The Ringer

Plot

Steve Barker suddenly receives a promotion at work and is forced to fire his friend Stavi, a hard-working immigrant janitor at the company. Steve reluctantly does so but hires Stavi to work around his apartment. While working, Stavi loses three fingers in a lawnmower accident and reveals that he does not have health insurance; Steve decides to raise $28,000 within two weeks to pay for the surgery to reattach Stavi's fingers.

His uncle Gary owes $40,000 in gambling debts and suggests that they fix the Special Olympics in San Marcos, Texas to solve both of their financial problems. Steve reluctantly enters the Special Olympics under the guise of being a high-functioning young man named "Jeffy Dahmor" with a developmental disability. Assuming that Steve will easily defeat the legitimate contenders, Gary bets $100,000 that reigning champion Jimmy Washington won't win the gold medal. Despite initial disgust at pretending to be intellectually disabled, Steve goes along for Stavi.

During the competition, Steve falls in love with Lynn, a Special Olympics volunteer. During this time, 6 other contestants see through Steve's act, so he tells them the truth about Stavi. As Steve decides to leave after exposure, they ask him to stay, resolving to help Steve save Stavi's fingers primarily because they're fed up with Jimmy winning all the time. In the meantime, Steve befriends the other contestants and they put Steve through a series of training regimens.

Steve encourages Thomas to talk to a girl he likes, who is currently seeing Jimmy, and even takes the group to see a showing of Dirty Dancing. Steve gradually gets to know Lynn more but is dismayed to learn that she is engaged to David and during a double date, he discovers David to be a pathological liar when talking to a waitress; after Steve discovers that David is cheating on Lynn with that same waitress, Lynn ends things with him. At one point, Steve feels remorse for taking part in the Special Olympics and tells a priest in a confession booth, only for the priest to punch him in the face and kick him out of the church, and later bet on him to win. During the formal dance, Steve and Lynn grow close, but Steve almost kisses her during a dance and Lynn hastily retreats. The next day, Lynn, feeling that she led Steve on, considers resigning her position.

Steve managed to secure a spot in the final event, and discovers Jimmy to be an exceptional opponent. At the final competition, Jimmy sprains his knee during the race and Steve, rather than win the event, goes back to assist him. Upon finishing, Steve's friend Glen comes in 1st, with Steve in 3rd behind Jimmy. During the medal ceremony, Steve comes clean that he is not developmentally disabled, reveals his actual name, and gives his medal to Thomas, who had finished 4th. Lynn, upset at Steve, slaps him when he attempts to apologize to her. Uncle Gary still wins his bet, as his condition was that Jimmy would lose.

Six months later, Steve quits his job and starts working in theater, producing a play with the friends he made during the Special Olympics and Stavi, who got his fingers reattached. Glen and the others trick Lynn into coming to the theater, and Steve starts to apologize. Lynn forgives him because Stavi told her why Steve pretended to be developmentally disabled, and they kiss.

In a mid-credits scene, as the Special Olympics athletes are performing their version of Romeo and Juliet, Steve and his friends begin dancing onstage with the Kids of Widney High as they perform the song "Respect".

Cast

Johnny Knoxville as Steve Barker, an office worker posing as a mentally disabled athlete in order to raise money for a friends surgery

Brian Cox as Gary Barker, Steve's scheming uncle with a gambling problem

Katherine Heigl as Lynn Sheridan, a Special Olympics volunteer whom Steve's fallen for

Jed Rees as Glen Chervin, a top ranking Special Olympics athlete and Steve's friend

Bill Chott as Thomas Wetzig, a Special Olympics athlete with low self esteem and Steve's friend

Edward Barbanell as Billy B'Devore, a Special Olympics athlete with down syndrome and Steve's roommate

Leonard Earl Howze as Mark, a Special Olympics athlete with a hulking attitude and Steve's friend

Geoffrey Arend as Winston Kelso Smith, a Special Olympics athlete known for taping videos and Steve's friend

John Taylor as Rudy, a Special Olympics athlete with a snarky attitude and Steve's friend

Luis Ávalos as Stavi, an immigrant janitor who later became a landscaper and was injured in the process

Leonard Flowers as Jimmy Washington, the arrogant 6x Special Special Olympics champion

Zen Gesner as David Patrick, Lynn's cheating fiancée

Al Dias as Michael, a bar owner and gambling bookie who Gary owes money to

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 filmmakers having given them final say on the script.

Producer Farrelly is himself a longtime volunteer with Best Buddies, a group that provides mentoring programs for people with intellectual disabilities, and has prominently featured characters with disabilities in his previous films such as Warren, the brother of Mary in There's Something About Mary, and Rocket in Stuck on You.

During the end credits, scenes from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet are shown being performed, ending with the Kids of Widney High performing Aretha Franklin's "Respect."

Reception

The film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes lists 40% positive reviews based on 89 critics, with an average rating of 5.00/10. The site's consensus states: "Despite a few laughs and good intentions, The Ringer is too predictable to really score the points it aims for." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 46 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

Roger Ebert gave the film three out of four stars, stating: "The movie surprised me. It treats its disabled characters with affection and respect... and it's actually kind of sweet."

Spinal Cord Injury Zone stated: "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

"Ton of Shame" – written by Randy Weeks, performed by Randy Weeks

"Mr. Sandman" – written by Pat Ballard

"Sweet Ride" – written by Gustaf Norén and Björn Dixgård, performed by Mando Diao

"Wink and a Nod" – written by Tom Wolfe, performed by The Funny Bones

"Merlot" – written by Tom Wolfe, performed by The Tasters

"Real Thing" – written by Tom Wolfe, performed by The Shakers

"Main Title – written by Elmer Bernstein, performed by Elmer Bernstein

"Calvera" – written by Elmer Bernstein, performed by Elmer Bernstein

"Hot Sugar" – written by Sammy James Jr. and Graham Tyler, performed by The Mooney Suzuki

"Girls Gone Wild" – written by Karlyton Clanton, Rochad Holiday and Chris Reese, performed by Dirty Rat

"We Got to Get You a Woman" – written by Todd Rundgren, performed by Todd Rundgren

"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

"Piano Man" – written by Billy Joel

"My Cherie Amour" – written by Stevie Wonder, Sylvia Moy and Henry Cosby