It’s amazing how you can have two movies made which are based on the same book, one of which is unmissable, whilst the other is completely the opposite.
The book and films we’re talking about here is/are “Fever Pitch”. This was first a novel by UK writer Nick Hornby from 1992 and is an autobiographical coming of age story based on the young life of an Arsenal FC fan.
This great read was then first made in to a movie in 1997 with Nick Hornby adapting his own book for the screenplay. The film stars Colin Firth in the lead role as Paul – and centres around Arsenal’s championship-winning season of 1988-89 in which the Gunners clinched the title on the last day of the season with a seemingly impossibly 0-2 away win at Liverpool. In particular, the book and film both study, in a comedic way, the effect of the protagonist’s support for his team on the young man’s romantic relationship.
Paul has to try and juggle his teaching job and his new romantic relationship with his obsession with his team – all at a time when Arsenal are pushing for their first league title for 18 years.
In some ways, the movie could have been made today. Paul’s favourite club hasn’t won the Premier League title since 2004 and were looking good earlier in the season before slipping up a little. Now, Arsenal have lost ground to their three main rivals and have slipped out to a massive 200-1 with Betfair, the world’s largest gambling exchange.
The title now seems to be between Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool, with Betfair punters making the Manchester club marginal favourites.
Gambling on the Premier League’s title outcome with Betfair is very big business these days, and it seems the serious punters give Hornby’s Gunners absolutely no chance now. But the same was being said back in ’89 when the North Londoners pulled off the impossible – hence the book and film.
Just don’t confuse one great film with its U.S. baseball-based equivalent starring Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore from 2005 called “The Perfect Catch” which was pretty dreadful it has to be said.
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Jay 3rd April 2014
On the contrary, I found both films to be utterly forgettable. Maybe you have to be an Arsenal/Red Sox fan? Also I think it was only called ‘The Perfect Catch’ over here, it was ‘Fever Pitch’ in the States. I remember it ending with Dropkick Murphy’s “Tessie” so all in all, I probably prefer that version… but I wouldn’t rewatch either.