I saw this movie in the theater during the last week of its run. I had not heard of it before, so I was somewhat skeptical about its content; however, I liked the actors. Hillary Swank is very talented, and I watch Reacher on Prime Video, starring Alan Ritchson. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. The film does not begin as a feel-good movie, but it ends that way; it is based on a true story. It is nice to know that some angelic people exist in the world.
The film is based on a true story out of Louisville, Kentucky, starring Hilary Swank and Alan Ritchson. Nancy Travis from Designing Women and Ghostbusters fame and Tamala Jones play supporting roles in the film. Jon Gun, who has directed several independent films, directed the film. Meg Tilly and Kelly Craig co-wrote Ordinary Angels. Lionsgate released the film in late February of 2024. Originally, the release date was scheduled for October 2023 but was delayed to keep it from competing with some other films released at that time.
The story begins with a tragedy: the death of a wife and mother of 2 young girls. The funeral is an important event in the story because a local hairdresserHillary Swank) is led to attend the funeral after she reads about the tragedy in the paper. She speaks to the two girls and the father (Alan Richson) and explains why she is there. The youngest girl has a rare disease that places the family in overwhelming debt on top of the expenses incurred from the mother’s illness before her death. The hairdresser inserts herself into their lives and commandeers events to raise money for the family. The only way to save the little girl is a critical transplant that becomes available during the worst snowstorm in the area.
The story was pitched to Lionsgate and then to Kingdom Story Company. The script was presented in March 2022 with Swank and Ritchson in the starring roles. Filming occurred in Winnipeg and Albany, New York. Lionsgate released Ordinary Angels in February 2024 with moderate reviews. It did well at the box office over weak competition. Ordinary Angels now streams on Apple TV, Google Play Movie, Prime Video and Fandango at Home.
Ordinary Angels is a feel-good story. Hmmm… it’s hard to say that this movie is a feel-good story since it is based on tragedy; however, the film does make the audience realize that good people do exist in the world. We all need to see more people giving more of themselves to help others. I give this film 4 out of 5 stars. Ordinary Angels is a family-friendly film to stream with the kids on a family movie night.
