Gary has his own problemsâ€”namely gambling. Steve, feeling horrible that Stavi’s only coverage is, as my brother-in-law used to say, the Be-Damned-Careful Insurance plan, calls his allegedly wealthy uncle, Gary (Brian Cox), to ask for help covering Stavi’s $28,000 finger-reattachment surgery. Suffice it to say, this is where a relatively standard, but somewhat reliable, comedic plot emerges. Stavi, who likes to fix things with his bare hands, manages to forget a key rule in lawnmower maintenance: Turn it off, first. It’s not any mental disability, or his limited grasp of English as a recent immigrant, “In my country, Stavi not so bright, either.” Reluctantly, Steve promises to hire Stavi to mow his lawn. His first assignment is to fire the not-so-bright janitor, Stavi. Steve works up simultaneous ambivalence and courage to ask his manager for a role with more responsibilityâ€”in precisely what capacity, he’s unsure.

Steve Barker (Johnny Knoxville) works in a cubicle hell of some sort, listening to motivational tapes (voiced by someone who sounds suspiciously like former pro-wrestler and Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura). I suspect Johnny Knoxville would never have been cast in such a project, but that’s just me. It’s not a serious drama forcing a message of acceptance down our throats in a self-important manner. In actuality, for what it is, “The Ringer” is an entertaining film that creatively combats many stereotypes our culture has about the mentally disabled. “There’s Something About Mary”) that this is their penance? No. Could I be in some alternate universe, or, have the Farrelly brothers received so much harsh criticism for their past portrayals of the mentally disabled (e.g. At the promo screening, I’m told, are Special Olympics board members, athletes and even the President of the Minnesota organization. I’m expecting there to be rampant assaults on mental disability, and instead I feel like I’ve stepped into the Twilight Zone. So I prepared myself for this movie, having an idea of what to expect from the Farrelly brothersâ€”who have raised political-incorrectness to an art form (albeit in a rather perverse manner). From left: Geoffrey Arend, Leonard Earl Howze (red shirt), Johnny Knoxville,Įdward Barbanell, Bill Chott, Jed Rees (orange shirt) and John Taylor in THE RINGER.

The ringer cast