✦ Discern the Spirit ✦
GODLY SCORE
HomeGuidesShould Christians Watch Ordinary Angels?

Should Christians Watch Ordinary Angels?

Ordinary Angels stars Hilary Swank in the true story of a hairdresser who mobilizes a community to save a young girl. Excellent faith-based family content. 90/100 Spiritually Safe.

90
GODLY
Should Christians Watch Ordinary Angels?
Christ-Centered
4.5/5 · GodlyScore 90/100
Ordinary Angels stars Hilary Swank in the true story of a hairdresser who mobilizes a community to save a young girl. Excellent faith-based family content. 90/100 Spiritually Safe.
View Full Score →

The Power of Ordinary Christian Community

Ordinary Angels (Lionsgate, 2024) is based on the true story of Sharon Stevens — a hairdresser in Louisville, Kentucky — and her connection to Ed Schmitt, a widowed father whose young daughter Michelle needs a liver transplant to survive. What makes the story extraordinary is not a single miraculous intervention but the mobilization of an entire community: a small town coming together across social barriers to raise money, clear roads during a historic ice storm, and get Michelle to the hospital before it was too late.

Hilary Swank plays Sharon Stevens as a flawed, recovering alcoholic whose faith is being rebuilt through her willingness to help this family she barely knows. Alan Ritchson plays Ed Schmitt as a grieving father learning to trust again after devastating loss. The film is one of the better faith-based films of recent years because it depicts Christians as human — struggling, imperfect, and sometimes difficult — rather than as sanitized representatives of virtue.

Content and Family Assessment

Ordinary Angels is appropriate for older children (ages 10+) and families. Some emotional intensity around illness and death, but nothing inappropriate. The film handles its subject — a child's life-threatening illness — with emotional honesty rather than false optimism. Available through Amazon Prime Video and other streaming platforms. See our Christian Faith Films hub and compare with Sound of Hope.

Content Breakdown for Christian Viewers

GodlyScore evaluates every show across nine signal categories grounded in Scripture: profanity (Ephesians 4:29), sexual content (1 Corinthians 6:18-20), violence (Psalm 11:5), LGBT normalization (Romans 1:24-27), spiritual darkness (Ephesians 5:11), glorification of sin (Romans 1:32), deception mechanics (Proverbs 12:22), virtue strength (Philippians 4:8), and redemption arc. The score reflects not just whether content is present but how it's framed — depicted critically, neutrally, or as aspirational. Ordinary Angels scores 90/100 Christ-Centered.

How to Find Alternatives

See our Christian TV Reviews hub for comparisons. For episode-level content breakdowns, Plugged In and Common Sense Media complement GodlyScore's biblical framework. Age recommendation: most ages with parental guidance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should Christians watch Ordinary Angels?
90/100 Christ-Centered. Ordinary Angels stars Hilary Swank in the true story of a hairdresser who mobilizes a community to save a young girl. Excellent faith-based family content. 90/100 Spiritually Safe.
Is Ordinary Angels appropriate for Christian families?
90/100 Christ-Centered — recommended for most ages. See the full guide for a complete content breakdown covering violence, language, sexual content, and spiritual themes.
Is Ordinary Angels appropriate for teenagers?
With parental guidance — see the full guide for age-specific recommendations. Score: 90/100 Christ-Centered.
What are the main content concerns in Ordinary Angels for Christians?
See the full guide for the complete signal breakdown: violence level, sexual content, language, LGBT themes, spiritual darkness, and any specific scenes warranting Christian discernment.
Further Reading
Should Christians Watch Sound of Hope?Should Christians Watch Courageous?Should Christians Watch Overcomer?
Using GodlyScore for church, youth group, or sermon prep?For Churches →
Share this guide
𝕏 PostFacebook
Get More Details on GodlyScore.com

Rate any movie, show, song, or channel for spiritual alignment.

Visit GodlyScore.com →