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"FEVER PITCH" (2005) (Drew Barrymore, Jimmy Fallon) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Mild Moderate None None Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None None None Mild Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Mild Mild Moderate Mild QUICK TAKE: Romantic Comedy: A baseball fanatic must choose between his obsession with his team and the woman he loves who's growing tired of their relationship revolving around the sport's schedule. PLOT: Ever since his uncle took him to his first game at the age of 11, high school geometry teacher Ben Wrightman (JIMMY FALLON) has been a diehard Boston Red Sox fan. His obsession with the team -- not to mention his season tickets -- means he has many guy friends, but he hasn't been able to sustain any sort of long-term relationship with any woman. He hopes that's changed upon meeting thirty-something business consultant Lindsey Meeks (DREW BARRYMORE) who claims she's not one of those women who become jealous or put off by their husband or boyfriend's sports fanaticism. Besides, she's busy trying to land a promotion at work and likes that Ben has some passion in his life. That is, until the season begins and she soon learns that everything in their relationship must revolve around the team and their schedule. From that point on, and as the season progresses, the two must decide what's best for them and their tenuous relationship. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of Barrymore or Fallon, or romantic comedies in general, they just might. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For crude and sexual humor, and some sensuality. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: JIMMY FALLON plays a high school teacher who's an obsessed baseball fan and ends up putting his fanaticism ahead of his relationship with Lindsey (with whom he has sex). He also drinks some. DREW BARRYMORE plays a business consultant who initially accepts Ben's obsession with baseball, but then becomes disappointed by it. She has sex with him and briefly thinks she might be pregnant. She also drinks some. KADEE STRICKLAND plays one of Lindsey's friends who seems determined to undermine Lindsey's relationship with Ben by planting seeds of doubts about it in her mind. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this romantic comedy that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 2 "s" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered. Various instances of sexually related dialogue are present (covering a number of topics), off-screen sex occurs (we see an unmarried couple fooling around -- kissing and starting to disrobe -- before that, and later in bed post-sex), resulting in a woman briefly thinking she's pregnant (she's not), and some bouncing cleavage is observed. Various characters drink, some smoke, and a brief drug joke is made. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, while some crude humor (involving vomiting) is present, as is some potentially imitative behavior. Violence includes a boxing style punch, some slapstick material, and a woman being knocked out when a foul ball hits her on the head. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE When Lindsey asks Ben's ninth grade students if they want anything to drink, one of the boys replies, "Vodka martini, straight up." Miscellaneous people have drinks at a party. Lindsey and her friends have wine, while Ben has what looks like brandy with those friends's significant others. Ben tells Lindsey that he has a list of things he likes about her, including that she likes to drink and does so in the afternoon. Ben and his friends have beer. Lindsey, Ben and others have beer at a ballgame. Lindsey and her family have wine with dinner, while Ben has a beer. Lindsey and Ben have beer. Ben makes a joke about his students' drugs just kicking in (causing them to be noisy), prompting another teacher or principal to chastise him for joking about teen drug use. Various people have drinks at a party, including Lindsey who holds one. A reporter commenting on celebrations after a game states that he saw cops sharing beer with kids (we don't see any of that). There's something of a drug addiction joke as Ben's friends find him disheveled and intervene, asking where he got a certain Red Sox videotape (like it's a drug) and then showering him. Ben, his friends and others have beer in a bar, while his doctor friend downs a shot as well. A man holds a beer at Lindsey's door. Lindsey and her friends have wine. One of Lindsey's friends wants to go to a promotion ceremony where there's champagne. We then see people holding glasses of champagne at that. Miscellaneous people have beer at a ballgame. Lindsey's mom has a bottle of wine and a glass near her while watching TV. Miscellaneous people drink in a bar. BLOOD/GORE We hear the wet sounds of Lindsey vomiting (from food poisoning), then hear it again, and then hear her telling her dog not to eat it (nothing is seen). Later, when she asks if he cleaned that up, Ben jokes that the vomit elves came in with their barf bags and did the work. He then says she was very ladylike while vomiting and adds that there was hardly any "chunkage." He later jokes that he calls her "puker" and "Lindsey the vomit girl." When Ben finally meets Lindsey's friends and their significant others, one jokingly holds out a glass for a urine sample, with Ben jokingly saying he just "took a whiz in the bushes." A woman recounts the story of a friend who found out that her date had kept all of his hair and nail clippings from his entire life. We see a magazine cover photo of a ballplayer who has a very black eye. We hear that Ben has New York Yankees toilet paper (since he's a Red Sox fan and that's what he thinks of the Yankees). We see a large baseball-sized bruise on Lindsey's forehead (after she's hit there by a foul ball). We briefly see a close-up of some blood that's soaked through a pitcher's sock during a game. