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

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 April 1997 (UK)

Also Known As:

Ballfieber

Filming Locations:

Arsenal Stadium, Highbury, London, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,519, 17 October 1999, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$13,600, 17 September 2000

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

First of three films that Colin Firth and Neil Pearson would be in, but never share a scene.

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Goofs

The final game of the season at Anfield kicked off at 8:05pm, it was nearly 10pm and dark by the time the match had finished (as you can see from the actual footage of the game) yet when the celebrations are going on back at Highbury it's still light.

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Quotes

Sarah Hughes: I don't think that Arsenal's home form is a sturdy enough basis for marriage and parenthood, do you?
Paul Ashworth: No. Not even this season.

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Connections

Version of Fever Pitch (2005)

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Soundtracks

I Started Something I Couldn't Finish
Music by Johnny Marr and lyrics by Morrissey
Performed by The Smiths

User Reviews

A most personal film

For me this is one of the most personal films ever made.I was at all of the games at Highbury shown in the film.The celebrations take place outside the entrance to the West Stand where i have been entering for the past 45 years.The school at which Colin Firth is teaching was my school.I even saw it in the Odeon Muswell Hill which is just one minute from the school,and of course that night.who will ever forget that night.I remember it so vividly as if it happened yesterday.To me the sheer brilliance of the book and the film is that Hornby manages to bring to life the dreams we live together.It doesn't matter if you support Arsenal or any other team the dreams are just the same.I was in a local book shop the other day when i saw a later version of the book.I sat down and read the new pages and they were as real to me as if i had been sitting next to Hornby at the time that he wrote them.