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The Ringer
2005 94 min United States of America PG-13 16+
★5.6
Comedy
Director: Barry W. Blaustein
Trailers
Description
Pressured by a greedy uncle and a pile of debt, lovable loser Steve Barker resorts to an unthinkable, contemptible, just-crazy-enough-to-work scheme. He pretends to be mentally challenged to rig the upcoming Special Olympics and bring home the gold. But when Steve's fellow competitors get wise to the con, they inspire him to rise to the greatest challenge of all: becoming a better person.
US Gross:
$35.43M
Worldwide:
$40.44M
Starring
Johnny Knoxville
Actor
Katherine Heigl
Actor
Brian Cox
Actor
Awards
1 nomination total
Key opinion
The Ringer is viewed as a light-hearted, fairy-tale style comedy that attempts to balance a sensitive premise with uplifting moral themes. While some audiences find the narrative trajectory rewarding by its conclusion, others feel the film struggles to navigate its delicate subject matter effectively.
| Theme | The film functions as a light-hearted, uplifting fable that successfully embeds moral lessons into its narrative. | |
| Ending | The narrative successfully redeems itself by the final act, resulting in a satisfactory conclusion. | |
| Humor | The comedic execution of such a delicate and sensitive subject matter remains highly controversial and divisive among viewers. |