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:

younger version of adult narrator | timelines intertwined | accidental pregnancy | broken condom | implied sex | 

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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

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

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Goofs

A woman at a party is given a present and leaves without it, gets in a taxi but she's got no handbag or purse and no pockets in her dress.

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Quotes

Paul Ashworth: Would you like a lift?
Sarah Hughes: You don't know where I live.
Paul Ashworth: Yes I do, Crouch End. It's on my way home.
Sarah Hughes: [Sarah gets in the car] How about you?
Paul Ashworth: Arsenal.
Sarah Hughes: Inside the stadium, or just nearby?

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Connections

References The Jungle Book (1967)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

A Winner for Nick Hornby and Colin Firth

Nick Hornby strikes again! I watched this movie for Colin Firth, and enjoyed it as a fan and as a discriminating viewer. The script is excellent, particularly the dialogue (particularly in one delightful restaurant scene). I found the acting and craftsmanship satisfactory - be warned that dialogue can be quiet, so listen hard through the accents. The film is delightfully British, so I highly recommend it for Anglophiles, and as Nick Hornby knows how to do, it is a nice mix of the ludicrous and the thoughtful. The relationship the movie centers around is really interesting to follow. We wonder what makes it tick, but Colin Firth and Ruth Gemmell seem comfortable together, so it isn't unbelievable at all. I wasn't expecting "Fever Pitch" to be so good, but I find that I recommend it highly.

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