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE After one of his students makes a smart aleck remark to Lindsey, Ben slaps the kid on the back of the head. Some of Lindsey's friends, particularly Robin, seemingly want to sabotage her budding relationship with Ben, always pointing out what might be wrong with him, etc. Ben tells Lindsey that he has a list of things he likes about her, including that she talks out of the side of her mouth "like a cute stroke victim." When a man learns that Ben has season tickets for the Red Sox, he asks Ben if he finds his wife attractive at all, saying they could work something out. After Ben laughs at that, the man seriously asks, "Well, do you?" Lindsey reneges on her statement that she's not like those women who become upset when their significant others are obsessed with sports, while Ben puts his obsession with the team above her needs and feelings. Robin punches her friend (with a boxing glove covered fist) when the latter calls her out for her bad actions. Lindsey sees a replay of her getting knocked out by a foul ball where Ben and his friend dance around in joy, not caring what happened to her. FRIGHTENING SCENES None. GUNS/WEAPONS None. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Oh sh*t," "Get off your knees...you're blowing the game," "You dope," "You idiot," "She knows my secret shame," "She was a major hottie," "I'm an idiot," "Shut your pie hole," "Spin bitch," "Chunkage," "Puker," "Lindsey the vomit girl," "Whiz" (urinate), "Can you believe this *sshole?" "You selfish pig bastard," "Attention morons" (said in a bullhorn), "Piece of crap," "Freaking," "Got my ass chewed out," "Close but no cigar," "Finished with our faces in their butts" (about league play), "Screwed 'em" (nonsexual), "To hell with the seats" and "Hold your horses, buddy." A woman wears a midriff-revealing exercise top. Ben brushes Lindsey's dog's teeth. Ben tosses some food into Lindsey's open mouth when she imitates being a seagull (complete with the squawk). Happy that his season tickets have arrived, Ben jumps up on the delivery guy (in his boxers and a t-shirt) and wraps his arms and legs around him (played for laughs). We see a shirtless fan who's painted his skin green. Ben jokingly wears a jockstrap on the outside of his pants. Ben loudly and constantly repeats, "La-la-la" when he tries to drown out information about the score of a game he's missed. Robin wears a gym top that exposes her midriff. To keep Ben from selling his tickets, Lindsey drops down onto the baseball field and then eludes security as she tries to get to Ben. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 2 "s" words, 1 slang term for sex ("go at it"), 1 for breasts ("boobs"), 3 asses (1 used with "hole"), 1 crap, 1 damn, 1 hell, 7 uses of "Oh my God," 5 of "Oh God," 3 of "God" and 1 use of "Good God." SEX/NUDITY After seeing Lindsey, one of Ben's 9th grade students proclaims, "She was a major hottie," and a comment is then made, "I saw her glance to the pants." A kid then says that Lindsey is packing heat and Ben doesn't have the bat speed for her. As Lindsey does a stationary exercise bike class with her female friends, we see some bouncing cleavage from some of them. One of Lindsey's female friends says that since Ben is a teacher, that "means he has a small...income" (while holding her fingers only a tiny distance apart during the pause). While tending to Lindsey (on their first date) who's sick from food poisoning, Ben offers to help put her to bed. While looking through her dresser for bedtime attire, he holds up a very small pair of panties, and then offers to undress her but promises not to look. He then sheepishly says he did look as we see her standing before him (in a head and shoulders shot where we see her bare shoulders until he slips her bedtime attire onto her). When Lindsey asks what videos Ben rented for her while she was sick, he jokes that it was mostly animated pornography from Japan. Ben answers Lindsey's cell phone and tells the caller that he's Lindsey's "houseboy-slash-sex slave" and then tells her to call her mother after he hangs up. When a man learns that Ben has season tickets for the Red Sox, he asks Ben if he finds his wife attractive at all, saying they could work something out. After Ben laughs at that, the man seriously asks, "Well, do you?" On several occasions, we see Ben in his boxers and a t-shirt. Ben tells Lindsey that he has a list of things he likes about her, adding that the first six are all body parts. When interviewed on TV