Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with a little look into the newest flick outta the Brothers Farrelly called FEVER PITCH. Moriarty and Beaks wrote up some really positive reviews a month or so back for this romantic comedy and after having just seen the film myself... well, I don't wholly disagree with them.
FEVER PITCH is a cute, charming little movie. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would, but it suffers from using the same old, predictable romantic comedy structure. The predictable nature of the film doesn't kill it, but it does keep it from being one for the ages...
By now you must know the story... Drew Barrymore is a workaholic desperate for a man that isn't climbing the executive ladder like she is... ie, she wants a man that isn't a clone of herself. Jimmy Fallon is a likable school teacher with a big red and blue monkey on his back. No, it's not a bloody smurf (although that might have made an interesting twist, come to think of it)... rather it's his obsession with the Red Sox. His apartment is littered with Red Sox memorabilia... everything that can have the Sox's logo on it does... including his razor.
Of course he's cute and single and a beautiful person that's great with kids and deals well with vomit (you'll see), so Barrymore falls for him and thinks she can handle his obsession with the Red Sox. Wrong. Wrong. Of course things go sour and craziness ensues.
Moriarty was right... It was so easy for me to relate to Fallon's obsession in the film that I instantly sympathized with him even though I know jack and shit about baseball. Swap out those Red Sox posters for movie one-sheets, swap out the little Red Sox nicknacks for some STAR WARS UNLEASHED or ALIENS or FAMILY GUY or GHOSTBUSTERS toys and it's basically a story about one us. He's a species of geek, but a different breed. So you do not need to know or even like baseball (I sure don't watch the sport) to enjoy this movie as long as there's something you're obsessive about, be it movies, cars, women, men, nudie bars, soiled underpants... whatever...
My little Drew (Barrymore, not McWeeny) is cute as a button, of course... especially when she's decked out in that 20s era flapper-style outfit and hairstyle at the Great Gatsby themed party... Grrrrrrr.... and Fallon isn't a total spazoid. He's actually quite charming in a lot of the film. He has some off moments, but nothing that'll ruin the film...
I'm trying to think of something more to say about this movie... and I really can't think of anything. Does that mean it's a forgettable movie? I'm not sure. It's better than mediocre, but not as good as a solid recommend... if that makes any sense... Maybe I'm being struck retarded by God for an off-color chuckle I had during the movie... You know the scene in the trailer when Barrymore's at Fenway Park and she gets hit in the head by a baseball?
In the film that knocks her out and the next thing you see is her going into a CAT scan... and for a split second I thought the Farrelly's had somehow looked into the future and were going to make the most foul, offensive joke ever by making the second half of the movie a big Terri Schiavo joke... Can you imagine a romantic comedy that has your leading lady turn into a vegetable halfway through... yet still tries to be a romantic comedy? I don't know why I thought it. I don't know how many jumps forward in line straight to hell that earned me, but damn it if I didn't smile.
Maybe it was my inner self pining for the days of the boundary pushing Farrelly Bros. I hated hated hated STUCK ON YOU and now they do this sweet little romantic comedy... I want to see them do another raunchy "Oh my God... did I just see what I thought I saw?" movie. I want to see Jim Carrey fighting a midget or sucking the milk out of a titty! I want to see more franks and beans caught in zippers! I'm tired of this PG-13 Farrelly rut...
OK, I think I have confirmed that God, the Devil or someone somewhere in-between has indeed struck me retarded because I'm typing some weird shit right now. Of course that could also have to do with me being up for nearly 24 straight hours for no good reason whatsoever...
Go take your honey to see FEVER PITCH, but take her to a matinee. It's a solid good boyfriend points earner. If you're alone in this world, you can always gaze at the goddess that is Drew Barrymore. If you're alone in this world and think Drew Barrymore is unattractive, then you might want to consider ending it all and walk into rush hour traffic so you can finally get sweet relief from your miserable existence... or you can always go back and jerk off to SIN CITY some more if option A doesn't feel right. Your call.
I'm gonna go before I dig myself deeper and closer to Hades. I got some cool schtuff in the works, kiddies, so keep yer eyes on the site. 'Til then, this is Quint bidding you all a fond farewell and adieu!
-Quint
email: quint@aintitcool.com
