Ordinary Angels

Directed by Jon Gunn, Ordinary Angels follows Hilary Swank’s Sharon Stevens as she spontaneously decides to help procure treatment for a little girl in dire need of a liver transplant – with the film detailing the growing bond that develops between Sharon and said little girl’s soft-spoken father (Alan Ritchson’s Ed). Filmmaker Gunn, working from a screenplay by Kelly Fremon Craig and Meg Tilly (!), delivers a lackadaisical endeavor that just barely manages to squeak by on the basis of its performances and compelling storyline, as the movie, saddled with a palpably overlong running time, progresses through a decidedly familiar narrative that does, for the most part, unfold exactly as one might’ve anticipated – with the somewhat repetitive midsection doing little to alleviate the so-so atmosphere that’s rarely, if ever, as engrossing as Gunn has surely intended. It’s clear, then, that Ordinary Angels’ mild success is due almost entirely to the engaging bent of its true-life subject matter, and there’s little doubt, as well, that the charming, attention-grabbing efforts of stars Swank and Ritchson goes a long way towards perpetuating the tolerable vibe – which, when coupled with an unexpectedly involving (and emotional) third act, ultimately cements the picture’s place as a decent-enough piece of work that could probably have been shortened by a half hour (ie it’s awfully repetitive in stretches).

**1/2 out of ****