It's not what you expect

Rating: 8/10 (8 December 2013)

I reluctantly started watching this on TV, assuming it was going to be a really stupid, low-brow, exploitive and unfunny movie. The first part of the movie does nothing to change that impression. But as it evolves into the Special Olympics, it becomes apparent that some of the actors have Down's syndrome. It also appears that some of the others may also be "Special." The movie takes a turn from the silly and stupid, to being a humorous but respectful treatment of the participants in the Special Olympics. The humor is not particularly heavy-handed, even if it isn't particularly intellectual, but the subject matter is very well handled, and the movie is uplifting, if a little predictable and maudlin. I'd still recommend it, if only for the joy of seeing the actors succeed in creating a movie that must have made participating in the Special Olympics seem a walk in the park. Congratulations to everyone who had anything to do with producing or acting in this. I only regret that I didn't see this in the theater, so that I could support those that created it.