Fever Pitch (2005)

3 stars out of 4

The Bottom Line:

Though the film admittedly works a lot better if the viewer is a baseball fan or at least knows a lot about the game, Fever Pitch is nonetheless recommended for its suprisingly good performance by Jimmy Fallon, warm romance and consistently amusing comedy. December 21, 2008

I'm a Yankees fan, but that's okay

The first time I saw this movie, my college roommate and I had rented this movie. We popped in the movie, watched it, then promptly started it over again. Tragically, I later lost the copy I purchased and had to resort to good ol' Amazon.com.

Anywho, this is truly one delightful movie and I happily consider it one of my favorite romantic comedies. "Fever Pitch" is sweet, funny, and packs a pretty darn good message about relationships and priorities. Fallon and Barrymore have wonderful chemistry. The story balances detailed side characters without going overboard. In fact, all the characters are properly quirky. The film flows well with plenty of romance and laughs, and who can resist that overall devotion to the spirit of baseball?

Though at times I am one of those geeks that has to have every little detail on the DVD, I'm quite happy with the bare essentials this has--including a trailor and various documentaries. It's all done very well and kept in the same spirit of the movie itself.

This is a handy little DVD, and the movie should appeal to baseball fanatics and hopeless romantics alike. August 18, 2008

Yankee fan likes a Red Sox movie?

I am a true Yankee fan and although the Red Sox are now our biggest rivals I still enjoyed this movie. I had to close my eyes at the end for a few seconds when they showed the Red Sox comeback in the AL Championship series.

Because the Red Sox our biggest American League rival people think it was always that way. But it wasn't. When I grew up in the 1950s the Red Sox had great hitters like Ted Williams and Pete Runnels. But they were never a contender. The Yankees rivals were the Indians and White Sox, the only two teams to beat them out for the American League pennant. But those rivalries were nothing compared to the Brooklyn Dodger vs New York Yankee rivarly that develop when they meet in the World Series 4 times in the decade.

In this movie Jimmy Fallon meets Drew Barrymore and falls in love with her. But this happens in the winter and the true Red Sox fanaticism doesn't really come until baseball season. She gets a hint when she see how his apartment looks like Fenway Park. But the true understanding doesn't hit until she see him with friends on ESPN while they were down in Florida watching for the new prospects.

The theme of the story is all about her finding time for a man in her life and we see how this very succesful woman is embarrassed when she is caught sleeping on the job. For Fallon it is about finding time for her with his busy schedule attendiing Red Sox games. He inherited two season tickets and before the season starts he and his friends get to decide who gets to go with him for these games. With Drew in his life he picks her to go with him to the most important games. One day he had to miss a game for a dinner appointment with her parents.

The last straw seems to be when he hesitates about taking a trip with her to Paris because the Sox would be in town. In the end he is depressed and decides to sell his tickets and show her that he would give up the Red Sox for her. If you go see it watch how it plays out. It is very funny and romantic.

For me the most interesting part was that it was filmed during the 2004 season and so as they filmed the outcome was in doubt because it hinged on how the Red Sox would do. The soap opera story of the Red Sox being humiliated in game 3 of the AL Championship Series, then being down with no wins and three losses even their die hard fans were throwing in the towel. After all no team in the history of the playoffs and World series had ever comeback down 3-0 to win a 7 game series. But in Hollywood fashion they did. That gave them the impetus to reverse thecurse and sweeo the Cardinals in the World Series. Fallon and Barrymore actually attended some of the games and were filmed there.

This film is good for men and women. Men love it for the baseball and an undersanding of how serious fans can be about their team. Women love it for the romance, a real chick flick. July 19, 2008

Part Baseball Movie, Part Romantic Comedy

There are two stories in Fever Pitch: one) the city of Boston's love/hate relationship with their Red Sox and two) a romance between a diehard Red Sox fan and a yuppie woman.

While some of the plot is a bit formulaic, the chemistry between Drew and Jimmy was fantastic. I found this a bit surprising, since to a certain degree, Jimmy Fallon was pretty much playing Jimmy Fallon. However, I think Drew Barrymore really makes a great effort in this role: you could tell she has come a long way in some of her "romantic" roles. Because the two characters have vastly different lives, they have to make sacrifices and accommodations in their own lives, especially when they begin to fall for each other.

You can probably forgive the fantasy ending. It is a movie after all? Romantic comedies have a way of suspending belief just like action films sometimes.

This movie is a winner in the end, though, because I think that it is a great baseball fan movie. You will love the fantastic scenery of Fenway Park. It is also a great romantic comedy, something light without too much "mushiness." There is a lot of wittiness in Fallon's character that give it the light edge. Maybe guys and gals will both agree on this one.
June 28, 2008

Great viewing! Don't miss

This movie has it all: comedy, sports, love story, and it's all wrapped around a true event. One of the best ever, and anyone over 12 can see it. Seen it 2-3 times, and I never, ever watch movies more than once. June 26, 2008

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