Just because we know how the movie ends doesn’t mean that the journey to get there isn’t enjoyable. That’s particularly true in this case when the story has good writing as well as a role played by a two-time Oscar winner which contains three aspects that are quintessential crowd-pleasers: the character is in a bad place then finds a good place, then she faces difficult situations and comes out victorious.
Oh come on, it isn’t a spoiler. This is a BOATS (based on a true story with updates and pictures of the actual people at the end) and from its very first moments it is obvious that the film was made in such a way that the audience will be laughing through tears by the end of the film. All we need to understand how the plot will flow, is the difference between the two words used in the title.
The titular Sharon is a hairdresser from Louisville Kentucky who also co-runs a salon that is doing well. She is a hairstylist by day, and a heavy partier by night. After one of her friends fails to convince her and drags her out to an AA meeting, she storms out, heads to a shop and grabs a six-pack. While in the line to pay her bills, Sharon happens to catch the title of the local tabloid.
Sharon considers Michelle as one of her projects in the Jungian sense. A motherless five-year-old girl Michelle is always ill. She sees how distressed the kid must feel and wants to reach out. At the funeral, she approaches the family.
While the girls stand distant from their father who seems: broken a shell shocked Ed seeks the warmth of Sharon’s sparkled clothes the girls seek the addition of Michelle’s excess affection the older sister Ashley seeks distance from her father who is paranoid about a new woman making her way into their family. That’s his first reaction to everything happening around him, yes there’s only so much that he can change when everything around him collapsed. But as Sharon puts it, She always gets the job done or at least hammers until she gets her way.
To welcome her, Ed’s mother, Barbara invites Sharon for dinner after Yoo-hoo performs a fundraiser to help her husband. Still, Ed is extremely repulsed by the idea. When it comes to telling Barbara, he mutters: As she looks like a complete hobo. Michael begins to get even worse while the arguments and obstacles only appear as their financial struggle growing like a wound in conflict.
And against his wishes, Kelly Fremon Craig’s script for ‘Margaret’ becomes increasingly sickly sweet when focusing on the engaging young actresses.
One of the most difficult roles played by Ritchson is portraying a stoic and silent character who seems to keep words and feelings bottled up in fear of exploding and never regaining control over himself. Swank is much more comfortable with a character who adds a different set of challenges. In certain aspects, Sharon is reckless and irresponsible, in others, she is determined and highly competent. The film has gone through so many crises and kindnesses bestowed on Ms. Foster’s family that the perception of the overall picture of what she does becomes quite diminished. At the climax, the screenplay underestimates the viewer and goes on to add one more unnecessary and terrible conflict to an already bear outrage of competing interests and winds up with a signature Capra ending in which everybody’s best comes together only to issue a gentle reminder to the audience about the power of forgiveness.
As it seems, the film is a little shy about loud action sequences but shines during quieter patches without sacrificing dramatic and emotional authenticity. Among them, several practically scream (or talk) for attention: Ed and Sharon admitting to each other that they have jealous and more complex feelings regarding her participation, especially her addiction genes and her commitment to treating Michelle and family. To perform those scenes, Swank employs a rather no-nonsense approach that complements Sharon’s resolute, practical nature and, who knows, maybe inspires average people to aspire for greater things.
For more movies visit like Ordinary Angels on 123Movies.