'The Ringer' earns a medal for opening minds
by Joe Gross

Farrelly brothers Bobby and Peter have given us such monuments to shaky taste and shakier social responsibility as "Dumb and Dumber," "There's Something About Mary" and the staggeringly misguided "Shallow Hal." The next logical move, of course, is to produce one of the year's most flagrantly feel-good movies in "The Ringer." It's the story of one man's quest to fix the Special Olympics by pretending to be mentally challenged and make off with the gold and a large wager. Read the full review

TO SUM UP
Steve Barker is stuck in a mundane desk job when a twist of fate turns his life — and his definition of success — upside down. Caught up in a gambling scheme, he pretends to be intellectually challenged in order to compete in the Special Olympics. His fellow athletes not only beat him, but find him out, and in the process Steve stumbles upon a new personal best.

FILM FACTS ...
Fox Searchlight Pictures
'The Ringer'

Director: Barry Blaustein
Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Brian Cox, Katherine Heigl, Jed Rees, Bill Chott
Run time: 100 minutes
Release date: Dec. 23, 2005
Rating: PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, language and some drug references.
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READ THE REVIEW

Austin American-Statesman: 3 of 5 stars
"Knoxville's acting isn't getting any better, but he's still an inherent charmer."


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