The Perfect Catch (2005)
"Fever Pitch" (original title)

Lindsay is stuck in the middle of her relationship with Ben and his passion for the Boston Red Sox.

Directors:

Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly

Writers:

Lowell Ganz (screenplay), Babaloo Mandel (screenplay),

Stars:

Drew Barrymore, Jimmy Fallon, Jason Spevack

9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Drew Barrymore	...	Lindsey
Jimmy Fallon	...	Ben
Jason Spevack	...	Ben - 1980
Jack Kehler	...	Al
Scott Severance	...	Artie (as Scott H. Severance)
Jessamy Finet	...	Teresa (as Jessamy R. Finét)
Maureen Keiller	...	Viv
Lenny Clarke	...	Uncle Carl
Ione Skye	...	Molly
KaDee Strickland	...	Robin
Marissa Jaret Winokur	...	Sarah
Evan Helmuth	...	Troy
Brandon Craggs	...	Casey
Brett Murphy	...	Ryan
Isabella Fink	...	Audrey

Storyline

When relaxed and charming Ben Wrightman meets workaholic Lindsey Meeks she finds him sweet and charming, they hit it off and when it is winter Ben can spend every waking hour with Lindsey, but when summer comes around the corner Lindsey discovers Ben's obsession with the Boston Red Sox. She thinks it is perfect until everything goes downhill for them.

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Plot Keywords:

boston red sox | ups | promotion | world series | acting | 

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Taglines:

A Comedy About The Game Of Love.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, and some sensuality

Details

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 April 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Perfect Catch

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$294,166 (Brazil) (2 September 2005)

Gross:

$381,445 (Brazil) (9 September 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox 2000 Pictures, Flower Films (II), Wildgaze Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Opening Day sequence was filmed on 4 September 2004 with Stephen King throwing out the first pitch; the Red Sox lost that game, ending a ten-game winning streak and King was blamed for it in the Boston Globe.

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Goofs

During game 4 of the ALCS while it is showing Ben, in the background we can hear an announcement for the Yankees' John Olerud. Olerud did not play at all during that game.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Al: [voice over] Eighty-six years of bangin' our heads against the big green wall, but we finally did it. That part you know. That part everybody knows. But I got a story you don't know. It's about this schoolteacher friend of mine named Ben.

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Crazy Credits

Following the credits, there is a short home-video-like clip of 4 children cheering on the Red Sox.

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Connections

References SportsCenter (1979)

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Soundtracks

"As We Walk to Fenway Park in Boston Town"
(2005)
Written and Performed by Jonathan Richman
Courtesy of Vapor Records

User Reviews

This baseball film stays in the Park

"Fever Pitch" shows what obsessions or deep passions can do to a relationship when both partners don't share the same thing or at least at the same level. Ben (Jimmy Fallon) is a devout Red Sox fan. He is a fanatic. He goes to every game, his apartment looks like a Fenway Park gift shop, and he goes to Florida every spring to watch the team play in spring training when the games don't count. Lindsey (Drew Barrymoore) is a young executive on her way up in the real world and is more or less married to her job. When the two of them eventually go out on their first date, she gets really sick, and he stays the night and takes care of her. This blows her away and she is sold. The relationship is full steam ahead, but the problem is that it's wintertime and baseball season hasn't gotten started yet. She doesn't know what she is in for.

Naturally, the Red Sox get in the way. Lindsey tries to be a good sport about it and even tries to learn the game and the two of them actually start going to games together and she becomes a fan as well. But things get out of hand when the team gets closer and closer to the playoffs and thats when problems arise.

"Fever Pitch" is cute, sweet, and has some funny moments. Jimmy Fallon is well cast and Drew Barrymoore isn't as annoying as she normally is. But there isn't anything really special about this film. Much of the arc in this film is very conventional and everyone already knows how the season turns out. Let's face it. Romantic comedies really need to be original or have something different to them to escape many of the typical clichés in this genre. At least it didn't take place in Manhattan like most of these films. "Fever Pitch" would make a nice rental and its a pretty good date film. (***)