The Ringer (2005 film)

The Ringer
Promotional poster
Directed by	Barry W. Blaustein
Written by	Ricky Blitt
Produced by	Peter Farrelly Robert Farrelly
Starring	Johnny Knoxville Katherine Heigl Brian Cox Bill Chott
Cinematography	Mark Irwin
Edited by	George Folsey Jr.
Music by	Mark Mothersbaugh
Production company	Conundrum Entertainment
Distributed by	Fox Searchlight
Release date	December 23, 2005 (2005-12-23)
Running time	94 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$40,442,437 (worldwide)

The Ringer is a 2005 comedy starring Johnny Knoxville, Katherine Heigl, Christina Cartwright, and Brian Cox with cameos by Terry Funk and Jesse Ventura. Directed by Barry W. Blaustein, it was produced by the Farrelly brothers. The film was released on December 23, 2005 by Fox Searchlight.

Plot

The story follows Steve Barker (Johnny Knoxville), 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 cut off 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 champion Jimmy and want to see him lose, 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 and thrown out of the church.

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 theater, 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 Knoxville as Steve Barker/ Jeffy Dahmor
• Brian Cox as Gary Barker
• Katherine Heigl as Lynn Sheridan
• Jed Rees as Glen
• Bill Chott as Thomas
• Edward Barbanell as Billy
• Leonard Earl Howze as Mark
• Geoffrey Arend as Winston
• John Taylor as Rudy
• Luis Avalos as Stavi
• Leonard Flowers as Jimmy

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.

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.

Reception

The film was met with mixed reviews. 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..."

When The Ringer was first brought to the media's attention, many expected a crude movie that would shine a negative light on the special needs community. Many were not for the movie, and immediately had a negative view on the movie. A few claim to think that they found the movie, "crude and offensive not only to me, but probably traumatizing for anyone who actually had a disability and saw this movie."

Although the public, at first, had a negative response to the movie, reviews will show that although the movie appears to be offensive, in reality it doesn't make the disabled the butt of jokes but instead the ones telling the jokes.

Spinal Cord Injury Zone states, "Instead of tugging at the heartstrings, “The Ringer” uses the typical outrageous Farrelly Brothers humor (There’s Something About Mary, Stuck on You, Shallow Hal) to promote the message that just like everyone else, individuals with intellectual disabilities are people first, each with their own interests, talents, abilities and personalities. The movie also features more than 150 people with intellectual disabilities in small parts and supporting roles."

Soundtrack

1. "Ton of Shame"- Written by: Randy Weeks...Performed by: Randy Weeks
2. "Mr. Sandman"- Written by: Pat Ballard
3. "Sweet Ride"- Written by: Gustaf Norén and Björn Dixgård...Performed by: Mando Diao
4. "Wink and a Nod"- Written by: Tom Wolfe...Performed by: The Funny Bones
5. "Merlot"- Written by: Tom Wolfe...Performed by: The Tasters
6. "Real Thing"- Written by: Tom Wolfe...Performed by: The Shakers
7. "Main Title- Written by: Elmer Bernstein...Performed by: Elmer Bernstein
8. "Calvera"- Written by: Elmer Bernstein...Performed by: Elmer Bernstein
9. "Hot Sugar"- Written by: Sammy James Jr. and Graham Tyler...Performed by: The Mooney Suzuki
10. "Girls Gone Wild"- Written by: Karlyton Clanton, Rochad Holiday and Chris Reese...Performed by: Dirty Rat
11. "We Got to Get You a Woman"- Written by: Todd Rundgren...Performed by: Todd Rundgren
12. "If She Wants Me"- Written by: Sarah Martin, Stuart Murdoch, Richard Colburn, Mick Cooke (as Michael Cooke), Christopher Geddes, Stevie Jackson (as Stephen Jackson) and Bob Kildea- Performed by: Belle & Sebastian
13. "Piano Man"- Written by: Billy Joel
14. "My Cherie Amour"- Written by: Stevie Wonder, Sylvia Moy and Henry Cosby
15. "Kellerman's Anthem"- Written by: Michael Goldman
16. "Fox Sports Network College Basketball Theme 2001"- Written by: Christopher Brady
17. "September"- Written by: Allee Willis, Al McKay and Maurice White...Performed by Earth Wind & Fire
18. "Pretty Girls"- Written by: Carl Brown, Shelly Goodhope, Tanesa Tavin,Daniel Brattain, Veronica Mendez, Darrell Mitchell, Albert Cota, Chantel Roquemore and Michael Monagan...Performed by: The Kids Of Widney High
19. "Respect"- Written by: Otis Redding...Performed by:The Kids Of Widney High
20. "You Are Everything"- Written by: Linda Creed and Thom Bell (as Thomas Bell)...Performed by: The Stylistics

External links

• Official website
• The Ringer at IMDb

• The Ringer (Yahoo Movies)
• The Ringer (Empire Movies)
• Fuchs, Cynthia (December 2005). "The Ringer". Pop Matters.
• Williamson, Gail (December 2005). "The Ringer" (Microsoft Word Document). dsat.ca.