Fever Pitch

I went to see Fever Pitch with my Mom, and I can say that we both loved it. It wasn't the typical romantic comedy where someone is pining for the other, and blah blah blah... You weren't waiting for the climatic first kiss or for them to finally get together. It was more real, because you saw them through the relationship, rather than the whole movie be about them getting together. People could actually relate to the film, because it didn't seem like extraordinary circumstances, or impossible situations. It was really funny, and I think it was Jimmy Fallon's best performance. All in all... I would definitely recommend it!

The Farrelly brothers, Bobby and Peter, are at it again. With "Fever Pitch" the creators of other films that have dealt with a lot of gross themes, abandon that tactic when they decided to bring Nick Hornby's film to the screen, something that it would have been hard to do. The novel, of the same title, dealt with a man's obsession with soccer, since it is set in England, where that sport consumes most of British sports fans. It's to the credit of the writing team of Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandell, to transform the book into a language that would appeal to most Americans, when they make their hero, a Boston Red Sox fan.

"Fever Pitch" is a film that presents an obsessive fan, Ben Wrightly, whose life revolves into the Red Sox season, and who is an eighth grade teacher with uncanny ways for involving his students into the subject he tries to teach them. When Ben takes four of his best pupils for a tour of a local firm, he meets, and falls hopelessly in love with the brainy Lindsey Meeks, a young woman who is going places, but at thirty, has no life of her own.

The story follows the two lovers through the ritual of attending the Red Sox, at home games, in Fenway Park. This team's fans are probably the most loyal people in the world, having stuck with a team that does marvelous things but, until 2004, never won a World Series. In fact, the ending, from what we heard, had to be changed because that was the year in which they finally won the event that had eluded them for eighty six years! Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon are perfect as the couple at the center of the film. Ms. Barrymore is a natural who always surprises in her appearances in front of the camera. Jimmy Fallon, a popular television comedian, turned movie actor, has a better opportunity here than in his last appearance in "Taxi", in our humble opinion.

The Farrelly brothers film will satisfy their fans as well as baseball fans with this baseball tale.

Fever Pitch is a fun enough movie. It has a lot of funny moments (including a hilariously disturbing shower scene). Like most romantic comedies, it has a "dead zone" in the middle where all the heavy, "she's breaking up with me" stuff happens, but other than that it continues to be funny until the end.

Even though the plot revolves around fanaticism towards the Red Sox, it's not overloaded with sports. You don't have to be a fan to enjoy this film.

Of course that's easy for me to say: I've been a Red Sox fan since I was a boy, too.

7 out of 10.

Barky

My daughter gets really put out at me when I refer to Drew Barrymore as looking as if she'd been hit in the face with a frying pan, not to mention her Dudley Dooright chin that Jay Leno would die for. How wonderful, then, when I discovered in "Fever Pitch" that I really like Miss Barrymore; and Jimmy Fallon; and the Red Sox; and Boston! This film is probably best characterized as a sweet, light comedy. To be absolutely stereotypical, the girls will like the movie for its romantic charm and Jimmy Fallon's vulnerability, and the boys will like it for all the male bonding and the depiction of sports mania.

My sports-hating wife, my teenage daughter, and I all found something to like in the film. That says something in itself. It's a pleasant way to spend an hour and a half or so, and is probably a really good date flic, too.

"Fever Pitch" shows what obsessions or deep passions can do to a relationship when both partners don't share the same thing or at least at the same level. Ben (Jimmy Fallon) is a devout Red Sox fan. He is a fanatic. He goes to every game, his apartment looks like a Fenway Park gift shop, and he goes to Florida every spring to watch the team play in spring training when the games don't count. Lindsey (Drew Barrymoore) is a young executive on her way up in the real world and is more or less married to her job. When the two of them eventually go out on their first date, she gets really sick, and he stays the night and takes care of her. This blows her away and she is sold. The relationship is full steam ahead, but the problem is that it's wintertime and baseball season hasn't gotten started yet. She doesn't know what she is in for.

Naturally, the Red Sox get in the way. Lindsey tries to be a good sport about it and even tries to learn the game and the two of them actually start going to games together and she becomes a fan as well. But things get out of hand when the team gets closer and closer to the playoffs and thats when problems arise.

"Fever Pitch" is cute, sweet, and has some funny moments. Jimmy Fallon is well cast and Drew Barrymoore isn't as annoying as she normally is. But there isn't anything really special about this film. Much of the arc in this film is very conventional and everyone already knows how the season turns out. Let's face it. Romantic comedies really need to be original or have something different to them to escape many of the typical clichés in this genre. At least it didn't take place in Manhattan like most of these films. "Fever Pitch" would make a nice rental and its a pretty good date film. (***)