Nick Hornby's multi-award winning autobiography was thought to be unfilmable, but David Evans's 1996 adaptation does a fine job.
Colin Firth plays Paul Ashworth, a teacher in love with 11 men (Arsenal) until new teacher Sarah Hughes (Ruth Gemmell) joins the school and, eventually his bed and life. As the football season reaches its climax - with Arsenal needing an improbable win at Liverpool to lift the title - the film follows the ups and downs of Ashworth's two relationships.
Cleverly this is considerably more than just a tale of a mis-matched couple. The film takes us back to Paul's childhood and a father (Neil Pearson) who's left home. One day, instead of being taken on the weekly trip to the cinema or the zoo, Paul asks to go to a football match. His father takes him to Highbury and so a love affair is born that also sustains and nurtures the father-son relationship.
A gem of a film, it's about relationships at all levels. There's much play on the male-bonding of fellow supporters, including hysterical footage of Paul and his mate watching a crucial game against Liverpool just as Sarah decides to pop round. And women watching this film might finally understand why grown, sensible, articulate, sensitive, caring men can scream obscenities at the TV when the scores come up.
Highly recommended.
Fever Pitch is a Film programme that first aired in 1996 and has been classified a 15 certificate.
