The Ringer (2005)

Peter and Bobby Farrelly have always expressed an especially warm but unsentimental attitude in their films toward those with disabilities, most notably in THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY and SHALLOW HAL. THE RINGER, which they produced (but neither wrote nor directed), takes this trait to feverish new heights. JACKASS-cum-leading man stars Johnny Knoxville as office schmo Steve Barker, whose request for more responsibility at his job indirectly results in the severing of four fingers from the hand of Stavi, the mild-mannered office janitor. When Steve requests financial help from his morally-questionable gambling a...
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ddict Uncle Gary (Brian Cox), Stevie finds himself posing as "Jeffy" an athlete in the Special Olympics whose victory against track champion Jimmy (Leonard Flowers) could spell an end to Uncle Gary's debts and the reattaching of Stavi's fingers.

Though a basic description of its premise would make most viewers cry foul, THE RINGER skirts the obvious charge of exploitation by making the mentally challenged characters the only ones to realize that Steve is only acting handicapped. Steve's fellow Olympians are cast with a combination of veteran character actors and real-life former Special Olympians (most notably Edward Barbanell, John Taylor, and Leonard Flowers) who, while lending the film authenticity, also spark with comic timing and the true joy of being on camera. Knoxville once again makes an affable hero, and Ricky Blitt's screenplay, while crass by nature, keeps true vulgarity at bay in favor of a good nature that makes simplicity an asset.
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A guy trying to do the right thing ends up taking part in one of the most morally dubious con games in history in this comedy. Steve Barker (Johnny Knoxville) is an office drone who wants to move up the corporate ladder, but when he asks his boss for a promotion, it comes with a condition -- Steve has to fire Stavi (Luis Avalos), who has been the firm's janitor for years. Steve decides to soften the blow by hiring Stavi to do his lawn and garden work. However, an accident robs Stavi of several of his fingers, and since he doesn't have medical insurance, Steve needs to find a way to pay for his surgery. Steve's un...
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cle Gary (Brian Cox), a sleazy type who will bet on anything, also needs some fast cash, and comes up with a get-rich-quick scheme -- Steve was a track star in high school, and with the Special Olympics Championships coming up, all Steve has to do is pretend to be mentally challenged, enter the competition, and win the running events against six-time medalist Jimmy (Leonard Flowers). Gary will bet big on Steve, and the odds will allow them to clean up. Steve is appalled by the idea, but he needs the money badly enough to go along. However, Steve discovers that Jimmy is fast enough that he has little chance of beating him. However, Jimmy's colossal ego has made him many enemies among his fellow Special Olympians, and they're eager enough to see him taken down a peg that they help Steve train for the big event. Matters become all the more complicated when Steve becomes infatuated with Lynn (Katherine Heigl), a beautiful woman who has volunteered to help the challenged athletes, and would doubtless be furious if she found out what Steve was really doing. Produced by Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly, The Ringer was the first fiction directorial credit for Barry W. Blaustein; the story also parallels a 2004 episode of the animated television series South Park, "Up the Down Steroid."
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Steve Barker (Johnny Knoxville) verlaagt zichzelf tot een absoluut dieptepunt om aan geld te komen: hij doet zich voor als geestelijk gehandicapt om zo mee te kunnen doen met de Special Olympics. Hij wordt echter met gemak overtroffen door zijn mede Olympians, die niet alleen betere atleten zijn, maar beter doorhebben hoe de wereld in elkaar steekt. Steve wordt door zijn medesporters al snel ontdekt als een oplichter, maar omdat iedereen graag ziet dat de verwaande kampioen Jimmy wordt verslagen, proberen ze de valsspeler naar de overwinning te helpen. Samen trainen ze Steve tot een betere atleet en bovenal een b...
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