Based on Nick Hornby's best selling memoir, Fever Pitch (which Hornby adapted) shares an affinity with his High Fidelity: a central character who is an arrested adolescent in the grips of an obsession that rules his life. In "Fidelity" it was rock and roll records; in this 1997 British romantic comedy, it is soccer. Colin Firth (Mr. Darcy in the A&E mini-series Pride and Prejudice) stars as Paul, an English teacher and long-suffering fan of the Arsenal, who haven't won a championship since 1971. Ruth Gemmell costars as Sarah, a beautiful, but severe new teacher with zero interest in the sport. The film charts the Arsenal's surprise run at a title, while Paul and Sarah struggle to find common ground. When he is more upset about the team losing a crucial match than he is about a botched job evaluation, one wonders if perhaps Sarah would be better off without the "yob." Still, you don't have to like soccer to fully catch the "fever." Any woman (or man) who loses their partner's attention during baseball, football, basketball and/or hockey season will identify. Recommended. (K. Lee Benson)
Fever Pitch
Trimark, 103 min., R, VHS: $69.99, DVD: $24.98, Nov. 28 Vol. 15, Issue 6
Fever Pitch
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