Fever
Pitch is a romantic comedy from those wacky Farrelly Brothers (There’s Something
About Mary, Dumb and Dumber etc.), but surprisingly, it’s very tame and subdued
in tone. There isn’t an ounce of bodily fluid to be found in the picture,
and half way through, I began questioning whether or not the Farrelly’s actually
directed this. But then I also questioned whether or not Paul Weitz (American
Pie) actually directed About a Boy. In both cases, these film makers have opted
to trade in audacious, in your face humor for laughs that come from the heart.
In
Fever Pitch, Jimmy Fallon plays Ben, a lovable high school teacher with a rabid
obsession for the Boston Red Sox (even if the underachieving team does seem to
self destruct at the worst of times). Drew Barrymore is Lindsey, a sweet, career-minded
woman who's so consumed by her job, that she hasn’t much time for romance.
When these two gentle-hearted individuals meet they quickly fall for each other,
but soon, Ben’s lifelong addiction to the Red Sox threatens their blossoming
relationship.
It
took me a while to warm up to Jimmy Fallon. I always sort of felt like he was
riding on Adam Sandler’s coat tails. I mean the guy gets his start singing
dopey little songs on Saturday Night Live and now here he's co-starring with Drew
Barrymore in a movie. Thankfully, he’s rebounded nicely from the joyless
ride that was Taxi, and creates a likable sports fanatic in Ben. Even when he’d
rather attend a Red Sox game than escort his girlfriend to London for a weekend,
we can understand why, because Fallon makes us feel his passion for the team.
Drew Barrymore is simply charming as Lindsay, and she makes us feel sympathy for
her plight as well. It is perfectly understandable that she would be upset that
Ben would rather attend a baseball game than spend a weekend with her. It is their
predicament that makes Fever Pitch most interesting. The romance factor and laugh-count
take a back seat to this much more interesting plot development. And on a quick
cast side note, I must say, it was cool seeing JoBeth Williams (Poltergeist) in
a film again. While her role as Lindsay’s mother is a small one, I enjoyed
her nonetheless.
Fever
Pitch is surprisingly edgy even if, at it’s heart, it’s your typical
date movie. The screenplay was written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel (Parenthood),
and based on the novel by Nick Hornby (High Fidelity), and doesn’t shy away
from a few candid themes that most of us can identify with. Ben’s love for
baseball is deep rooted and not something Lindsay can easily understand, just
as Lindsay’s work ethic is something that Ben can’t entirely understand.
The question is, can these two love birds find a middle ground?
Speaking
from personal experience, I can say "no" to baseball (although it should
be dually noted that I’m a huge Chicago Cubs fan – talk about underachievers)
but movie and film based events are tougher for me to say no to. If I have an
addiction, it’s for movies, and lucky for me, I have an incredibly understanding
wife. Suffice it to say, we’ve found middle ground in our own lives. Actually,
I’m first to admit that she quite often bends to accommodate my movie habit.
The point is, relationships are about compromise. You really have to work at them,
and that’s where Fever Pitch gets things right. It explores this particular
theme in a way I don’t think I’ve ever seen in a movie before.
The
Boston Red Sox backdrop is a perfect one, particularly given their Cinderella
season last year. To call their championship run magical would be a gross understatement,
and the entire aura this magic brings to the movie, really elevates the proceedings.
For
those of you who aren’t fans of baseball, take heart. You don’t have
to be a fan of the sport to enjoy Fever Pitch. It isn’t a movie about baseball.
It’s really film about love and what people might be willing to sacrifice
(or compromise) to obtain it.
Fever
Pitch is far from perfect. It isn’t exactly a laugh per second, and anyone
who can’t see where the movie is headed, must not be familiar with the romantic
comedy. Still, I give Fever Pitch props for it’s insight into what might
drive someone to love something so much that they’d do nearly anything for
it. Lucky for Ben, he might just get to have his cake and eat it too.
