Fever Pitch [1997]

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
In Fever Pitch rumpled, amiable Colin Firth plays a rumpled, amiable English teacher named Paul. He's also an obsessive football fan who's been avidly following Arsenal for 18 years. When he falls into a relationship with a new teacher named Sarah (Ruth Gemmel), his deep attachment to Arsenal proves an obstacle. This sounds like some cheap men-and-women-don't-understand-each-other setup, but instead Fever Pitch not only explores the origins of Paul's football fandom, it actually communicates an infectious sense of what that kind of sports enthusiasm can mean, how it can provide an almost tribal identity. Even better, the movie takes this devotion seriously without ever losing sight of how it can be completely ridiculous at the same time, resulting in some amazing, funny scenes. Gemmel is charming, and Firth is simply superb. He's a great actor who, despite his memorable turn as Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, never quite fits into conventional leading man roles and so has tended to play oddballs and redeemable villains, as in Shakespeare in Love and The English Patient. He's a perfect fit for this script, written by Nick Hornby (author of High Fidelity and About a Boy) from his novel of the same name. The humour of Fever Pitch is all the more engaging because it's grounded in richly developed characters and emotions. --Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com

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Customer reviews

review by: Primus date: 2005-04-11 rating:
Good film, passable dvd
I thoroughly enjoyed this film, despite having no interest in league football whatsoever. It almost made me interested in it! Colin Firth is on excellent form, with strong support from the rest of the cast. Good script too from author Nick Hornby, though things are tied up a bit too neatly at the end. All in all though, a good little British film, which presumably will receive more attention when the American remake with Drew Barrymore turns up.

The dvd is nothing to shout about. Picture quality is good, as is the sound as far as I could tell. Bizarrely, my dvd player didn't display the running time throughout the film. It simply said: "Play". Not sure if that's just my player or what, but it is a fairly old disk now by today's standards. Extras are limited to the trailer and 16 photos in a small gallery.

If you can get it for under a fiver, then it's definitely worth a look.

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review by: igetexcited date: 2004-09-10 rating:
Top rating, even if not as good as the book!
The book on which this film is based is by far Hornby's best - an almost allegorical depiction of father-son relationships that resonates with most men, especially those who grew up with estranged parents.
The film concentrates rather more on the love story, which means that viewers who don't know the book might conclude that Firth's character is just emotionally retarded and football obsessed, without understanding why. His "redemption" - the realisation that women are more important than football - therefore comes across as simplistic and seems designed to appeal primarily to female viewers (especially those who hate football!).
The good news is that, despite the dumbing down, the screenplay is excellently crafted and the actors play their roles with genuine depth. The pitch of the film (no pun intended) makes it ideal viewing for when curled up on the sofa with your loved one. But afterwards, make sure you read the book!

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review by: date: 2004-01-28 rating:
Arse-n-all
I'm an American, and I'm totally baffled by the Byzantine world of English soccer, but I have to say, I love this film.

As a Cleveland Browns fan, I can totally identify with Colin Firth's character's staggeringly loyal devotion to a team that dissapoints year, after year, after year.

As for soccer getting in the way of his emotional development...I thought it was funny! To those of you who had a problem with this, and the way the film ended, I say, get yourself a sense of humor!

Hilarious movie. I highly recommend it.

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review by: takingadayoff date: 2004-01-19 rating:
Good Acting, Good Story, Good Music, Bad Ending
I really enjoyed this movie right up to the last scenes. Then it completely fell apart. The acting was great, the story of the two opposites was engaging, the supporting characters were excellent. But I just couldn't buy the ending. Sorry.

Nick Hornby's About a Boy and High Fidelity were outstanding books, I read and re-read them. The movie versions were good, too, almost as good as the books. I started reading Fever Pitch, but my complete lack of knowledge or interest in football kept me from finishing. The movie was a definite improvement over the book, in that you don't need to be a fan to enjoy or understand the story. But that ending ...


review by: moulins date: 2003-11-30 rating:
fever pitch
I just saw this movie in 2003 and had never heard of it before. Who would of thought Colin Firth would do a movie about football? But it is brilliant, it is about football and so much more. Relationships mostly, its about real people and life. I watched it many times and every time I discover something new. The actors are excellent, and I loved the rapor between Firth and Strong (Mr. Darcy and Mr. Knightley) from Jane Austin`s characters. Great I recommend it, It is BRILLIANT as it is Paul`s favorite expression.

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Similar categories

Video . DVD & VHS . Categories . Comedy . All Comedy
Video . DVD & VHS . Refinements . Format (binding_browse-bin) . DVD
Video . DVD & VHS . Refinements . BBFC Rating (intended_use_browse-bin) . 15
Video . DVD & VHS . Refinements . Editions (feature_two_browse-bin) . Standard Edition
Video . DVD & VHS . Refinements . Region(feature_browse-bin) . Region 2
Video . DVD & VHS . Refinements . Release Date (feature_three_browse-bin) . 1990 - 1999
Video . DVD & VHS . Refinements . Language (theme_browse-bin) . English

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