3 of 4 Stars
It’s 1994 in Louisville, Kentucky. Sharon Stevens (Hilary Swank) is a hairdresser working at her friend Rose’s salon (Tamala Jones as Rose). Sharon is beset by a lot of demons. Actually, her unacknowledged alcoholism is at the center of her problems, but she is not ready to confront this head on. Instead, she centers her energy on the family of recent widower, Ed Schmitt (Alan Ritchson), and his five year-old daughter, Michelle (Emily Mitchell), who is dying of liver failure.
No sooner had Ed’s wife, Theresa (Amy Acker), died after a lengthy and expensive illness, but Ed is now facing financial ruin as his younger daughter requires an expensive liver transplant in a distant city – assuming a donor match could be found before the clock runs out. And, of course, Ed has no family health insurance which accounts for a staggering $400 thousand dollar debt owed for wife Theresa’s hospital care. If this sounds like a soap opera, it’s best to warn you that the movie is based on a true story. Truth is often stranger than fiction.
Sharon hears about the Schmitt family on the local TV news – as little Michelle’s predicament becomes a cause celebre. Sharon is so moved by the family’s plight that she starts a one-day fund raiser at Rose’s salon – with the hair-care proceeds going to the Schmitt family. Sharon shows up on the Schmitts’s doorstep with an envelope full of cash – over $3,000. Although grateful, Ed is secretly humiliated. Not only is he unable to provide for his own two children, but a total stranger has imposed herself onto the family – and it is only the beginning.
Sharon makes short shrift of winning over Ed’s daughters, Michelle and Ashley (Skywalker Hughes), and grandmom Barbara (Nancy Travis). As Sharon becomes a household fixture, Ed resists her nurturing and uncanny accounting and sales skills. Following a devastating tornado, Sharon helps Ed get back on his feet as a contract roofer. Still, Ed is embarrassed by Sharon’s ministry.
In the event a matching organ is found for Michelle, its life span is short term. It takes tricky planning to figure out how to get Michelle to the distant hospital with time to allow for a pre-op. It is too far to drive and commercial airlines are out of the question with only hours to spare door to door. Sharon soon finds a solution to this dilemma also.
It’s past Christmas, and Little Michelle is fading fast. As Ed’s luck would have it, just as Louisville is experiencing a winter blizzard of the century, a matching liver becomes available. Roads are closed and airplanes are grounded. Sharon does come to the rescue, again, but you will have to see the movie to find out how she manages this improbable fete.
While the film feels a bit “soapy” in many ways, it moves along quicky with surprises at every turn. It is interesting to try to unravel the mystery of Sharon and the stubborn machismo of poor Ed. He is simply no match for Sharon. I suspect few people are. At the close of the movie, we see photos and clips of the real life characters – which is always fun. Spoiler alert: Michelle does get her new liver transplant.
I saw this movie at my favorite theater, Park Plaza Cinema, sitting in the front row with my movie pal Kathy. The popcorn was delicious.
McVitty Movie Reviews 