'Fever Pitch' about more than just the Red Sox

The movie “Fever Pitch” focuses on the Boston Red Sox baseball team and thus will be understood at different levels by someone such as myself, who has interviewed current Red Sox executives and who is working on a biography of former Red Sox outfielder Jackie Jensen, than by most segments of the general public. But “Fever Pitch” is about more than just the Boston Red Sox, and one does not need to be an avid baseball fan or even a bandwagon Red Sox fan to enjoy the film.

Twentieth Century Fox, which released the film, classifies “Fever Pitch” as a romantic comedy rather than as a sports film. Ben (played by Jimmy Fallon) is a high school math teacher who has been a Red Sox fanatic since 1980, when he was seven years old. He has inherited his uncle’s season tickets to premium seats, his house is decorated with Red Sox memorabilia (with the exception of New York Yankees toilet paper), and he annually makes the trip to Florida to see the Red Sox hold Spring Training. He has never married, in good part because his past girlfriends correctly feel that he gave more attention to the Red Sox than to them.

In his capacity as a math teacher, he from time to time takes students into the private sector where math is used in actual careers. Lindsey (played by Drew Barrymore) has one such career, and although she is extremely busy in her attempt to advance in the corporate world she happened to be in the office when Ben and the math students visited.

Ben takes a liking to Lindsey, whose career and standards have kept her from being married before reaching Ben’s approximate age, and Lindsey is attracted to Ben. They begin dating in fall 2003, but Lindsey’s life changes when the 2004 baseball season begins.

Although Lindsey works in Boston, she is not a baseball fan. She doesn’t know what makes a ball fair or foul, she can’t correctly pronounce the name of former Red Sox great Carl Yastrzemski, and she is unfamiliar with the Curse of the Bambino (prior to winning the 2004 World Series, the Red Sox were last world champions in 1918; a year later owner Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees to finance his Broadway musical and Ruth’s sale is known as the “Curse of the Bambino”). Because the man she loves enjoys the Red Sox so much, Lindsey learns about baseball and the Red Sox and starts accompanying him to games.

Problems start to arise when Lindsey has to rearrange her busy work schedule around Red Sox games and considers the ballgames lost time. Her life also includes other events Ben would have attended in the off-season; now he has to balance his love of Lindsey with his love of the Red Sox.

That is what in part makes “Fever Pitch” more than a baseball movie. Ben has to prioritize between his two loves. But one of the reasons Lindsey tolerates his time at Fenway Park is that she appreciates his commitment, and Ben’s devotion to the Red Sox is used as an element of the ideals of commitment. As noted in the movie, the Red Sox in turn have sort of a commitment to the fans; the game will be there as it says on the schedule and if rain intervenes there will be a makeup game which gives fans another chance.

Because Ben holds season tickets in some pretty attractive seats, those tickets are passed on from generation to generation and over the years the fans in the section have gotten to know each other personally. The presence of the other fans near Ben’s seats helps reinforce the loyalty of the long-time Red Sox fan. “Fever Pitch” is a movie about commitment and loyalty, not necessarily about baseball or love.

The fact that Lindsey is so unknowledgeable about basic Red Sox history does more than create a contrast between Ben’s interest and hers. The explanations help moviegoers without intensive baseball knowledge understand the heritage and culture of the Red Sox. The near-misses and the tragedies are mentioned by other fans, although Bucky Dent was mentioned only by name (the Yankees’ shortstop, not normally a power hitter, connected for a game-winning home run in the winner-take all 1978 game which determined the division title and playoff berth). Neither strong baseball knowledge nor a preference for the Red Sox is necessary to understand or enjoy the movie.

Because Lindsey is not a baseball fan and the film centers around the conflict between Ben’s baseball love and Ben’s female love, the film can be enjoyed by women as well as men.

“Fever Pitch” is rated PG-13 for crude and sexual humor and some sensuality. While Ben and Lindsey have sex during their relationship, that does contribute to Lindsey’s long-term thoughts if they had a baby (as well as for an excuse for Ben to buy an infant-sized Red Sox uniform). One of Ben’s comments was that former Red Sox pitcher Bob Stanley “screwed” the team by not covering first base; he could have easily used stronger language and the lack thereof indicates that the movie emphasis was on love rather than on indecency. Because of the sexuality the movie is probably not appropriate for pre-teens, even baseball fans, although it isn’t offensive to parents.

Speaking of the word offensive, it’s also not a movie recommended for New York Yankees fans since the emphasis is on the Red Sox and the film creates empathy not only for both of the main characters but also for the underdog team for which they root. The bats of the Yankees are no match for the portrayals of the die-hard Red Sox fans. Even if the Red Sox had not come back from the brink of elimination to defeat the Yankees in the 2004 League Championship Series, the movie wouldn’t have been enjoyable for partisans of the Bronx Bombers.

There are a few humorous moments, and Ben’s character includes having a sense of humor, but it’s not a comedy which produces continuous laughs. The billing “comedy” is perhaps misleading, and that forewarning should suffice for those who would be disappointed if they expected primarily humor.

In a history-based movie, even one of recent history, the ending is known. Everyone knew that the Red Sox would finally break the curse in 2004. It was not known to the audience whether Ben and Lindsey would be able to continue their relationship as the Red Sox once again tantalized the fans into believing that 2004 would finally be the Red Sox’s year. There wasn’t suspense in the baseball portion, but there was suspense in the movie.

The April 8 opening date of “Fever Pitch” coincides with the opening of the 2005 baseball season. For the hard-core baseball fan, it might not be worth missing a home game. But it’s worth sparing a road game date to see the movie in the theaters, and those who don’t pay attention to local baseball schedules should also find the movie worthwhile to enjoy while it’s in the theater.