The Ringer
Encyclopedia
The Ringer is a 2005
developmental comedy
starring Johnny Knoxville
, Katherine Heigl
, and Brian Cox with cameos by Terry Funk
and Jesse Ventura
. It is produced
by the Farrelly Brothers
and was released on December 23, 2005 by Fox Searchlight.
), who hates his job but after over two years of working, receives a promotion. His first duty is to fire his friend Stavi, who is the janitor. Steve fires Stavi, but hires him to work around his apartment. Stavi gets three fingers amputated in a lawn-mower accident, and reveals that he does not have health insurance, Medicare or AFLAC
. Steve must raise $28,000 within two weeks to pay for the surgery to re-attach his friend's fingers. His uncle Gary (Brian Cox), owes $40,000 in gambling debts and suggests that they fix
the Special Olympics
in San Marcos, Texas
in order to solve both of their financial problems. Steve, who competed in track and field
in high school as well as being in the drama
club, enters the Special Olympics in the guise of a high functioning young man with learning difficulties named Jeffy Dahmor. Gary, assuming that Steve will easily defeat the legitimate contenders, bets $100,000 that reigning champion Jimmy Washington will not win the gold medal. Despite initially being disgusted at pretending to be mentally challenged, Steve goes along with it for Stavi.
During the competition, Steve falls in love with Lynn (Katherine Heigl
), a volunteer for the Special Olympics. During this time, six of the other contestants see through Steve's ruse. Since they hate the egotistical, arrogant Jimmy, they decide to go along with the ruse and try to help Steve defeat Jimmy. Steve begins to feel guilty for his actions, and tries to confess his sins to a priest, but he is beaten up by him.
Steve does not actually win; his friend Glen does, with Steve coming in third behind Jimmy. During the medal ceremony Steve admits that he is not developmentally disabled, his name is actually Steve Barker
, and that he does not deserve his medal. He then gives his medal to Thomas, who had come in fourth. Uncle Gary still ends up winning his bet, since the condition was not that "Jeffy" would win, but that Jimmy would not.
Six months later, Steve has quit his job and is working in theatre, helping produce a play with the friends he made during the Special Olympics, as well as Stavi, who got his fingers reattached. Glen and the others trick Lynn into coming to the theater, so Steve starts to apologize. Lynn who was originally shocked at the ruse already forgives him because Stavi told her why Steve pretended to be developmentally disabled. Lynn is relieved, and they kiss.
Professional wrestlers Terry Funk
and Jesse Ventura
's cameo appearances came about due to their friendship with director Barry Blaustein, who met the pair whilst filming wrestling documentary Beyond the Mat
in the late 1990s.
The Special Olympics committee eventually agreed to endorse the film, the film makers having given them final say on the script.
Producer Farrelly is himself a longtime volunteer with Best Buddies, a group that provides mentoring program for people with intellectual disabilities, and has prominently featured disabled characters in his previous films such as Warren the brother of Mary in There’s Something About Mary and Rocket in Stuck on You.
Farrelly explains "You’re not laughing at them. You’re really laughing with them. There are a lot of jokes in this movie, and they’re in on them all."
Rotten Tomatoes
gives it a score of 40% based on 84 reviews, with an average rating of 4.8 out of 10. The general consensus is that the film was too predictable.
Roger Ebert
gives the film 3 out of 4 stars, stating: "The movie surprised me. It treats its disabled characters with affection and respect...and it's actually kind of sweet..."
2005 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
developmental comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
starring Johnny Knoxville
Johnny Knoxville
Philip John Clapp , better known by his stage name Johnny Knoxville, is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, stunt performer, best known for being the co-creator and principal star of the MTV reality series Jackass, with the catchphrase "I'm Johnny Knoxville, and welcome to Jackass."-Early...
, Katherine Heigl
Katherine Heigl
Katherine Marie Heigl is an American actress and producer. She is possibly best known for her role as Dr. Izzie Stevens on ABC's Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2010, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Drama Series in 2007...
, and Brian Cox with cameos by Terry Funk
Terry Funk
Terrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
and Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
. It is produced
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
by the Farrelly Brothers
Farrelly brothers
Peter John Farrelly and Robert Leo "Bobby" Farrelly, Jr. , professionally known as the Farrelly Brothers are screenwriters and directors of ten comedy films, including There's Something About Mary; Dumb and Dumber; Kingpin; Hall Pass; Me, Myself & Irene; Shallow Hal; Stuck on You; Osmosis Jones;...
and was released on December 23, 2005 by Fox Searchlight.
Plot
The story follows Steve Barker (Johnny KnoxvilleJohnny Knoxville
Philip John Clapp , better known by his stage name Johnny Knoxville, is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, stunt performer, best known for being the co-creator and principal star of the MTV reality series Jackass, with the catchphrase "I'm Johnny Knoxville, and welcome to Jackass."-Early...
), who hates his job but after over two years of working, receives a promotion. His first duty is to fire his friend Stavi, who is the janitor. Steve fires Stavi, but hires him to work around his apartment. Stavi gets three fingers amputated in a lawn-mower accident, and reveals that he does not have health insurance, Medicare or AFLAC
Aflac
Aflac Incorporated is the largest provider of supplemental insurance in the United States, founded in 1955 and based in Columbus, Georgia. In the United States, Aflac underwrites a wide range of insurance policies, but is perhaps more known for its payroll deduction insurance coverage, which pays...
