 Roger Ebert is spreading praise fairly evenly all around for the makers of Fever Pitch, writing that the two leads are "perfectly cast," that the directors -- the Farrelly brothers -- show that they can be "sensitive and warm-hearted, never push too hard, empathize with the characters" and that the script by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel based on a book by Nick Hornby reveals "truth and close observation. We know these people. We dated these people. We are these people." Manohla Dargis in the New York Times finds fault with a number of elements in the production. Nevertheless, she concludes, "I found myself rooting for this movie anyway, partly because Lindsey and Ben make a nice fit, as do the actors playing them, partly because the Farrellys bring so much heart to their movies, and partly because Ms. Barrymore inspires more goodwill than any other young actress I can think of working today in American movies." Indeed, many critics use the adjective "adorable" to describe her in the film. But several other critics write about the odd casting of Fallon in the lead role of an obsessed Red Sox fan. "As his mediocre skit work on Saturday Night Live demonstrated, Fallon has no presence or charm," writes Jami Bernard in the New York Daily News. But Gene Seymour in Newsday writes that Fallon performs the role "with perfectly pitched goofball ardor." |
