Miracle Turns Ordinary Woman Into Real-Life Angel: A Redemption Story You Won’t Believe!

The genre of “faith-based film” has seen many transformations over the years, however, there is one common plotline that these films always seem to circle back to: an impossible story of a gravely ill child in a dangerous situation featuring a well-known actress (for instance: Jennifer Garner in “Miracles From Heaven,” Chrissy Metz in “Breakthrough,” and so on). In these films, the emphasis is on human compassion and community, rather than particular beliefs. Religious groups provide emotional and physical help to the characters, but primarily remain in the backdrop, so the narrative doesn’t come off as too sermonizing. Nonetheless, it’s hard to remain unmoved by the emotional tug of a vulnerable child in a truly dire situation.

In the movie titled “Ordinary Angels,” directed by Jon Gunn, known for his work in 2017’s “The Case for Christ” and as the producer of 2023’s “Jesus Revolution,” the spotlight is on faith in mankind, even though a church parking lot has a crucial role in this adaptation of the real-life story of young Michelle Schmitt, famously called the “Snow Baby of Louisville.”

Before we delve into the snow, we need to familiarize ourselves with hairdresser Sharon Stevens, portrayed by two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank. She authored a memoir called “Ordinary Angels” and the screenplay was written by Kelly Fremon Craig (“Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret”) and Meg Tilly. Although the incredible journey of little Michelle provides the climax of the film, it’s Sharon’s redemption that constructs the dramatic narrative of the movie.

Sharon is introduced to us as she’s downing shots and dancing on a bar top in 1993 Louisville, Kentucky, where her hair is the only thing reaching for the sky. After numerous nights of heavy drinking, her friend Rose (Tamala Jones) leaves Sharon at an AA meeting, where she doesn’t find sobriety, but does find a purpose. While picking up beer, Sharon spots a newspaper headline about a little girl who has lost her mother and is in desperate need of a liver transplant. She becomes almost obsessively focused on how she can assist Michelle Schmitt, even showing up uninvited at her mother’s funeral and forcefully inserting herself into the young girl’s life, much to the annoyance of Michelle’s strict father Ed (Alan Ritchson), a roofer.

Swank’s performance draws parallels to “Erin Brockovich,” with her character navigating the world with towering hair, sky-high heels, and sheer boldness. For most of the film, you’ll be puzzled as to why this woman is so invested in Michelle’s predicament — her behavior is genuinely strange and she has no qualms about crossing boundaries.

The script deliberately withholds certain aspects of her history to reveal later, but this tactic doesn’t help us to empathize with her emotional journey, as it seems strange that she appears at the Schmitt’s doorstep and interjects herself into their financial affairs, raising funds for Michelle’s medical expenses. Ritchson offers the only genuine performance as the bewildered Ed, who despite his objections to Sharon’s constant interference, can’t refuse the financial assistance and favors she secures with her dogged determination.

Gunn aims for a raw, dim aesthetic to lend the film an air of authentic social realism. Cinematographer Maya Bankovic captures hospital passages in dim lighting; bars are bathed in sinister red hues. The film boasts some truly beautiful shots: Ed silhouetted against the dying light as he works on a rooftop; the glaring of headlights through a snowstorm.

Swank is charming and entertaining, bedecked in fringe and adopting a drawl, but it doesn’t feel authentic; it’s more of an amusing character portrayal. Ritchson, on the other hand, displays a softer, more broad side to the tough guy persona he’s honed on “Reacher.” Even though it’s clear he has more range than what he’s allowed to show here, it’s refreshing to see him in more substantial roles.

“Ordinary Angels” falters when it shifts from a unique human interest story from 1994 — where Louisville united to help Michelle Schmitt secure a liver transplant amidst a severe snowstorm — to focus instead on the story of one woman, Sharon. The motivations of the character don’t align and no amount of Swank’s charisma can make it plausible. The true story is a heartwarming tale of community support and mutual aid, the kind of thing that seems uncommon and is seldom celebrated these days. But as usual, reality is more moving, more complex, and yes, stranger than any piece of fiction. Although this may be a story of “Ordinary Angels,” sadly, the film itself falls short of being extraordinary.

Katie Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.