The Ringer
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| The Ringer | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Barry W. Blaustein |
| Produced by | Bobby Farrelly Peter Farrelly |
| Written by | Ricky Blitt |
| Starring | Johnny Knoxville Katherine Heigl Brian Cox |
| Music by | Mark Mothersbaugh |
| Cinematography | Mark Irwin |
| Editing by | George Folsey Jr. |
| Distributed by | Fox Searchlight |
| Release date(s) | 23 December 2005 |
| Running time | 94 min. |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
- For The Legend of Zelda episode with the same name, see The Ringer (episode)
The Ringer is a 2005 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.
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[edit] Plot
The story follows Steve (Knoxville), who must raise a large sum of money to pay for a surgery to re-attach his gardener's fingers. His uncle Gary (Cox), who owes $40,000 in gambling debts, suggests that they fix the Special Olympics 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 developmentally disabled young man" 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. The other contestants easily spot this ringer, and they help him cause Jimmy's loss. He does not actually win, his friend, Glenn, does.
[edit] Reception
The movie was met with mixed reviews. Some critics thought that it was too predictable.[1] However, noted critic Roger Ebert gave it a positive review.[2]
[edit] Box office
When it opened it earned $7,702,439 and its box office total was $35,019,634. It also earned $40,780,000 in DVD sales.
[edit] Trivia
- Johnny Knoxville's character watches an episode of Family Guy which was written by Ricky Blitt, who wrote the film.
- Knoxville wears #0 in promotional posters but #4 in the Special Olympics competitions.
- The film was produced by Barry Blaustein, who is well known for his pro wrestling documentary Beyond The Mat. The film features several wrestling references including the opening scene when Steve listens to a motivation tape voiced by Jesse Ventura. Also, one of Michael's bodyguards is played by legendary hardcore wrestler Terry Funk.
- Steve's uncle assigns him the alias Jeffy Dahmor, a reference to serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.
- The theater at the end of the movie has a sign that says "The Neary Center for Exceptional People," which is also featured in There's Something About Mary.
- When Winston (Geoffrey Arend) says ,"When the fuck did we get ice cream?", Johnny Knoxville looks like he's rubbing his head on Winston's shoulder, but he is actually laughing.
- The Kids of Widney High are featured performing "Pretty Girls" (which was also written by several members of the group) at a party, and again towards the end of the film singing a version of the popular 1960s song, "Respect" in which the lyrics have been rewritten so that it becomes an anthem for those with disabilities.
[edit] External links
- Official Site
- The Ringer at the Internet Movie Database
- The Ringer at MySpace
- The Ringer at Yahoo movies
- The Ringer at Empire Movies
- The Ringer trailers at Apple Trailers
- PopMatters review (12/2005)
- Review by Gail Williamson
- The Ringer at Rotten Tomatoes
