Underneath, This Has A Sweet Tone To It

Rating: 9/10 (22 March 2007)

A typical modern-day comedy so some of its crudeness with sexual innuendos or remarks, but overall this is a full notch or two above most because underneath it is a soft, good- hearted feel to it. It's also a nice vehicle for a positive image to be presented for mentally- challenged people (formerl called "retards"). Those guys are as much of stars in this film as actors Johnny Knoxville and Katherine Heigl.
Knoxville plays the main character, "Steve Barker," a guy for (for good reasons, if that's possible) fakes being "handicapped" and enters The Special Olympics. He is hoping to win a big monetary prize to help pay for a friend's surgery and to help out his degenerate uncle who could be killed if he doesn't pay gamblers what he owes. Brian Cox plays "Uncle Gary." Both the man who needs the surgery ("Stavi," played by Luis Avalos) and Cox are hilarious in their roles, one being sympathetic and the other sleazy.
Along the way, Knoxville falls in love with Special Olympics worker "Lynn Sheridan" (Heigl). Hey, who wouldn't? This woman is unbelievably attractive and plays a good-hearted character.
Most of the funny lines in the movie are delivered by the Special Olympics athletes. Unrealistic? Yes, credibility is not high in that regard as as 99.9 percent of all the world's population would't be clever enough to deliver some of these lines but they are a hoot to hear. The fact you hear them uttered by "mentally-challenged" folks makes it even more outrageous and funny, of course. I can't remember how many times I just laughed out loud at something being said.
And, the film ends on a nigh note despite our hero being discovered as a fraud. The whole story is just a lot of a fun and is truly a feel-good film when it's all over. Highly recommended, but not for small kids because of the language.