The Ringer

Steve Barker (Johnny Knoxville) hates his job but after over two years of working, receives a promotion. His first duty is to fire his friend Stavi (Luis Ávalos), who is the janitor. Steve reluctantly does so, but hires him to work around his apartment. Stavi gets three fingers cut off in a lawn-mower accident, and reveals that he does not have health insurance. Steve must raise $28,000 within a few weeks to pay for the surgery to re-attach his friend's fingers. His sleazy uncle Gary (Brian Cox), owes $40,000 in gambling debts and suggests that they fix the Special Olympics in in order to solve both of their financial problems. Steve, who competed in track and field in high school as well as having acted in the drama club, reluctantly enters the Special Olympics in the guise of a high functioning young man with a developmental disability named Jeffy.

The Ringer took 7 years to get made due to studios being put off by its premise. The script gained more traction once it got the endorsement of the Special Olympics and executive producer Peter Farrelly is himself a volunteer with Best Buddies, an organization that provides mentorships to special needs persons, and has routinely included characters in his films such as There's Something About Mary and Stuck on You. The movie also serves a test vehicle for Johnny Knoxville's ability to carry a comedy outside of his Jackass wheelhouse (Dukes of Hazzard reboot aside) and the movie is actually a very funny and surprisingly sweet film that shows just how good a leading man Knoxville can be.

Despite a premise that could easily be turned towards the lowest common denominator, the movie does a good job of deriving humor from its premise without making itself a one joke affair. The Special Athletes who make up the supporting cast aren't defined solely by their disability and take a lot of pride and dignity in their training and goals. When the special athletes find out about Steve and Gary's scam they're understandably angered by it but when they find out why he did it they actually work with him to help while also playing to their own desires to take the arrogant champion, Jimmy Washington, down a peg by breaking his multi year streak. There's a lot of humanity on display in this movie that makes these characters three dimensional but still allows them to be both fun and funny.

Johnny Knoxville is very good playing Steve Barker who's a likable good natured slob who just wants to do right by his friend, and he showcases some really good comic energy and timing as he switches between himself and the persona he's created with Jeffy. Katherine Heigl plays Lynn, a volunteer with the Special Olympics who is also a love interest for Knoxville's character and she plays the character with sweetness and sincerity and has genuinely desire to help and foster persons with special needs due to her own experience with her brother. Brian Cox is despicably good as Steve's sleazy, lecherous, gambling uncle Gary, and the exchanges between Cox and Knoxville are incredibly well done with Knoxville reacting just perfectly to Gary's casual ableism.

The Ringer takes a subject that could've easily been played too safe or too lowbrow and finds the perfect balance for it. While not every joke lands, the ratio is more hits than misses and an assortment of likable characters who feel fully formed and not just punchline machines give the movie a level of sweetness and sincerity that's uncommon in this type of movie.

While I liked the movie, I liked the story and the cast...it was the supporting cast that was better than the lead Johnny Knoxville.

To me, his performance was weak, but maybe it was intended to be that way.

It's got funny moments but as some people states that it insults the handicapped - no, it does not.

This film honors not only the people in the special Olympics, but those that are with mental, physical or other types of handicaps and it doesn't show them as slow, stupid or unable to perform simple tasks or not cope in the real world.

It's a good film, that only loses it's place in the last two minutes of the entire movie.

This is far better than a Jim Carrey movie which insults handicapped people of all types.

We watched this film with trepidation. The Farrelly brothers don't actually believe in subtlety. "The Ringer" has a cast of mentally challenged players; frankly one feared the worst. Well, as it turned out, this is not your typical movie by the masters of grossness. The direction was entrusted to Barry Blaustein and the writing to Ricky Blitt. While there is some grossness, as was perhaps expected, the makers are actually quite respectful of the people involved in the Special Olympics.

Don't get confused, this is a formula movie, or at least this is what the finished product feels like. The idea of Johnny Knoxville passing as one of the handicapped youths, sounded preposterous. Yet, Mr. Knoxville's performance is one of the reasons for watching it. The great Brian Cox is a hilarious presence as the uncle from hell. Lovely Katherine Heigl adds charm to the proceedings.

This is a fun film because it celebrates people that are less fortunate than the rest of us. They are all portrayed in a dignified manner.

A typical modern-day comedy so some of its crudeness with sexual innuendos or remarks, but overall this is a full notch or two above most because underneath it is a soft, good- hearted feel to it. It's also a nice vehicle for a positive image to be presented for mentally- challenged people (formerl called "retards"). Those guys are as much of stars in this film as actors Johnny Knoxville and Katherine Heigl.

Knoxville plays the main character, "Steve Barker," a guy for (for good reasons, if that's possible) fakes being "handicapped" and enters The Special Olympics. He is hoping to win a big monetary prize to help pay for a friend's surgery and to help out his degenerate uncle who could be killed if he doesn't pay gamblers what he owes. Brian Cox plays "Uncle Gary." Both the man who needs the surgery ("Stavi," played by Luis Avalos) and Cox are hilarious in their roles, one being sympathetic and the other sleazy.

Along the way, Knoxville falls in love with Special Olympics worker "Lynn Sheridan" (Heigl). Hey, who wouldn't? This woman is unbelievably attractive and plays a good-hearted character.

Most of the funny lines in the movie are delivered by the Special Olympics athletes. Unrealistic? Yes, credibility is not high in that regard as as 99.9 percent of all the world's population would't be clever enough to deliver some of these lines but they are a hoot to hear. The fact you hear them uttered by "mentally-challenged" folks makes it even more outrageous and funny, of course. I can't remember how many times I just laughed out loud at something being said.

And, the film ends on a nigh note despite our hero being discovered as a fraud. The whole story is just a lot of a fun and is truly a feel-good film when it's all over. Highly recommended, but not for small kids because of the language.

As Head of Delegation for a Special Olympic Texas team who has athletes featured in this movie, I have to take exception with the concept of assuming the athletes are being teased and made fun of in this movie. I spent most of 3 months on the set watching the filming 2 years ago and I know how very carefully Special Olympics International has watched the development of this movie. They have been involved in every aspect of this movie, from script development to final product. I also know how very careful Special Olympics is with putting their seal of approval on projects. They simply do not endorse ANYTHING, yet they are completely and 100% behind this movie.

I have seen the movie and can't wait to take every member of my team. Many of them have seen the movie and indeed are in it. At the premiere in Austin December 6 my athletes were howling with laughter and having a great time. While I will admit that Johnny Knoxville, the Farrelly Brothers and Special Olympics do not seem to make the best mix in the world, this works. And it is a beautiful movie. There are a few dirty words (like Forrest Gump) and a few tasteless jokes, but it is screamingly funny and has worlds of heart. The athletes are always, ALWAYS treated with the utmost respect. Unlike most movies about the mentally handicapped, there are major parts in this movie played by genuine special Olympic athletes, and they used some 200 special Olympic extra's. This was a labor of love, on both sides of the camera. It deserves to be viewed and respected. The producers had a vision of bringing to life and light the fact that mentally challenged people are well rounded and enjoyable people. They did it beautifully. Go see the movie and laugh with all your heart.