MovieChat Forums > Fever Pitch (1997) Discussion > The 1997 Version is Better

The 1997 Version is Better

posted 9 years ago by Hippo9
2 replies | jump to latest

Obviously the cinematography of the 2005 version is higher quality but the main problem with the 2005 version is:

Jimmy Fallon.

He's just not a romantic comedy lead. He's not really handsome, just kind of mediocre looking and he's not a man's man either. His humour just consists of acting like a baby or puppy dog and he's goofy. His relationship with Drew Barrymore seems really forced and not believable.

Colin Firth on the other hand is a ladies man and a man's man. His relationship with Gemmmell is more believable and you can understand how the football gets in the way of it better.

Mack Strong. That's all you need.
The best friend makes the story understandable and flow alot better than Jimmy Fallon's 4 odd friends (Bald Guy, Crazy Guy, Indian Guy, Black Guy).

[–] cj71378 8 years ago

The reason the 1997 one is better (to me) is because the focus is on the relationship between Paul and his team. The remake is the relationship between the two leads, with the obsessive fandom being the main issue between them.

Obviously both are roughly the same story with a man, who is probably too obsessed with his team to the detriment of the rest of his life. It's just that the American one is more about the romance...and we've seen that story before. The experience of being a fan really hasn't.

Everyone saying the original is better because it's about soccer and baseball is a stupid sport or whatever is missing the point. (Plus they're wrong)

I am a huge sports fan, and that's why I related to the original. It's how I am with my team. That is universal...the wonderment, camaraderie, joy, frustration, etc etc that the relationship that we have with our teams is what makes all fans the same whether we enjoy basketball, hockey, or baseball, football (either kind), or whatever else.

When I first saw the British version in 2001 or so, I felt that it could easily be remade for here (my idea was the Red Sox or Cubs, if they ever won which one finally did, or the Packers). Unfortunately they changed the focus too much. The spirit of the original is how I feel walking into a game...that's why it is special.

[–] MariaLoathesDTWig 7 years ago

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http://www.imdb.com/board/bd0000005/thread/247745514?d=247745514#247745514