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

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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Goofs

When, as a child, Paul Ashworth goes to see the Reading FC game, the Reading FC Club Badge on the rosette of the supporters is the one which did not come into being until around the 1987-1988 season. The badge that should have been worn in the 1970s, when the match took place, was the old style 'Elm Trees' badge.

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Quotes

Paul Ashworth: [after Robert missed the goal at the end of the game] If you had to choose between wining this afternoon and Arsenal winning tomorrow night, what would you go for?
Robert: Tomorrow night of course!
Paul Ashworth: There you go then.
Robert: What, you're telling me, Arsenal are gonna win two nil at Anfield?
Paul Ashworth: I can't promise, can I? Well there's a, chance isn't there? You've done your bit, you've missed the penalty. If that's what it takes then it'll be worth it.
Robert: Yeah, course.
[smiles]

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Connections

Remade as Fever Pitch (2005)

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Soundtracks

Baba O'Riley
Written by Pete Townshend
Performed by The Who

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.