Plot
Blake Pellarin is on the campaign trail to become governor of the state of Missouri. While making a stop in St. Louis, a chance encounter brings his past back to haunt him. Will the truth ruin his chances for office or will he land the "Big Brass Ring"?
Keywords: based-on-short-film, brother, closeted-homosexual, election, gay-interest, homosexuality, identity-swap, independent-film, nudity, remake
You can't buy absolution...What you seek is something that can only be given.
In pursuit of power, the only thing worse than denying the truth - is telling it.
Homeless Man: I thought you were someone else.::Blake: I *am* somebody else.
Dinah: You're fired, Garne.::Garne Strickland: Again?
[first lines]::Kim: Abraham Lincoln said it best: it is common enough that we triumph under adversity, but if you truly wish to test a man's character, give him power.
The Big Brass Ring is a 1999 drama film, starring William Hurt, Nigel Hawthorne, Irene Jacob, Jefferson Mays, and Miranda Richardson (who was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her performance).
The film's script was rewritten from an earlier screenplay by Orson Welles and Oja Kodar by George Hickenlooper and F. X. Feeney; Hickenlooper also directed the film.
A brass ring is a small grabbable ring that a dispenser presents to a carousel rider during the course of a ride. Usually there are a large number of iron rings and one brass one, or just a few. It takes some dexterity to grab a ring from the dispenser as the carousel rotates. The iron rings can be tossed at a target as an amusement. Typically, getting the brass ring gets the rider some sort of prize when presented to the operator. The prize often is a free repeat ride. The phrase to grab the brass ring is derived from this device.
Brass ring devices were developed during the heyday of the carousel in the U.S.—about 1880 to 1921. At one time, the riders on the outside row of horses were often given a little challenge, perhaps as a way to draw interest or build excitement, more often as an enticement to sit on the outside row of horses which frequently did not move up and down and were therefore less enticing by themselves. Most rings were iron, but one or two per ride were made of brass; if a rider managed to grab a brass ring, it could be redeemed for a free ride. References to a literal brass ring go back into the 1890s.
Michael Barnett, better known by his stage name Big Mike, is an American rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was originally a member of Convicts with Houston rapper Mr. 3-2. Its album would be the first of many releases Mike would put out on Houston-based Rap-A-Lot Records. Following the release of the eponymous Convicts, Big Mike impressed the heads of Death Row Records and almost signed with that label before he was called by James Prince and asked to replace Willie D when he left the Geto Boys. He accepted and became a part of the group on its 1993 album Till Death Do Us Part. When Willie D rejoined the group on its next album, he left the group. Big Mike has released five solo albums thus far, Somethin' Serious in 1994, Still Serious in 1997, Hard to Hit in 1999, Keep it Playa in 2006, and Serious as Can Be in 2009. Still Serious was his highest-charting album, peaking at #16 on the Billboard Hot 200.
Solo Albums:
From The New Album Bayou Classic"
With the Convicts:
With the Geto Boys:
By the light of the moon
To a 50's tune
He pledged his love to her
A girl so rare
A girl so fair
The girl for him for sure
He could see himself getting up every mornin'
For the rest of his life
Just to look in those eyes so blue
It was all he ever wanted to do
She was all he'd ever need to see him through
They were still in their teens
When he gave her the ring
They were married late one May
And they moved into a little house
On the far end of town
Out by the big highway
And all through the days
And all through the nights
The cars and trucks rolled on by
And he slept through it all just fine
Every night he slept just fine
Sometimes she'd stare at the stars out the window
Sometimes she'd walk `neath the moon
Sometimes she'd sit there just watching him sleeping
Hoping the dawn would come soon
She'd done well in school
She'd followed the rules
And she'd always stood out from the rest
She'd go off to college
And work her way through
Then move to some city out west
She had it all planned
She'd have her career
She'd have all of the things that she'd always lacked
She'd wake up one morning all packed
And leave here and never look back
Most of her friends thought it soon would be over
Not many thought it would last
Most seemed to think they were all wrong for each other
And soon it would pass - soon it would pass
Now twenty years have gone
And her kids have moved on
And she's still on the far end of town
Her youngest - she's livin' somewhere in L.A.
And her oldest - he works on a nearby farm
Her husband comes home
And they talk over supper
He's usually the first to turn in
Another day comes to an end
Another day just ends
And sometimes in the wee hours when the traffic dies down
She'll hear the sound of some bird on the wing
And she'll look out the window and she'll look at his picture
But not at the ring - not at the ring
[Instrumental]
Lead vocal: eric stewart
Round your finger
Token of the love we give one another
Music of the future that we'll discover
Promises to keep more than any other
Symbolising all that we share
The ring is magic
The ring is power
Like a candle in the dark for everyone to see
The ring is madness
The ring is fire
And it burns with all the brightness of the sun
In a circle
Living in a world of perpetual motion
Turning with the tide of a restless ocean
Spinning on the wheel of your own emotion
Ridin on a wild carrousel
You'll be turning round and round
Round and round we go
Promises, promises, promises, promises
Round your finger
After all the years we've been together
Walking in the sun and stormy weather
Sharing in a moment to last forever
Memories and dreams without end
The ring is magic
The ring is power
And it finds you in the darkness of the night
The ring is madness
The ring is fire
And it guides you when you're blinded by the light
The ring is magic
The ring is power
Like a candle in the dark for all to see
The ring is madness
The ring is fire
And it burns with all the brightness of the sun
The ring is magic, magic, fire, fire
The grey mist ushers in the day.
A beggar walks along the king's highway.
Where does he come from? Who can tell?
They can't escape the gaze they know so well.
The dream came true in far off lands.
He always knew she'd understand.
