Fever Pitch is the title of a 1992 book by
British author
Nick Hornby. The book is the basis for two films of the same
name: a
British film was released in 1997, and an
American remake in 2005. There is also an unrelated 1985 movie
Fever Pitch, starring
Ryan O'Neal.
Book
Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby was first published in 1992. It is
autobiographical, telling the story of the author's relationship with
football (soccer) and with
Arsenal
Football Club in particular. It consists of a large number of short essays,
each focused on a single match between 1968 and 1992. As well as recounting
Arsenal's highs and lows, Hornby relates them to his own tumultuous personal
life, musing both on his worship of Arsenal heroes such as
Liam Brady,
and the fate of infamous failures such as
Gus Caesar.
Fever Pitch sold over a million copies in the
United Kingdom. It has been seen as something of a turning point in the
public perception of football, making an interest in the game acceptable, even
fashionable, in educated and literary circles.
1997 movie
A 1997 film version of Fever Pitch, with a screenplay adapted by
Hornby himself, fictionalised the story, concentrating on Arsenal's
First Division championship-winning season in
1988-89 and its effect on the protagonist's romantic relationship.
Colin
Firth played "Paul Ashworth", the character based on Hornby.
2002 FIFA World Cup Album
The music division of
Sony launched a
music album celebrating the edition of the 2002
FIFA World Cup called "Fever Pitch" featuring
Anastasia
, Vangelis
with the official anthem of the tournament,
Nelly
Furtado ,
Safri Duo and others.
2005 movie
A 2005 film remake of Fever Pitch, directed by the
Farrelly Brothers with Hornby as an executive producer, starred
Jimmy
Fallon and
Drew Barrymore. In this adaptation of the first film's fictionalized version
of the book, the action is moved from
London to
Boston, the
focus of the protagonist's obsession is shifted from football to
baseball,
and the story centers on the
Boston Red Sox season in 2004 which culminated with the club's first
Major League Baseball World
Series
victory in 86 years.
