Looking for a date film that adds a bit of cheer to your day? Then go no further than Fever Pitch, a pleasant comedy set in baseball adoring Boston. The latest directorial effort from brothers Bobby and Peter Farrelly, this conventional comedy marks an appealing course correction for the notorious pair, known primarily for their crude humor.
A young boy, Ben, learns to love and even worship the Boston Red Sox through his maniacal uncle. As a young man, Ben (Jimmy Fallon) is a grade school math teacher who meets corporate executive and math expert, Lindsey Meeks (Drew Barrymore), who in turn finds herself attracted to Ben. Pretty soon, the two begin a promising relationship that seems headed for bliss until Fallon reveals a deep seeded issue. Inheriting his uncle’s passion for and season tickets to the Red Sox home games will do that. It seems that Ben is a crazed, frenzied Bosox fan to the bitter end despite their history of near championship misses courtesy, they say, of the Bambino’s (Babe Ruth) curse. He plays a ‘man-boy’ who has never quite grown when it comes to the baseball season. As Lindsey vies for an important promotion, her schedule and Fallon’s summer schedules are at odds. While she does attend a number of home games with her beau, it puts a strain on her work, and things come to a head. Will she lose her promotion or will he give up baseball? Will true love win out?
The script by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel (Splash and A League of Their Own) is solid considering it was almost done from scratch by only taking the theme of fan obsession to soccer originally written by Nick Hornby and transplanting it from Europe to America’s pastime. The film does a good job of briefly skimming over Red Sox lore and bringing the uninitiated up to date on the Red Sox saga and of the excitement and frenzy that is baseball. Although we get a cursory sketch of Lindsey’s work place, Ben’s fandom is legend as his close friends and stadium section form a sort of family and ‘safe’ area for him. You know his apartment is brimming with Red Sox souvenirs and paraphernalia. It is amusing how real life baseball faces are interspersed throughout the story. We see Ben as a kid watching an older version of the Sox team, and there is Dennis Eckersley before he will go on to glory with the Oakland A’s. Later we see cameos by the current crop of players like Johnny Damon and Trot Nixon. Even news broadcasts features recognizable reporters from ESPN, and an amusing broadcast booth featuring rival anchors, Tim McCarver and Harold Reynolds.
For a decade, the Farrelly brothers specialized in outrageous, popular comedies such as There’s Something About Mary, Dumb and Dumber, and the underrated Shallow Hal. Just as the Weitz brothers have graduated from the raunchy American Pie films to such legitimate projects as About a Boy (coincidentally another Hornby source novel), The Farrelly brothers have attempted a similar transition. Their style is actually suited for this type of comedy. They are adept as visual humor and are able to instill some nice sight gags along the way. The Farrelly trademark themes are still in place-protagonists who have apparent, physical limitations who are trying to find themselves. In this case, the defect or aberration is being a hardcore sports fan. (It could easily be any obsession or passion.) The protagonist has friends who chastise and criticize him, but ultimately care and will come to his aid. That helps make this a better film than standard comedies. Even the smallest of relationships add a little bit to this film. As always, the Farrellys make good use of pop oldies in the soundtrack.
Jimmy Fallon has found the perfect vehicle for his talents. He fares better here than his embarrassing turn in Taxi. It proves that when given good material and competent direction, he is actually entertaining. At first you think his performance may stumble and fall, but that never happens. In a climactic scene with Barrymore, he shows a bit more range; he can act! It has been suggested that Adam Sandler could easily have done this role, and while that is true, Fallon and Barrymore have good onscreen chemistry and make a cute couple. Drew has mined this territory before, but she does romantic comedies well. She is a natural. James Sikking (late of tv’s Hill Street Blues) plays her quirky dad, and Jo Beth Williams plays her mom, and what a difference a decade or two makes! Has it been that long since she starred in The Big Chill and Poltergeist?
By now, it is well documented that the film changed its ending because of the against all odds, surprising World Series win by the Red Sox in 2004. It really is hard to write a script that mirrors the Red Sox improbable return from oblivion, but the film is strong enough not to suffer from this comparison. The theatrical release is quite timely as the 2005 baseball season begins, and memories of the Red Sox comeback are still fresh. Scenes of actual baseball games are interspersed throughout the film and serve as a background as title cards mark each month with a subtitle on the season’s fortunes. The Farrellys know this territory well being true Red Sox fans. Ironically Fallon is a Yankees fan.
This is not highbrow material, but the kind of uplifting, romantic comedy that usually does well. As the heavyweight blockbusters of summer approach, Fever Pitch is a modest, ideal vehicle to ring in the spring movie season.
*** of **** stars
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