Hilary Swank

 In "Ordinary Angels," Hilary Swank is Sharon Stevens, an addict. When she is under the influence, she hears the voice of her mother ("a mean drunk"), and she begins to berate herself. This happens even in public. She injures herself, then blames the "nasty furniture" for having been aggressive.

Sharon happens to meet a local dad--Alan--who is facing "Job-level" experiences of suffering. With an addict's mania and ferocity, Sharon decides to "fix" Alan. If the solution to a drug problem is the discovery of something "bigger than oneself," Sharon decides she will turn Alan into her discovery. She repairs his business. She creates a media campaign to help with his medical bills. She arranges for private planes and a helicopter (this concerns a crucial liver transplant); she squares off against greedy collection agencies. There are always high heels in the frame; the clicking of Sharon's heels becomes something like a drumbeat in a ritual dance. Sharon is (almost) always ready for war.

Despite her heroics, Sharon can't beat the bottle. At times, she believes she is merely, quietly "cheating"; a few extra swallows won't mean anything. But the crutch is more than a crutch; any stressful situation sends Sharon back to her voda, and, inevitably, a big, self-destructive moment does happen in public (it's not behind closed doors, as Sharon would prefer).

Just to state what you might be inferring: This movie does feel dangerously close to "Lifetime" territory. You could outline most of the plot twists long, long before they occur. But the thing that makes the script special is Hilary Swank. Somehow, Swank is always fully aware of the high stakes--and she conveys the right sense of urgency without over-acting. She persuades you that she is fighting for her life. I feel bad for Alan Ritchson, who has to share the screen with Swank; it's like going toe-to-toe with Shakespeare, in a poetry contest.

Swank grew up in a trailer park; she read novels and watched movies because she felt like an outsider. Her gifts of observation meant that she had to act; it wasn't really a choice. She has been on the screen for approximately thirty years; even when the writing is bad, she just seems to enjoy what she is doing. It's a great pleasure to watch her.

Swank had me sobbing like a baby, in this new one; the script came from Kelly Fremon Craig, who has some tricks up her sleeve. A rare treat for the month of February.