Skip to main content

Fever Pitch (1997)

Fever Pitch. Feature film. (1997, 103 mins) IMDB

...A different sort of romantic comedy...

W

hat is more interesting, the obsession a man has for an English football team or the romance between him and a fellow teacher?

Colin Firth plays an English teacher in a high school somewhere in England. He's a life-long supporter of a football team that seems to disappoint its fans year after year. He coaches the school football team. He's rough around the edges, a bit of a carefree bachelor, but not a cad and his students love him.

At the start of a new school year, Ms. Hughes joins the school as a history teacher. Her classroom is right next to his. She's a by-the-books type of person. Strict. Severe. Limited interests.

When they meet, it's love at first sight, but neither wants to admit it.

There's foreplay. There's backstory. There's dates and moments in bed, and of course there's his obsession with the football team. He goes to the games, season tickets, and has for years. He lives and dies with the successes and failures of this team. He's a typical male.

She doesn't know the team, the sport or why he's so obsessed. She's also peeved he's more interested in the team than in her. Does this sound familiar?

There is a story arc for our hero. He grows up. He learns to let go of this team, sort of, and pays more attention to other things in life like his new love and their child on the way.

The movie felt strained. I have no doubt there are men who are obsessed about a sports team as he is, but that she keeps trying seems much. You would think at some point she would give up because he rarely gives her much thought. It's for that reason this film isn't so much a romantic comedy, but a study in modern day male obsession. With no wars to fight, no animals to stalk, modern day men have to follow football teams while women wait in the wings anxious for the game to end.

The film has few laughs and doesn't try to get them. In that way, it's not a romantic comedy. It's focused on how professional sports teams separate a couple in love.

Posted 2009/01/29 at 03h32ET in Movie Commentary.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

If Only We Could Agree

Monday, June 11, 2012 ... have you been accused of misspelling a word you know is correct ... S usanne O’Leary wrote an interesting article on her experience with the variations of the English language in different countries. You know the obvious ones like colour with or without a “u” but less obvious ones like travelled versus traveled. Growing up in Sweden she learnt English in school—the UK variation. In publishing her books, she read reviews where she was criticized for improper spelling. False accusations as it turns out. While I write tire and cozy, it’s not incorrect to write tyre or cosy. Same language. Both accepted. Just different. You can read her write-up here along with the numerous comments posted by readers. I found it interesting, but that’s me. As a Canadian I deal with this issue everyday. I feel her pain when she’s criticized for something based on ignorance. No fun. I was told by a boss that “data are” isn’t correct. It should be “data is.” Read...

CRA & E-Filing

Tuesday, March 6, 2007 ... Online Tax Services Suspended by CRA ... I received an email press release from the Canada Revenue Agency late on Tuesday stating they were shutting down the computer that processed e-filed personal tax returns. For many tax preparers the announcement means they will have to file paper returns or wait for the system to come back on, but it could be a long wait. Until we can announce a business recovery date, the Agency will provide daily updates to the media on the steps we are taking. On the surface, e-filing a return makes sense because it is more efficient, but at present it only makes sense for simple returns. If you file a return beyond a T4 and an RRSP deduction, you can expect follow-up letters requesting original receipts. For accountants, this hassle means additional time—time that usually can't be recovered. As result, many accountants file paper returns for their benefit. What is required is a system that allows the recei...

The Crusades (1935)

Sunday, March 29, 2009 The Crusades. Feature film. (1935, 125 mins) IMDB ... a Hollywood romance with swords thrown in ... T he title is extremely misleading. The film is not about the crusades but a love story set in the midst of a crusade led by King Richard. Richard never spoke English and barely even lived on the British isles. He was a Norman who spoke French, but you wouldn't know that from this film. The filmmakers also want you to believe the King would have been caught up in something as trivial as love. Not a chance. Marriage wasn't about love. It was about matters of state, about power, and with that power, wealth. A true-to-history film about King Richard and the Crusades would lack romance and therefore wouldn't appeal to a broad audience. What we have in this film is nothing more than a love story. Richard is betrothed to Alice, the sister of King Philip of France. He doesn't want to marry her. He decides to go on the crusad...