about where the Red Sox rate for him, Ben replies, "Red Sox, sex and breathing." After Ben has Lindsey don a Red Sox jacket, Ben jokes that it's "getting me hot." Ben jokes that if he needs money, he could always call up an old lady and service her (meaning sexually). A woman states that a certain player (at whom she leers) has the "skinniest ass in the league." Ben jokingly wears a jockstrap on the outside of his pants. Lindsey gets a call from her mom who says about Ben, "He's washing your father's balls." We then see a shot of Ben moving his hand up and down (on a golf ball cleaner on a golf course). Later, Lindsey jokes that she's ready to wash another man's balls, but Ben complains that's not funny to him when she says it. We see Lindsey and Ben sharing a bed, but both are clothed and he's reading, while she's working. Lindsey and Ben return home, passionately kissing and starting to disrobe. His shirt comes off and the two fall side by side on the bed where they do more passionate kissing. The scene ends there, but sex is implied. One of Lindsey's friends shows some cleavage. A fan yells out to a player or umpire, "Get off your knees...you're blowing the game" (double entendre). Lindsey complains about her and Ben's busy schedule, saying that "at 11, you and I go at it." Lindsey suggestively tells Ben, "I'll be waiting," causing Ben to get excited and say that all of this talk of waiting makes him not want to wait anymore (meaning for sex, and he kisses her face/neck). Lindsey tells Ben that she's "late" (pregnant) by one and a half weeks. Ben is flustered, and replies that they're not the first couple to have to deal with that, and then starts to say "When two people..." as he puts his fingers together to suggest sex. Later, however, she says that she got her period. Ben talks to a student about Lindsey, saying how great she is and then starts to say, "The sex is..." but stops when he realizes he's talking to a kid. Robin's husband jokes, while giving a short speech in front of others, that his wife "even lets me dance around in her panties for a while." Lindsey and Ben do some passionate, clothed kissing while on the dance floor. After having sex (that we don't see), Ben is overwhelmed and says, "That was like...You were..." Both are in bed, under the covers (we see her bare shoulders and back, and his bare chest). They cuddle a bit and briefly kiss. A reporter (commenting on celebrations after a game) states that he saw various topless women (we don't see them). There's something of a drug addiction joke as Ben's friends find him disheveled and intervene, asking where he got a certain Red Sox videotape (like it's a drug) and then showering him. During the latter, we see Ben's bare torso in the shower, as well as his doctor friend working at his crotch. Ben then asks, "Why are you shaving my balls?" One of Lindsey's friends says she's pregnant, with another saying she knew since "your boobs are engorged." When Lindsey then learns that she got a promotion, she jokes that her breasts are engorged. Lindsey uses some baseball slang when she tells Ben (about their relationship), "Let's try to jerk one out of the park." Ben replies, "That's the sexiest thing I've ever heard." Ben and Lindsey do some passionate kissing on a baseball field. SMOKING Ben's uncle smokes a cigar once, while a miscellaneous character also smokes a cigar. We see an old photo of a ball player with a cigar. We briefly see a student smoke, but Ben makes him put it out. TENSE FAMILY SCENES We hear that Ben's parents got divorced when he was just a kid. Ben states that his father died two years ago and then adds that he just learned today, but he's joking about the latter (and possibly the former). Ben says that his uncle got cancer in the past and died. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Sports fanatics. We hear that Ben's parents got divorced when he was just a kid. Lindsey reneges on her statement that she's not like those women who become upset when their significant others are obsessed with sports, while Ben puts his obsession with the team above her needs and feelings. Lindsey tells Ben that she's "late" (pregnant) by one and a half weeks. Later, however, she says that she got her period. VIOLENCE After one of his students makes a smart aleck remark to Lindsey, Ben slaps the kid on the back of the head. After intercepting a pass, Ben knocks down several opponents quite hard during a game of touch football (played for comedy). Ben throws a football in the school hallway and accidentally hits another teacher or the principal, and then blames it on a student (played for laughs). While distracted, Lindsey lets go of the belay line she's holding (that's attached to a person doing some indoor rock-wall climbing) and the person crashes to the floor (played for laughs). Robin punches her friend (with a boxing glove covered fist) when the latter calls her out for her bad actions. A foul balls hits Lindsey in the face, knocking her out. Ben punches a wall while upset with Lindsey. Ben's old friend whacks him on the head for wanting to sell his season tickets. Some security guards fall to the field as they chase Lindsey across it. Reviewed April 1, 2005 / Posted April 8, 2005

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