Fever Pitch (1997)

A sports fan's romantic courtship clashes with his obsession with his favorite football team.

Director:

David Evans

Writers:

Nick Hornby (book), Nick Hornby (screenplay)

Stars:

Colin Firth, Ruth Gemmell, Luke Aikman

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Luke Aikman	...	Young Paul
Bea Guard	...	Paul's Sister
Neil Pearson	...	Paul's Dad
Ruth Gemmell	...	Sarah Hughes
Colin Firth	...	Paul Ashworth
Richard Claxton	...	Robert Parker
Ken Stott	...	Ted, the Headmaster
Holly Aird	...	Jo
Mark Strong	...	Steve
Lorraine Ashbourne	...	Paul's Mum
Peter Quince	...	Chip Shop: Frank
Charles Cork	...	Rex
Bob Curtiss	...	Stan
Philip Bond	...	Turnstile Operator
Scott Baker	...	Man Behind

Storyline

A romantic comedy about a man, a woman and a football team. Based on Nick Hornby's best selling autobiographical novel, Fever Pitch. English teacher Paul Ashworth believes his long standing obsession with Arsenal serves him well. But then he meets Sarah. Their relationship develops in tandem with Arsenal's roller coaster fortunes in the football league, both leading to a nail biting climax.

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Plot Keywords:

arsenal | teacher | fan | screenplay adapted by author | soccer fan | 

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Taglines:

Life gets complicated when you love one woman and worship eleven men

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Colin Firth and Mark Strong also appear in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) and Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017).

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Goofs

At the leaving party that Ruth Gemmell attends, a Lisa Stansfield song plays in the room. That would not have happened as the track was released six months later.

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Quotes

[Paul's doorbell is buzzing during the last minute of Liverpool v. Arsenal]
Paul Ashworth: [out a window, not really seeing who it is] Will you please, please, please, please, please just fucking FUCK OFF? You have arrived during the worst sixty seconds of my life, and I really don't want to see you.
[the window slams shut. The visitor is revealed to be Sarah]
Paul Ashworth: [to Steve] Why ask? And what sort of berk would do that? You'd just about forgive an alien visitor from the planet Tharg, but even then, you'd have...
[...]

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Connections

References The Jungle Book (1967)

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Soundtracks

Good Thing
Written by Roland Gift and David Steele
Performed by Fine Young Cannibals

User Reviews

On Arsenal underpants, the term "GUNNER" truly fits.

Fantastic. I had the pleasure of going to Highbury (Arsenal Stadium) twice to see the Gunners play in real Premiership clashes against Sheffield Wednesday and Wimbledon, and the soccer fanaticism portrayed in the film is NOT hyperbolized at all. As a Yank, i felt like a right outsider, but i was hooked instantly when i exited the Underground station and was swept away in the program selling, chips devouring, pin swapping, memorabilia peddling madness that is English Football.

Additionally, Fever Pitch is the ONLY modernly set British film i've seen that did not contain a single refference to American culture, film, TV, music, nothing...

A totally home grown Brit flick which (to use an American sporting analogy) hits it out of the park. Shamelessly sublime.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 April 1997 (UK)

Also Known As:

Fever Pitch

Filming Locations:

Arsenal Stadium, Highbury, London, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,093, 17 October 1999

Gross USA:

$3,736

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,736

Company Credits

Production Co:

Channel Four Films, Scala Productions, Wildgaze Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1