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.
Acting
Knoxville commits fully to physical buffoonery
Practical Effects
Actual Special Olympics athletes steal every scene
Director
Barry W. Blaustein
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Produced by the Farrelly brothers, who similarly mixed cringe and heart in 'There's Something About Mary.' The film sparked genuine debate about who gets to tell disability stories.
The Special Olympics organization initially opposed the film but later endorsed it after seeing the respectful portrayal of actual athletes. Several cast members were real competitors.
US
