‘Ordinary Angels’ Scores 3rd Place at Weekend Box Office: ‘So Much Hope, So Much Joy’

The faith-based film “Ordinary Angels” finished in third place at the box office this weekend raking in more than $6 million.

The Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company film was released in theaters on February 23 and played in 3,020 venues. It made approximately $6.5 million by the end of the weekend. 

It tells the story of small town alcoholic hairdresser, played by Hilary Swank, who has her faith renewed when she meets a widower who is working hard to provide for his two daughters, one of whom is battling a critical illness and is in dire need of a liver transplant. 

Swank’s character Sharon Stevens pours everything she has into raising funds to help the little girl receive a liver transplant. 

“It’s a feel-good movie and a reminder of the impact and change we can make in another’s life. We don’t have to be perfect to do it. We don’t have to have all our stuff together. We can be imperfect, flawed human beings and still see another person in need and be of service and really find our purpose through that,” Swank told CBN News. 

Filmmaker and producer Jon Erwin directed the film and shared with Movie Guide that it is a story full of hope, joy, and community.

“It’s one of my favorite combinations where it’s got real-life issues, real stakes. It’s not a movie that has easy answers, but it’s got so much hope and so much joy at the heart of it, and so I really enjoy that balance,” he explained. 

“This is a movie about community, coming together, and it’s a story about how helping other people can help us heal ourselves,” Erwin added. 

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Alan Ritchson plays Ed, the widower, and tells CBN News the film serves as a good reminder that we can help others, saying it’s a call to action to believers. 

“There is a lot of polarization and divisiveness and sadly, I think a lot of that comes from the Church which is oftentimes far more focused on how vitriolic they can be toward one another or how they can ostracize certain groups, make ‘out’ groups or monsters of others and this film rewrites the story and brings us back to the call that is placed on our lives as Christians,” he expressed. 

He added, “There is a way and that way is peace. We are called to be peacemakers. We are called to serve one another. We are called to be a city on a hill with lights…that is the call. And that is what you see happening in this broken life of Sharon.” 

Swank’s father was an organ lung transplant recipient and she drew from that experience as she played the role of Sharon. 

“I feel like this is the movie that he would have been the most proud of out of my entire career that I was a part of because of the act of service and the beauty behind these humans who got a second chance,” she said.