I watched Fever Pitch this week, in honor of Patriot’s Day. Amazingly, it was better than expected. As a die hard Sox fan, I worried that it would make a mockery of the whole thing, but it was pretty well done. (Perhaps, of course, this is because I was expecting a disaster). The one thing it did, however, make me, was depressed that I wasn’t in Boston in October of ’04 — simply a time that will never, ever be duplicated.
While we’re here, there are two technical gripes I need to get off my chest (partial spoilers):
Today, April 17, 2006, is Patriot’s Day, the New England-only holiday that centers around the Boston Marathon and an early Sox game. It also kicks off “Spring Break” for all Boston area elementary, middle and high schools. However, in the movie, Ben is a middle school teacher who goes to Sox Spring Training every year during “Spring Break”, in March. While I understand how important this event is for the story — it is when Barrymore’s character finds out how psycho Ben is about the Sox — how could they let that go? Knowing this movie would be heavily watched by the Nation, how could they have “Spring Break” in Boston occur in March? It just doesn’t happen!
On Ben’s first trip to Fenway (in ’80), he walks in and sees Big Jim Ed and The Eck shooting the bull by the batting cages during BP. A few moments later, however, as the game starts, the second baseman is wearing #14. And, he’s a white guy! Now, any die-hard Sox fan from the 80’s, which the Farrelly brothers are — should know that Rice wore #14.
There, I feel better now.