank plays a great part here. She pretty much overshadows almost everyone, which is no shock given her resume, but it’s also her character: Sharon Stevens is no mousy woman. She’s got plenty of gumption and knows how to get the job done, practically chasing down the necessary people to help the Schmitts. At the same time, though, she’s not perfect, as she’s an alcoholic and estranged from her son, and there’s some question as to the appropriateness of Sharon inserting herself into the Schmitts’ lives.
There’s a lot of sweetness to the movie despite the serious subject matter. Ed Schmitt is a fun dad who loves his girls and tries his best to protect them and meet their needs. It’s an understatement, though, that he’s got a lot on his plate, as he’s mourning the death of his wife and trying to figure out how to help Michelle.
Unfortunately, Ordinary Angels is slightly hampered by dialogue that’s almost too quiet and reserved, and things don’t kick into high gear until the third act. There are also a few liberties taken; Sharon was never an alcoholic and wasn’t on the outs with her son. These bits were probably added to give the story some oomph before the big push at the end. Also, in real life, Ed’s older daughter, Ashley, had biliary artesia and required a liver transplant like her sister, only hers happened under less nail-biting conditions.
None of this is to say that Ordinary Angels is a waste of time. It’s faith-based without heavy-handedness, which is very much appreciated, plus it’s well-crafted film with a fine story that leaves the viewer with a lot of hope and satisfaction. If mac and cheese were a movie, it would be Ordinary Angels.
Ordinary Angels is currently in theaters. Rated PG.
My grade: B+ for the movie, A+ for heart
Principal Cast: Hillary Swank, Alan Ritchson, Emily Mitchell, Skywalker Hughes, Tamala Jones, Don Mike, Ryan Allen, Drew Powell, Dempsey Brik, Amy Acker, Erik Athavale, Sharon Bajer, Diana Bothelo-Urbanski, DJ Brotherson, David Lawrence Brown, Tristan Carlucci, Rawleigh Clements-Willis, Gwendolyn Collins
Directed by Jon Gunn.
Written by Kelly Fremon Craig and Meg Tilly.