The results are a mixed bag, but that's pretty good for any movie with Fallon as a headliner. He was on his way to becoming the world's most annoying actor/comedian. For years, he managed to screw up nearly every SNL sketch he was in because he couldn't keep from laughing, and last year's Taxi made it look like he had no business trying to crossover into movie land. Fever Pitch amounts to a pleasant detour for the man who laughed too much.
Fallon plays schoolteacher Ben, a man afflicted by an abnormal obsession with the Red Sox. (That is, abnormal if you aren't from New England. If you are from that zone, you will probably concur that his obsession is at a normal level.) He meets sweet career mathematician Lindsey (Drew Barrymore) while on a field trip with students, and they soon make their way to dating (Ben and Lindsey, not the students).
All seems to be going well in the dating world as they proceed along at a gingerly pace, enjoying each other's company and accepting each other's quirks. Lindsey learns, little by little, that Ben likes his Sox a lot, but it takes some time before it starts to really irk her. When his obsession with the Sox prevents him from an impromptu Paris trip, things start to get touchy.
As a satire of sport-fan insanity, the film works really well, and Fallon pulls off the role. I especially enjoyed moments such as when season tickets arrived at his home, unveiled in an almost-ceremonial manner among his envious friends. There are a couple of moments where Fallon takes it too far (his ESPN appearance is just stupid), but overall, he's a convincing baseball nut. The Farrellys are apparently rabid Sox fans, so many of the fandom antics feel authentic.
Barrymore does a great job making her feelings for this nutball seem honest and plausible. Her character is a workaholic, so she relishes the chance to be with somebody who doesn't mind her demanding work schedule. When the character starts to get insulted about taking second place to the Sox, Barrymore makes the transition convincing.
The Farrellys calm down for this one, easing up on the crude humor in favor of sweetness. They handle the sweetness fine, but they do get a little too mushy at times. The few moments where they allow their crude humor to come through are precious. Barrymore taking a ball of the head is a thing of beauty.
Of course, Boston won it all last year, which left the Farrellys in a bit of a spot. Their script called for the traditional Boston Red Sox loss, so Johnny Damon and the boys really made life tough on Hollywood. The ending, although a bit outrageous, is handled nicely overall. A couple of years ago, an ending with the Sox winning it all would've been called ludicrous, fantasy instead of history.
While Fever Pitch is nothing to get all that excited about, it has a big heart and qualifies as a decent "feel-good" movie. Fallon manages to get through a movie without driving the average viewer to smashing their face on a theater seat rather than watch him. That's a feat almost greater than the Red Sox taking it all.