The march of time her love did wane.
Another's crime played on the lady's pain,
And now the ring shines in her hand.
Who's the stranger with her wedding band?
With faith so true, robbed of his lands
He always knew she'd understand.
The surprising gift given by Freud to his followers
Lead Vocal: Eric Stewart
Round your finger
Token of the love we give one another
Music of the future that we'll discover
Promises to keep more than any other
Symbolising all that we share
The ring is magic
The ring is power
Like a candle in the dark for everyone to see
The ring is madness
The ring is fire
And it burns with all the brightness of the sun
In a circle
Living in a world of perpetual motion
Turning with the tide of a restless ocean
Spinning on the wheel of your own emotion
Ridin on a wild carrousel
You'll be turning round and round
Round and round we go
Promises, promises, promises, promises
Round your finger
After all the years we've been together
Walking in the sun and stormy weather
Sharing in a moment to last forever
Memories and dreams without end
The ring is magic
The ring is power
And it finds you in the darkness of the night
The ring is madness
The ring is fire
And it guides you when you're blinded by the light
The ring is magic
The ring is power
Like a candle in the dark for all to see
The ring is madness
The ring is fire
And it burns with all the brightness of the sun
The ring is magic, magic, fire, fire
The ring is mine
Your hands on the steering wheel
But your steering me wrong
Can't you feel the fear
You know you need to come home
You keep looking up at me
But your keeping me on
Perfect fit, but I'm starting to slip and I hope my grip is strong enough because
You love me
You know it
Don't do this
Don't blow
Can't you see my life is on your hand
You got me wrapped around your finger
If I'm your woman then be a man
Please don't take me off
Your gonna lose my love
Now I'm feeling out of place
How'd I end up in your pocket
I must have been in the way
Of you keeping your promise
Shes running her hand across cheat
And touching the T-Shirt that I bought
I know she feels me close to your heart
And you just play it off
You know that you love me
You love me
You know it
Don't do this
Don't blow it
Can't you see my life is on your hand
You got me wrapped around your finger
If I'm your woman then be a man
Please don't take me off
Your gonna lose my love
Please don't make the biggest Mistake of your life
If you care for me then how come our love on the line
So don't let 5 minutes
Undo our commentments
You made to me when you said I DO
Can't you see my life is on your hand
You got me wrapped around your finger
If I'm your woman then be a man
Please don't take me off
Your gonna lose my love
Can't you see my life is on your hand
You got me wrapped around your finger
If I'm your woman then be a man
Please don't take me off
Your gonna lose my love
Can't you see my life is on your hand
You got me wrapped around your finger
If I'm your woman then be a man
Please don't take me off
Got a call from my old friend
Said she fell in love again
But there's one thing, she should know
Real true love will only grow
Grow like flowers from the rain
Mystery, I can't explain
But this one thing
I can do is layout the facts for you
True love is faithful like spring in April
It is as dependable as time
And it is able to hold on and survive
When other love might say goodbye
If you wanna step to me
You better know one thing
This love I got, you'll never get
Without a wedding ring
If you wanna step to me
You better know one thing
This love I got, you'll never get
Without a wedding ring
Friend called back said can it be
I love him, him love me
But he said, he'll never wed
Rather play the field instead
Fields of taller grassy green
Kind ya find in magazines
Well I said if that be so
By all means then let him go
True love is faithful like spring in April
It is as dependable as time
And it is able to hold on and survive
When other loves might say goodbye
If you wanna step to me
You better know one thing
This love I got, you'll never get
Without a wedding ring
A to the B to the C
Elementary fundamentals is the way, you found me
I was lost, lost as could be
Also blind but now I see
A to the B to the C
Elementary fundamentals is the way, you found me
I was lost, lost as could be
Also blind but now I see
If you wanna step to me
You better know one thing
This love I got, you'll never get
Without a wedding ring
What I got is priceless
What I got is special
What I got is precious
What I got is priceless
What I got is special
What I got is precious
What I got is priceless
What I got is special
What I got is precious
What I got is priceless
What I got is special
What I got is precious
She stares at that ring on her finger
with a far away look in her eyes
She thinks of the memories that linger
of the good days that quickly flew by
And she remembers the day
When a young man would say
that he'd found the love of his life
She gave him her hand and he placed on a band
and asked her if she'd be his wife
And some may value its silver
And some may value its gold
But she knows no greater value
than the memories it holds
She added a stone when the children were born
and her husband now looks down from above
She's lived a good life as a mother and wife
and the ring is a symbol of love
And her friends know when to leave her alone
they can tell she needs time to cry
She stares at that ring on her finger
With this ring I thee wed
A love so fragile made in bed
They say they can take you
Naive love sold lustful schemes
Torn at heart and shattered dreams
They say they can break you
I'm not looking for absolution
For promises I can't keep
Oh lord do you hear me
This time should I fear thee
My deepest fears are close at hand
On this foreign soil of blood and sand
They say they can stake you
My time has come, death's promise to keep
Close your eyes in eternal sleep
They say they can wake you
I won't fight for the father-land
Mother Earth at my feet
Oh lord can you hear me
I need somebody to steer me
With this ring I thee wed
With this ring I thee wed
They say
With this ring
Do I kiss you like you need to be kissed?Miss you like
you need to be missed?
If I do I need you to consider me
If it's all about you baby let me go
You've been around me long enough to know
I need you to
Consider me
I hold you like I need you to hold me
I know what that's worth
For the tide shall take back those not grounded
Faithfully to this earth
I call you like I need you to call me
I do what I say
I show up on time
You back out on me every day
Every single day
We go around and around again
We return where we begin
If the opposite of what you say is true
What am I to you?