Strike one: I adore Nick Hornby’s books so already the US movie adaptation of Fever Pitch was already in trouble with me because I try not to see a movie AFTER I’ve read the book. Strike two: there was already a British version starring Colin Firth, whom I do not have a crush on, but I do consider him to be a magnificent actor. The British version was great and unsurprisingly a British version is probably always going to be better, especially if the book is British, but maybe not. World prove me wrong! Strike three: I am a sports atheist so because I’m not bombarded by soccer coverage throughout my life I could find the details quaint instead of obsessive. The US adaptation uses baseball, which is probably a spot on adaptation, and substituting the Red Sox for the Arsenal soccer team is also probably pitch perfect, but I’ve never had to go home from work on the Green Line to drunk, cheery Arsenal fans so of course I’m a smidge more tolerant. Oddly enough, it has been a long time since I read the book or saw the UK adaptation so I was probably as willing as I was ever going to be to watch Fever Pitch. Plus I love Drew Barrymore. I just think that she is delightful and endearing. So what made me find this version of Fever Pitch to be meh? First, it felt like a rom com more than a movie about the main character, Ben, and his passage from adolescence to adulthood. Instead the movie is divided between him and Drew, and how they both have to mature to become good partners for each other. Instead of creating two well-thought, complex characters, it just makes them both sketches of real people. High Fidelity had Jon Cusack. About A Boy had Hugh Grant. Fever Pitch has….Jimmy Fallon. One of these things is not like the other. Ultimately I blame Jimmy Fallon, who is one of those comedians who acts with his hair. I know that everyone loves Jimmy Fallon, but as of today, he does nothing for me. With his promotion to Johnny Carson/Jay Leno status, I feel like everyone, including Daniel Craig (literally), are like, “Isn’t he great?!?” and I’m staring at them dumbfounded. I don’t hate him. I just find him underwhelming. Only watch Fever Pitch if you don’t have anything better to do & like rom coms.