Fever Pitch (2005) Movie Info
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | Fever Pitch (2005) |
| Director | Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly |
| Screenplay Writer | Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel |
| Based on Novel by | Nick Hornby |
| Lead Actors | Drew Barrymore, Jimmy Fallon |
| Cast | Drew Barrymore, Jimmy Fallon, Jason Spevack, Jack Kehler, Maureen Keiller, Ione Skye, Evan Jones, Willie Garson |
| Genre | Comedy, Romance, Sport |
| Release Date | April 8, 2005 (United States) |
| Duration | 1h 44m (104 minutes) |
| Budget | ~$30 million |
| Language | English |
| Country | United States |
| Box Office (Worldwide) | ~$50.6 million |
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Summary
Successful Boston career woman Lindsay falls for Ben, a public school teacher from the area. The two hit it off until she discovers his true passion is the Red Sox baseball club. Will their relationship survive?
Review
As a reasonably sensitive guy and one who has watched an inordinate amount of romantic comedies in the past year, I could handle this film. As a Boston Red Sox follower and supporter, I strongly disliked it. The premise of the film is believable enough and the characters are likable, but only until the Red Sox angle is forced upon us. Lindsay (Barrymore) is a young workaholic juggling two important things her career and personal life. Successful as Lindsay may be professionally, she is still struggling to find who she is as a person. Ben (Fallon) is a high school teacher and Sox fanatic whose two loves, baseball and Lindsay, will eventually clash. This is all well and good, as the characters create decent chemistry and some amusing moments. Unfortunately, the movie’s good qualities stop right there.
It’s clear that the Farrelly Brothers were intent on adapting Nick Hornby’s novel about an obsessed British soccer fan to fit their beloved Red Sox, but failed to work out any kinks. If he weren’t making a killing in royalties, Hornby would be rolling over in his grave upon seeing this adaptation. Fans take to the streets in celebration of a regular season victory, yet the team’s World Series triumph is glossed over? Give me a break.
The entirely unnecessary conclusion is actually fitting, though, given what preceded it. Most scenes involving Ben’s obsession with the team are laughably contrived. Early on, he extolls the Sox as the love of his life in a forced diatribe you would never hear from a real person. Later in the film, a jaded Ben watches a tape of Bill Buckner’s ’86 World Series error over and over again. Come on. This isn’t a Red Sox fan. It’s a poorly concocted caricature of a fan played marginally by Jimmy Fallon. For anything more than borderline romantic comedy fun, Fever Pitch strikes out looking.
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