. Steve must raise $28,000 within two weeks to pay for the surgery to re-attach his friend's fingers. His uncle Gary (Brian Cox), owes $40,000 in gambling debts and suggests that they fix
Match fixing
In organised sports, match fixing, game fixing, race fixing, or sports fixing occurs as a match is played to a completely or partially pre-determined result, violating the rules of the game and often the law. Where the sporting competition in question is a race then the incident is referred to as...
the Special Olympics
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
in San Marcos, Texas
San Marcos, Texas
San Marcos is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, and is the seat of Hays County. Located within the metropolitan area, the city is located on the Interstate 35 corridor—between Austin and San Antonio....
in order to solve both of their financial problems. Steve, who competed in track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
in high school as well as being in the drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
club, enters the Special Olympics in the guise of a high functioning young man with learning difficulties named Jeffy Dahmor. Gary, assuming that Steve will easily defeat the legitimate contenders, bets $100,000 that reigning champion Jimmy Washington will not win the gold medal. Despite initially being disgusted at pretending to be mentally challenged, Steve goes along with it for Stavi.
During the competition, Steve falls in love with Lynn (Katherine Heigl
Katherine Heigl
Katherine Marie Heigl is an American actress and producer. She is possibly best known for her role as Dr. Izzie Stevens on ABC's Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2010, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Drama Series in 2007...
), a volunteer for the Special Olympics. During this time, six of the other contestants see through Steve's ruse. Since they hate the egotistical, arrogant Jimmy, they decide to go along with the ruse and try to help Steve defeat Jimmy. Steve begins to feel guilty for his actions, and tries to confess his sins to a priest, but he is beaten up by him.
Steve does not actually win; his friend Glen does, with Steve coming in third behind Jimmy. During the medal ceremony Steve admits that he is not developmentally disabled, his name is actually Steve Barker
Steve Barker
Steve Barker is an English film director and screenwriter. He wrote and directed the short-film Magic Hour starring John Simm. In 2007 he made his directorial feature film debut Outpost, starring Ray Stevenson and Richard Brake....
, and that he does not deserve his medal. He then gives his medal to Thomas, who had come in fourth. Uncle Gary still ends up winning his bet, since the condition was not that "Jeffy" would win, but that Jimmy would not.
Six months later, Steve has quit his job and is working in theatre, helping produce a play with the friends he made during the Special Olympics, as well as Stavi, who got his fingers reattached. Glen and the others trick Lynn into coming to the theater, so Steve starts to apologize. Lynn who was originally shocked at the ruse already forgives him because Stavi told her why Steve pretended to be developmentally disabled. Lynn is relieved, and they kiss.
Cast
- Johnny KnoxvilleJohnny KnoxvillePhilip John Clapp , better known by his stage name Johnny Knoxville, is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, stunt performer, best known for being the co-creator and principal star of the MTV reality series Jackass, with the catchphrase "I'm Johnny Knoxville, and welcome to Jackass."-Early...
as Steve Barker/ Jeffy Dahmor - Brian Cox as Gary Barker
- Katherine HeiglKatherine HeiglKatherine Marie Heigl is an American actress and producer. She is possibly best known for her role as Dr. Izzie Stevens on ABC's Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2010, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Drama Series in 2007...
as Lynn Sheridan - Jed ReesJed ReesJed Rees is a Canadian Comedy Award-nominated actor from Vancouver, British Columbia, best known for his roles in movies such as Men With Brooms and The Ringer -Early life:...
as Glen - Bill ChottBill ChottBill Chott is an American actor and comedian.- Early life :During his school years, Chott appeared in numerous plays and musicals. As a graduate of Ritenour High School he was inducted into the school's hall of fame for his tremendous success...
as Thomas - Edward BarbanellEdward BarbanellEdward Barbanell is an American actor with Down syndrome, best known for playing the character of "Billy" in the 2005 film The Ringer. He attended Coral Springs High School....
as Billy - Leonard Earl Howze as Mark
- Geoffrey ArendGeoffrey Arend-Life and career:Arend was born in the Manhattan borough of New York City, to a Caucasian father and a Pakistani mother. He graduated from New York City's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in 1996. In 2000, he began providing voices for video games such as Daria's...
as Winston - John Taylor as Rudy
- Luis AvalosLuis AvalosLuis Avalos is a Cuban character actor. He has made numerous film and television appearances, most notably in the 1970s children's television show, The Electric Company...
as Stavi - Leonard Flowers as Jimmy
Professional wrestlers Terry Funk
Terry Funk
Terrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
and Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
's cameo appearances came about due to their friendship with director Barry Blaustein, who met the pair whilst filming wrestling documentary Beyond the Mat
Beyond the Mat
Beyond the Mat is a 1999 documentary directed by Barry W. Blaustein. The movie focuses on the lives of professional wrestlers outside of the ring, primarily Mick Foley, Terry Funk, and Jake Roberts, as well as some aspiring wrestlers...
in the late 1990s.
Production
The film took seven years to get made due to its controversial subject.The Special Olympics committee eventually agreed to endorse the film, the film makers having given them final say on the script.
Producer Farrelly is himself a longtime volunteer with Best Buddies, a group that provides mentoring program for people with intellectual disabilities, and has prominently featured disabled characters in his previous films such as Warren the brother of Mary in There’s Something About Mary and Rocket in Stuck on You.
Farrelly explains "You’re not laughing at them. You’re really laughing with them. There are a lot of jokes in this movie, and they’re in on them all."
Reception
The film was met with mixed reviews.Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gives it a score of 40% based on 84 reviews, with an average rating of 4.8 out of 10. The general consensus is that the film was too predictable.
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gives the film 3 out of 4 stars, stating: "The movie surprised me. It treats its disabled characters with affection and respect...and it's actually kind of sweet..."
External links
- Official website
- The Ringer at IMDb
- The Ringer (YahooYahoo!Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
Movies) - The Ringer (Empire Movies)