Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Religious Music & Entertainment
‘Ordinary Angels’: Hilary Swank as a Force of Faith & Nature

‘Ordinary Angels’: Hilary Swank as a Force of Faith & Nature

Last updated on: February 23, 2024 at 3:44 pm by Kate O'Hare

0 Comments

‘Ordinary Angels’: Hilary Swank as a Force of Faith & Nature 2024-02-23T15:44:19-08:00 Kate O'Hare

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Hilary Swank as Sharon in ‘Ordinary Angels.’ PHOTO: Allen Fraser

An ordinary woman becomes an extraordinary heroine in the fact-inspired, faith-infused film Ordinary Angels, hitting theaters on Feb. 23.

Not Doing What Too Many Movies Do

The best movies are, at heart, well-told tales.

In too many faith-based movies, getting the Gospel message across comes at the expense of realistic characterization and solid storytelling. In too many mainstream movies, the desire to push female characters to the fore winds up feeling like “the future is female” propaganda, again, at the expense of telling a good story about real women’s lives.

Neither of these happens in Ordinary Angels.

Who’s Behind Ordinary Angels?

The film comes from Kingdom Story Company (Jesus Revolution, American Underdog, I Still Believe), founded by Christian filmmakers Jon and Andrew Erwin, and Kevin Downes. They’re among the producers on Ordinary Angels, but this time, not credited writers or directors.

The film was originally supposed to be released on Oct. 13, until the theatrical behemoth that was the Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour sent it into 2024.

Jon Gunn (The Case for Christ) directs from a screenplay by actress/novelist Meg Tilly and Kelly Fremon Craig (Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret), who adapted Ordinary Angels from the 2023 memoir of the same name by Sharon Stevens Evans.

But, as Deadline reported:

Jon Gunn (The Unbreakable Boy) is directing, having written the most recent draft of the script with Jon Erwin. Meg Tilly and Kelly Fremon Craig penned an earlier draft.

There are some scenes emphasizing faith that do feel a bit like they were grafted on, and that may be because of Gunn and Erwin. Honestly, though, they’re not necessary.

The story and characters are strong enough on their own — and the key participation of a pastor and his congregation are part of the real events anyway.

The Screen Belongs to Hilary Swank

Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby, Alaska Daily) gives a powerhouse performance as Louisville, Kentucky, hairdresser Sharon, who’s struggling with alcoholism and an estranged relationship with her adult son.

(BTW, while she was a hairdresser, the real Sharon wasn’t an alcoholic and got along fine with her son. That’s Hollywood.)

In the early 1990s, she reads a story in a local newspaper about a recent widower, Ed Schmitt (Alan Ritchson, Reacher), trying to raise two little girls.

Both girls suffer from a rare and deadly liver ailment, and the younger one, Michelle, is on the list for a life-saving liver transplant. As they wait, Ed struggles to pay mounting medical bills, both from his late wife and his children.

Needing a focus for her life and considerable energies, Sharon sets herself to improve the situation for Ed and his daughters — even if Ed can’t quite fathom the whirlwind stranger who’s entered his life.

(In case you’re wondering, no, they don’t become a couple.)

And Then Things Get Really Difficult

Sharon’s almost magical ability to make things happen really kicks into high gear when a liver becomes available, and Michelle needs to be flown to Omaha, Nebraska. Unfortunately, this coincides with a huge, record-setting 1994 snowstorm that pummels Louisville, a town not used to regular heavy snows.

To get Michelle to her surgery in time requires Sharon to rally not only the contacts she’s already made but the entire community. That includes the pastor and congregants of Southeast Christian Church, who must turn their snow-covered parking lot into a helicopter landing site.

The story sounds even more miraculous when you realize that the early ’90s were before cellphones and social media.

As a contrast to the mainstream movies I mentioned at the beginning — which I call “you go, girl” movies — Sharon has problems, but she’s not a victim, and she’s not at war with the “patriarchy.”

She’s one of my favorite types of female characters — an ordinary woman who achieves extraordinary things, and finds her own redemption by saving someone else.

Ordinary Angels Is Accessible Outside the Faith Audience

As a Catholic who isn’t steeped in Evangelical culture and Christian Contemporary Music, I’ve had my issues with such Kingdom Story Company films as Jesus Music and Jesus Revolution, which seem tailored to the filmmakers’ target audience but not a lot beyond that.

But, like Kingdom’s 2021 film American Underdog, Ordinary Angels doesn’t shove the faith content out front. And, like Underdog — which starred Zachary Levi and Anna Paquin — it features actors well-known to the mainstream audience. So, it has a real potential to appeal beyond the usual fans of faith-based fare.

It also helps that the characters feel flawed and real, and the script doesn’t shy away from their weaknesses and conflicts. It’s still a feel-good film, but it’s one with its feet firmly on the ground.

And There Was Snow on That Ground

As a bonus, Ordinary Angels was filmed in Winnipeg, Canada, so the snow in this wintertime tale is real, unlike the fake snow sprayed up and down trees and walls in cable-TV Christmas films. This authenticity made filming more difficult, but it really sells the facts of the situation.

From B.C. Catholic:

“There was a lot of snow there, which was great, but the big challenge is even when you have a lot of snow, you have to control that snow,” said Gunn. “We have traffic jams with half a mile of highway shut down, two feet of snow and 70 cars stuck. I think it took us about four days to transfer 150 truckloads of snow to build that traffic jam.”

The film is rated PG, and suitable for middle-schoolers and up.

Take a look:

Hilary Swank as Sharon in ‘Ordinary Angels.’ PHOTO: Allen Fraser

Don’t miss a thing: Subscribe to all that I write at Authory.com/KateOHare.

Religious Music and Entertainment

Kingdom Story Company

Louisville

About Kate O'Hare

Based in Los Angeles, Kate O'Hare is a veteran entertainment journalist, Social Media Content Manager for Family Theater Productions and a rookie screenwriter. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

February 17, 2024

Apple TV+'s 'The New Look': Beautiful Fashion, Ugly War

Next Post

February 25, 2024 'Bob Marley: One Love': An Unlikely Faith-Based Music Biopic

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"I read somewhere that Jesus claims to be present in the hungry, thirsty, homeless, sick……just ..."

RPlavo .

‘Adore Him: He Is Here’: On ..."

"My husband was Key Assistant Locations Manager on this film and it was so gratifying ..."

Mary Ashley Bannister

‘Coyote vs. Acme’: Never, Ever Give ..."

"Kate, Alan owes you big time...I mean like a steak dinner or something! I have ..."

s ci

‘The Odyssey’: What a (Very) Long, ..."

"It's true: the language was prosaic American English. Yes, some of the characters were shallow ..."

Clayton Emmer

‘The Odyssey’: What a (Very) Long, ..."

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category books breaking news digital media Faith practice food interview jane the virgin media movies music NFL Pope Francis Showbiz 101 social media sports technology television Uncategorized video

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz