Jon Gunn (The Week) steps into the director's role for Ordinary Angels, based on the true story of the Schmitt family and their race to save their youngest daughter's life. The writing from Kelly Fremon Craig (Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret) and actress Meg Tilly is solid. However, the liberties it takes with the actual events seem unnecessarily dramatic.
Sharon Stevens (Hilary Swank) is the single mom of an adult child whose life is out of control with drinking. When her friend Rose (Tamala Jones) drops her at an AA meeting, the one thing she takes from it is to get involved with something greater than yourself. While picking up her next six-pack of beer, Sharon sees the story of Michelle Schmitt (Emily Mitchell), who desperately needs a liver transplant. She chooses this as her project, working to make Michelle's father, Ed Schmitt (Alan Ritchson), solvent under the pile of medical bills he's received and finding a way to both pay for and transport Michelle when a liver becomes available.
The script is solid, if predictable. And even though the events seem unbelievable, they're true - with a caveat. Craig and Tilly seemed to think that Stevens must have a reason beyond the goodness of her heart for being so selfless, so they made her an alcoholic and added the character Rose as a motivator. It muddies the already implausibly true story. While addressing the devastating effects of alcoholism isn't a bad idea, it isn't covered enough in the story to make it matter to the overall tale. If not for the exceptional acting from Swank, Stevens would have come across like a caricature of the real person, which, in fact, this is. Ritchson seems wooden in his performance, portraying emotionlessness rather than emotional destruction. However, that is often the case with men of his mindset who deal with overwhelming situations. The portrayal is good, but some might think it is unrealistic for someone to be facing such odds and not show the pressure they're under. Mitchell's performance as the little sick girl is perfect. Her exuberance when she's feeling well, and her withdrawal when she's feeling sick draw the viewer into her story.
Much of the cinematography is good, but there is an issue in some close-up scenes where the camera is unnecessarily shaky. It doesn't add anything to the emotion and is distracting. The long shots, particularly in the final act, are excellent and convey the situations very well. As a period piece, costumes, sets, makeup, and occasional music fit well.
Ordinary Angels is a solid film that comes across as a predictably written drama because the events seem incredibly unlikely. Without the solid acting from Swank and the knowledge that these are primarily actual occurrences, the film could have been a Hallmark movie by having Ed and Sharon fall in love. Instead, her performance and that of others, plus the truth behind the drama, make for something extraordinary.