If you can't get to the movies, just watch the trailers

It's Friday, and that would be movie night if you weren't tied down with kids who do not go with babysitters easily or fatigue that pins you to the sofa after dinnertime. As consolation, take a few moments today to watch online trailers of a couple of films of interest to parents of children with special needs. "The Kid & I," which opened last weekend, tells the semi-true story of a young man with cerebral palsy (Eric Gores) whose father (Joe Mantegna) bankrolls an action picture for him to star in. Tom Arnold costars as a washed-up actor who's tapped to write, direct and costar. "The Ringer," from the Farrelly brothers, stars Johnny Knoxville as a loser who tries to fix the Special Olympics. The movie, which opens two days before Christmas, sounds plenty offensive, but the Special Olympics organization participated in and strongly endorses the film, as does the National Down Syndrome Society, so who knows. Until the film makes its way to DVD and cable for all us homebound viewers, we'll have to take their word for it.