Ordinary Angels – Movie Review and Summary

Plot Summary

In 1993, in Louisville, Kentucky, Sharon was doing as she often did – get drunk. During the day, she is a hairdresser, and at night, she lets loose to have some fun and drown her troubles. However, with her partner (platonic), Rose becoming worried, she is pushed to go to AA, and there she is told she needs to find a new purpose.

So, after hearing about Ed, Ashley, and Michelle’s situation in the paper, she takes that as a sign, and while Ed is uncomfortable with the help, being a proud southern man and all, he eventually has to humble himself.

Other Noteworthy Information

1. The movie has an epilogue which features news footage and how everyone is in modern times.

Character Descriptions

Character’s Name	Actor’s Name
Sharon	Hilary Swank
Rose	Tamala Jones
Ed	Alan Ritchson
Ashley	Skywalker Hughes
Michelle	Emily Mitchell

Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, and character descriptions may contain what can be considered spoilers.

Sharon

With four businesses in the last 20 years, including her current hair salon, Sharon has done well for herself. She does struggle with alcoholism and some trauma from her mother, but her hustler’s spirit has made her a functioning alcoholic. One that primarily seems to drink due to her estrangement from her 23-year-old son.

• The actor is also known for their role in “The Hunt.”

Rose

Rose is Sharon’s best friend, who comes from a huge family and helps her run Shear Essence, their hair salon.

• The actor is also known for their role in “Holiday Rush.”

Ed

Ed is a father of two girls, who is a roofer, recently widowed, and while his mom is helping out, his wife’s battle to stay alive, mixed with his daughter’s health struggles, have put him in a mountain of debt.

• The actor is also known for their role in “Alexa & Katie: Season 1.”

Ashley

Ashley is Michelle’s older sister, at eight years old, who tries her best to be strong for her father and sister but struggles when it is clear her sister isn’t getting better.

• The actor is also known for their role in “Accused: Season 1/ Episode 15 “Billy’s Story.”

Michelle

Michelle is five years old and is currently waiting on a liver transplant.

Review

Good If You Like

• Feel good movies
• Movies about people seeking redemption

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Notable Performances or Moments

Ed and Sharon’s (Platonic) Relationship

For many, it can seem that you’re on your own, beyond blood relations, maybe a few friends. This can especially seem true for men like Ed, who may have his mother to help, but as for the larger community? Their care about his situation ends once the funeral is over, and they have their own problems to go back to.

This is what makes Sharon and Ed’s relationship so beautiful, even though Ed has massive pushback against it. While she isn’t totally selfless, Sharon is trying to redeem herself for not being the best mother to her own son, never mind taking her mind off other reasons to drink. But even with Ed knowing Sharon’s story, there is something about someone seeing you in need and going as hard as Sharon does.

Take note, the woman starts a non-profit to raise money, calls anyone with a publicly listed number when Michelle needs something she can’t get on her own, and after a certain point, you see Ed overwhelmed. The man didn’t cry much at his wife’s funeral, not when his bills got so high it seemed he would have to face the bank foreclosing on the house his dad built, but this woman’s efforts? They get to him.

It truly shows, while this movie isn’t necessarily a faith movie, that if you let people in and let them help, they can be proof of angels and that God exists.

Highlights

It’s Depiction Of Addiction

With Sharon’s addiction, we’re reminded that alcoholism can be hereditary, that not everyone is a mean drunk, and that for a lot of people, alcohol is a coping mechanism. On top of that, not all alcoholics are hot messes who cannot have a functional life. Sharon has started over four businesses in the past 20 years, is a hustler, and, as shown by what she does for Michelle, is truly a force to be reckoned with.

Does she drink to the point of blacking out? Yes. But as pushed by Rose and even noted in podcasts like Whitney Cummings, having an addictive personality means that when you no longer latch on one thing, like alcohol, often you will latch onto something else. So, what better than to focus on helping someone than go from alcohol to sex, drugs, or another addiction that can be destructive?

As Sappy And Feel Good As It Is, You Don’t Find Yourself Rolling Your Eyes

You have a woman like Sharon who is not only an alcoholic but trying to redeem how she was as a mother, Ed struggling as a widow with two kids, and all the makings of a feel-good, sappy movie that could seem like it is pushing real hard to make you see the good in people. In many ways, “Ordinary Angels” fits the bill, and by adding a touch of faith, it could feel like it is for a specific niche.

I won’t deny that this may not be for everyone, but what elevates “Ordinary Angels” is the performances, as noted above, Ed and Sharon, Alan Ritchson and Hilary Swank, respectively, don’t allow this to feel like a TV movie that touched a producer with money to spare. There is truly heart and feelings, and while the depth isn’t Oscar-Caliber, it will bring you to tears more than sending your eyes rolling and checking your watch to see how long you got.

It Features In The Epilogue, The Actual Newscast, and Gives you An Update

One of the things I wish more films that note “This is based on a true story” would do is present the source material. In the case of “Ordinary Angels,” it shows the real Michelle, Ashley, and the events that end the movie. It lets you see the real Ed and Sharon and even gives you an idea of what happened after the film’s events.

Background Information

Director(s)	Jon Gunn
Screenplay By	Kelly Fremon Craig, Meg Tilly
Date Released	February 23, 2024
Where To Watch	In Theaters
Genre(s)	Drama, Historical (1993)
Film Length	1 Hour 56 Minutes
Content Rating	Rated PG

Content Information

• Dialog: Nothing notable
• Violence: Nothing Notable
• Sexual Content: Nothing Notable
• Miscellaneous: Drinking, Blood (From Michelle’s sickness)