The Farrelly brothers have brought us a new romantic comedy with the film Fever Pitch. The story starts out simple enough, with a boy and a girl starting to fall for each other. They bridge the gap between the differences in their jobs (one is a high-rising executive type and the other a school teacher), and soon find themselves intertwined in a romance that is giving both of them what they have always been looking for. Lindsey Meeks and Ben seem like they could be the perfect couple, but something just doesn't seem right to Lindsey's friends. How can a guy as perfect as Ben still be out on the market after all this time, and why hasn't he been scooped up by some other woman already? Theories abound about what his "secret" could be, and when it comes out, Lindsey doesn't really seem to care. For Ben's deep, dark secret, is that he is a die-hard Boston Red Sox fan.

Jimmy Fallon plays the role of Ben, who during the baseball season is completely enveloped in everything associated with the Boston Red Sox. When they aren't playing, he comes off as a better than average guy who is sweet, caring, and always there when people need him. Lindsey, on the other hand, is a woman consumed by work. She sees her only goals as getting that next promotion, and dedicates all of her free time to the pursuit of earning more money. It would seem that the two are in stark contrast to each other when we first see them, but when one asks the other out, it becomes something more than either of them has expected. The romance grows throughout the Winter months, and families are met along the way. It seems like Lindsey has found her perfect man, and even when she knows he is a big time Red Sox fan, she is still in love with him.

Ben is an addict though, and refuses to ever miss a Red Sox game, which is more than Lindsey had expected. Of course the story becomes whether a relationship can work where one person is so dedicated to a "game." Jimmy Fallon is really good in his role as Ben, and at times it seems like he had found the perfect role to be a part of. Unfortunately, I don't think that he was given enough freedom with this role, and instead of being downright hilarious, the character of Ben just ended up being funny. The Farrelly brothers did an all right job of directing the film, but I think if they had focused more on the comedic aspects of the film they could have created something even better here. The second problem is with the relationship of Ben and Lindsey. Lindsey is played by Drew Barrymore, and she has become a staple in romantic comedies, so we know she can do this. But, again, the direction and writing has led her astray, and we end up watching a relationship between two characters that just doesn't grow in a fashion that it should.

Fever Pitch is definitely a romantic comedy where you end up cheering for the two main characters to work out there differences and end up together. However, some of the believability factor between Ben and Lindsey hooking up, and even staying together was lost on me in the film. Not enough time was spent on fostering a relationship between the two of them, because the story tried to focus too much on proving to us that Ben indeed was a Red Sox addict. A few empty laughs took place where they could have developed a stronger story, and I think the movie really ended up suffering for it. Fallon is really good in his role, Barrymore is adequate, but in the end, the story just comes off as being average with a few very funny moments interspersed. Fever Pitch doesn't stand out from other romantic comedies, and will soon be forgotten, but if you are in the mood for something light and fun, then this might be a good rental to pick up and watch with your significant other.





Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD