'Fever Pitch builds romance around Red Sox

I’ve grown up obsessing over three major diversions of modern life: rock ‘n’ roll music, movies and baseball. While an avowed St. Louis Cardinals fan, I really love the game itself and would have been happy last year had the Cubs and the Red Sox gone head to head in the World Series.

As it was, the Cardinals faced the Red Sox. Many diehard Cardinals fans really didn’t hold much of a grudge when the Sox finally broke the 86-year “Curse of the Bambino” and beat the Cards four straight.

On the heels of that real-life drama comes Peter and Bobby Farrelly’s latest film, “Fever Pitch.” In this “Americanized” remake (the original, starring Colin Firth, was made in 1997), soccer has been replaced by baseball, and the team beloved by the film’s leading man is the Boston Red Sox.

Based on the novel by Nick Hornby – who addressed his passion for pop music in the successful novel and film “High Fidelity” – “Fever Pitch” is an OK romantic comedy. But it’s a far cry from the Farrellys’ usual lowbrow fare, such as “There’s Something About Mary,” “Dumb and Dumber” and “Stuck on You.” As a matter of fact, nowhere in the previews or the ads is the Farrelly name invoked.

While using the magical 2004 Red Sox season as a backdrop, “Fever Pitch” really isn’t a “baseball” movie per se but is rooted firmly in the romantic comedy realm.

Jimmy Fallon (late of “Saturday Night Live”) plays Ben, a high school math teacher who is much beloved by his students. While taking a select group on a field trip he encounters Lindsey (Drew Barrymore), a power player who crunches numbers for a high-profile consulting firm. Sparks fly and Ben asks Lindsey for a date. Things seem to be on the right track despite the misgivings of Lindsey’s gal pals who figure there has to be something wrong with a man who is 30 and still unattached.

Lindsey can’t find the flaw, but keep in mind, it’s still the off season.

As opening day approaches things start falling into place. First Lindsey sees Ben on ESPN at Red Sox training camp. He ranks, in order of importance, “the Red Sox, sex and breathing” as the three biggest things in his life.

Lindsey is soon reminded that the word “fan” is short for “fanatic,” and her Ben is nothing if not a Red Sox fanatic.

Lindsey tries her best to cope with Ben’s obsession, but the final straw comes when he declines her spur-of-the-moment invitation to accompany her to Paris. Lindsey also reveals she may be pregnant.

“Fever Pitch” goes strictly by the book of romantic comedy formula, which means that after boy meets and gets girl, boy loses girl. But in this case, boy also gets pennant, league championship and a trip to the World Series.

As the season draws to a close, Ben begins to re-evaluate his priorities. Much to the horror of his friends and fellow fans – who have been sitting together at Fenway Park for decades – Ben decides to sell his coveted season ticket rights to the husband of one of Lindsey’s friends.

The climax occurs as the Series comes to an end. The fate of the Red Sox is a matter of record, and anyone remotely familiar with this type of film will most likely guess the fate of the star-crossed main characters.

Fallon has always been bearable – if somewhat self-satisfied – on “SNL.” After last year’s dismal “Taxi,” he had nowhere to go but up, and he does a credible job as a romantic lead. Besides his relationship with Barrymore, Fallon seems at ease and believable in his scenes with Ben’s math students.

Barrymore, besides starring in “Fever Pitch,” is the film’s top-billed executive producer. She’s a true Hollywood survivor and knows a thing or two about curses. The “Barrymore Curse” is as well known in Hollywood as the “Curse of the Bambino” is in baseball circles.

Since cleaning up her act, Barrymore has done well for herself. She has that intangible likeability factor that so many actors wish they possessed, and her company, Flower Films, has overseen a number of interesting movies.

There’s no new ground broken here. The original film was a better one.

That said, “Fever Pitch” is a “chick movie” that guys might like because of the baseball angle.

Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.