''Fever Pitch'' is a 1997 film starring

Colin Firth Colin Andrew Firth (born 10 September 1960) is an English actor and producer. He was identified in the mid-1980s with the " Brit Pack" of rising young British actors, undertaking a challenging series of roles, including leading roles in '' A M ...

and Ruth Gemmell, based loosely on

Nick Hornby Nicholas Peter John Hornby (born 17 April 1957) is an English writer and lyricist. He is best known for his memoir '' Fever Pitch'' and novels '' High Fidelity'' and '' About a Boy'', all of which were adapted into feature films. Hornby's work ...

's best-selling memoir, '' Fever Pitch: A Fan's Life'' (1992).

Plot

Hornby adapted the book for the screen and fictionalised 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 south Hertfordshire and his 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 Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

in the final game of the season on 26 May 1989, with a

last-minute goal The term "last-minute goal" is used in sport, primarily association football, to describe a goal scored very late in a game, usually one that affects the outcome of the game. The definition of a "last-minute goal" commonly used is one scored eithe ...

Michael Thomas Michael or Mike Thomas may refer to: Entertainment * Michael M. Thomas (born 1936), American novelist of financial thrillers * Michael Tilson Thomas (born 1944), American conductor, pianist, and composer * Michael Thomas (actor) (1952–2019), B ...

giving Arsenal the 2–0 win they needed to secure the title.

Cast

as Paul Ashworth * Ruth Gemmell as Sarah Hughes * Mark Strong as Steve *

Neil Pearson Neil John Pearson (born 27 April 1959) is a British actor, known for his work on television. He was nominated for the 1994 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor for '' Between the Lines'' (1992–1994). His other television roles include ''Drop the D ...

as Mr. Ashworth * Lorraine Ashbourne as Mrs. Ashworth * Holly Aird as Jo *

Stephen Rea Stephen Rea ( ; born 31 October 1946) is an Irish film and stage actor. Rea has appeared in films such as '' V for Vendetta'', '' Michael Collins'', ''Interview with the Vampire'' and '' Breakfast on Pluto''. Rea was nominated for the Academy Aw ...

as Ray * Emily Conway as Sasha * Richard Claxton as Robert Parker *

Annette Ekblom Annette Kate Ekblom (born 1956)''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916-2005.''; at ancestry.com is an English actress. She is the mother of actress Amelia Warner. She starred as Linda in Willy Russell's musical '' Blood Bro ...

as Robert's Mother * Andy Raines as Football Referee * Mike Ingham as Radio Announcer * Ken Stott as Ted, the Headmaster

Production

The film also stars

as Paul's father and Mark Strong as Steve, Paul's best friend. Nick Hornby has a cameo as a beaten opposition manager in a school football match. Parts of the film were shot on location in the surroundings of Arsenal Stadium in Highbury; as the terracing at Highbury had since been replaced, the scenes of fans on the terraces were instead filmed at

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandswor ...

Craven Cottage Craven Cottage is a football ground in Fulham, West London, England, which has been the home of Fulham F.C. since 1896.According to the club'official website The ground's capacity is 22,384; the record attendance is 49,335, for a game agains ...

stadium.

Remake

In 2005, the film was remade in an American version also entitled '' Fever Pitch'' starring

Jimmy Fallon James Thomas Fallon (born September 19, 1974) is an American comedian, television host, actor, and writer. He is known for his work in television as a cast member on '' Saturday Night Live'' and as the host of the late-night talk show ''The To ...

and Drew Barrymore, with the 2004 World Series

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

replacing Arsenal. To avoid confusion, this 2005 remake is known as ''The Perfect Catch'' in the UK.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fever Pitch (1997 Film) 1997 films 1997 romantic comedy films Arsenal F.C. mass media British romantic comedy films Film4 Productions films British association football films Films about educators Films about fandom Films set in London Films set in 1988 Films set in 1989 Films based on works by Nick Hornby Films with screenplays by Nick Hornby Films à clef Films based on autobiographies 1990s English-language films 1990s British films