Fever Pitch (1997 film)

Fever Pitch
Directed by	David Evans
Produced by	Amanda Posey
Screenplay by	Nick Hornby
Based on	Fever Pitch: A Fan's Life by Nick Hornby
Starring	Colin Firth Ruth Gemmell Mark Strong Neil Pearson
Music by	Boo Hewerdine Neil MacColl
Cinematography	Chris Seager
Edited by	Scott Thomas
Production company	Channel 4 Films
Distributed by	Phaedra Cinema
Release dates	4 April 1997
Running time	102 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Fever Pitch is a 1997 film starring Colin Firth, based loosely on Nick Hornby's best-selling memoir, Fever Pitch: A Fan's Life (1992). Hornby also wrote the screenplay.

Synopsis

Hornby adapted the book for the screen and fictionalized the story, concentrating on Arsenal's First Division championship-winning season in 1988–89 and its effect on the protagonist's romantic relationship. Firth plays Paul Ashworth, the character based on Hornby, a teacher at a school in North London, and his burgeoning romance with Sarah Hughes (Ruth Gemmell), a new teacher who joins Ashworth's school. The film culminates with the real life events of Arsenal's match against title rivals Liverpool in the final game of the season on 26 May 1989, a Michael Thomas last-minute goal giving Arsenal the 2–0 win they needed to win the title.

Cast

Colin Firth as Paul Ashworth
Ruth Gemmell as Sarah Hughes
Mark Strong as Steve
Neil Pearson as Mr. Ashworth
Lorraine Ashbourne as Mrs. Ashworth
Holly Aird as Jo
Stephen Rea as Ray, the governor
Emily Conway as Sasha
Richard Claxton as Robert Parker
Andy Raines as football referee

Production

The film also stars Neil Pearson as Paul's father and Mark Strong as Steve, Paul's best friend. Nick Hornby himself has a cameo role as a beaten opposition manager in a school football match in one scene. Parts of the film were shot on location in the surroundings of Arsenal Stadium in Highbury; however as the terracing at Highbury had since been replaced, the scenes of fans on the terraces were instead filmed at Fulham's Craven Cottage stadium.

Remake

In 2005, the film was remade in an American version also entitled Fever Pitch starring Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore, with the World-Series-winning 2004 Boston Red Sox replacing Arsenal. To avoid confusion, this 2005 remake is known as The Perfect Catch in the U.K.

External links

Fever Pitch at the Internet Movie Database

Works by Nick Hornby

Novels	High Fidelity About a Boy How to Be Good A Long Way Down Slam Juliet, Naked Funny Girl

Non-fiction books	Fever Pitch Songbook The Polysyllabic Spree Housekeeping vs. The Dirt Shakespeare Wrote for Money More Baths Less Talking

Screenplays	Fever Pitch (1997) An Education (2009) Wild (2014) Brooklyn (2015)

Film adaptations	Fever Pitch (1997) High Fidelity (2000) About a Boy (2002) Fever Pitch (2005) About a Boy (television series, 2014–2015) A Long Way Down (2014)

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