The movie I think you should see: "Ordinary Angels"

I’m going to be honest: I’m not a film critic. Honestly, I know some actual film critics, and I have a hard time always understanding their recommendations. That’s not a knock on them. It’s probably a knock on me, now that I think about it.

The truth is, I tend to look at things through a more simplistic lens. I leave the literary criticism to others. Maybe that makes me shallow or simple-minded. OK. But I like what I like. And a lot of times that tends to be what “normal” people like. And I’m fine with that.

I say all that because I’m about to recommend a movie for you to see, and I want you to know where I’m coming from. This may actually be my first ever movie “review” and recommendation. Not sure why. Maybe it’s because this is the first time I was asked to give one.

Whatever the reason, I don’t want to bury the lead. I’m recommending you go see the new movie “Ordinary Angels” starring Hilary Swank and Alan Ritchson. What follows is why.

As you may know, three years ago I donated one of my kidneys to a stranger. It's changed my life, and become a crucial part of my story. My niece is also the recipient of a heart transplant. So when the people behind “Ordinary Angels” reached out and asked me to prescreen their movie, which focuses on the true story of what it took to secure a liver transplant for a little girl, I was more than happy to watch it. “What it took” involves an alcoholic stranger who fights through her demons to make the transplant happen, a father and his family overcoming the death of a wife and mother, and how a community rallied to pull off the impossible.

Growing up, my step-dad was on the waiting list to receive a kidney. We waited for years, and he suffered through the simultaneously life-giving and life-draining process of dialysis. I know what it’s like to be a family member just waiting for someone to make the sacrifice that will change not only the recipient’s life forever, but the lives of the family members.

Me and my kidney recipient, Ken, a day after our transplant.

That was part of the motivation for me when I signed up to donate a kidney to one of my dad’s friends. And when that fell through, I was more than happy (seriously) to be matched with a complete stranger. In October 2020, I became a donor and then experienced the joy that comes with giving an organ. That experience was a huge part of seeing this move.

But can I be honest? I was skeptical of the film. This is not a "faith-based" movie per se, but it's "faith adjacent," and historically these types of movies cut corners and rely on the underlying message to get you to ignore bad storytelling and bad quality. I actually remember being at a Christian media conference once and sitting in a breakout session with some popular Christian filmmakers. My jaw hit the floor when they said that they have no problem skimping on quality because “the message is what matters.” That mentality drives me crazy. In many ways, I believe the opposite to be true: Christians have to produce content that’s even higher quality in order for their message to break through. And because we’re told to do “everything as if unto the Lord,” I think we’re actually called not to skimp. The Israelites were told to make the temple the most beautiful thing on earth because it represented God. Our art should follow the same outline. (The people behind the movie are Christians, by the way.)

So when I turned on “Ordinary Angels,” it didn’t take long for me to get excited. Friends, this movie doesn’t skimp on quality. It doesn’t sacrifice good storytelling because it has a “good message.” It isn’t cheesy (although as a family movie, of course there are some expected elements). It isn’t fake. It doesn’t make you cringe.

That’s especially seen in the portrayal of the main characters. I was blown away by the performances of Hilary Swank and Alan Ritchson, who you might know from the “Reacher” series on Prime TV. I’ll be honest, having only really known Ritchson from “Reacher,” I expected a rather rigid performance. That’s not what you get. Ritchson shows depth, emotion, and displays a richness that reminds me of Chris Pratt.

The real, raw, and powerful way both Ritchson and Swank embody this TRUE story is incredible. And the movie doesn't try to whitewash their characters' flaws. You see Swank’s character struggle with alcoholism. You see Ritchson smoking cigarettes (gasp!), and you feel the real tension that existed as this story played out. I'm a big proponent of that. It makes the movie more relatable. (Because as even Carrie Underwood said, “sometimes you need a smoke break.”)

While of course the true story behind the movie is dramatized for Hollywood, I had to keep reminding myself that this was, in fact, based on something that really happened. Truth really is not just stranger but many times more incredible than fiction. The icing on the cake was seeing actual news footage at the end of how the story actually played out in real time. Yeah, I cried. Several times.

With all that said, then, this is my official "endorsement" of the movie. And I don't give that lightly. Again, I don't pretend to be a movie critic. But as someone who has been in digital media and has had the opportunity to direct short films and be around the industry, I'd like to think I have some insight. Take that for what it's worth.

Then, go see this movie. You won't regret it. I hope it inspires you to take action, whether that’s in big ways like organ donation, or small ways like grabbing a shovel and helping a neighbor. That will make sense once you see the movie.