Taglines: Make it Special.
Desperate for cash to help a friend in need and pay off his smarmy uncle’s gambling debts, Steve Barker sinks to an all time low… he attempts to fix the Special Olympics by pretending to be a person with intellectual disabilities. But he is completely out-classed by his fellow Olympians, who are not only superior athletes, they’re also wiser in the ways of the world.
Several of his fellow competitors immediately spot Steve as a fraud, but because they too would like to see the fall of Jimmy, the snooty reigning champion, they join forces to help The Ringer win. Together they train Steve to become a better athlete and, most importantly, a better man.
The latest fearless comedy from producers The Farrelly Brothers (There’s Something About Mary, Dumb & Dumber, Shallow Hal) asks the question: can a comedy be outlandishly off-the-wall, irreverently indelicate and yet… inspirational?
Steve Barker (Johnny Knoxville) is a nice guy stuck in a mundane desk job when a twist of fate turns his life — and his definition of success — utterly upside down. When Steve works up the courage to ask his boss for a promotion, his wish is surprisingly granted, with one condition: Steve must first fire Stavi (Luis Avalos), the long-time janitor at the company. To soften the blow, Steve offers to employ the distraught janitor himself, a decision that quickly backfires when a lawn-care accident lands Stavi in the hospital missing several fingers not to mention medical insurance.
Desperate for the cash to save Stavi’s digits, Steve enlists the help of his smarmy uncle Gary (Brian Cox), who’s worried about his own skyrocketing gambling debts. In typical fashion, Gary comes up with an unthinkable, contemptible, lower-than-low scheme just crazy enough to seem doable: former track star Steve will compete in the upcoming Special Olympics as a “ringer,” handily defeating the greatest champion of all time, six-time Gold Medal pentathlete Jimmy (Leonard Flowers), whom Gary will bet against.
Racked with remorse over Stavi, Steve begrudgingly goes along with the scandalous plan and transforms himself into “Jeffy,” his new alter-ego. But succeeding at being intellectually challenged turns out to be a far greater challenge than Steve ever imagined. From convincing Special Olympics volunteer Lynn Sheridan (Katherine Heigl), with whom Steve is smitten; to trying to win the friendship of his feisty fellow competitors, Steve is stumped, not to mention not nearly good enough to win any of his events.
To make matters worse, Steve’s co-competitors soon get wise to his scam. But instead of turning against him they decide to join him and train Steve as a competitor themselves, hoping he can topple the arrogant Jimmy from the podium. With a training regimen unlike anything ever seen in sports before, Steve prepares to go for the Gold for his new friends… and, in the process, stumbles at long last upon his personal best.
The Ringer (2005)
Directed by: Barry Blaustein
Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Katherine Heigl, Brian Cox, Zen Gesner, John Taylor, Jed Rees, Edward Barbanell, Leonard Earl Howze, Geoffrey Arend, Steve Levy
Screenplay by: Ricky Blitt
Production Design by: Arlan Jay Vetter
Cinematography by: Mark Irwin
Film Editing by: George Folsey Jr.
Costume Design by: Lisa Jensen
Set Decoration by: Tim Eckel, Phil Shirey
Art Direction by: John Frick
Music by: Mark Mothersbaugh
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, language and some drug references.
Distributed by: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Release Date: December 23, 2005
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