“The Fever Pitch” The moment when the movie goddess smiled on Farrelly, the successor of traditional American cinema

Themes common to Ford and Capra

What is particularly noteworthy about this film is how Farrelly fully affirms and portrays Ben's unique personality. Towards the end of the film, Lindsay becomes anxious about her future with Ben, who always prioritizes the Red Sox over everything, and closes herself off to him. But Ben reveals his boyish, innocent side to her: "I fell in love with baseball when I was seven years old, knowing nothing at all. But now you're more important to me." For Ben, the Red Sox were an important presence and a source of emotional support in his life.

Farrelly's films feature many characters with social problems and imbalances. People with physical and mental disabilities, racial and ideological minorities, people with complexes, con artists, liars, etc. Farrelly's characters are not easy to understand. Farrelly does not treat them as special. He accepts them as people and portrays them flatly, regardless of their handicaps or attributes. And everyone is equally prey to his extreme gags. "There is no such thing as a normal person in this world. Everyone has some kind of unevenness, and that is their unique individuality." That insightful view of humanity and the kindness of his gaze are probably the innate authorial qualities of Farrelly.

"Fever Pitch" (c)Photofest / Getty Images

A kind look at minorities and deliberate optimism. Their style is in the vein of John Ford, who once portrayed immigrants with a rich poetic feeling, and Frank Capra, who portrayed poor, nameless people with humor and humanism. This may be the reason why so many people agree with and support Farrelly, no matter how sensitive the themes he deals with.

Classic plot from Hawks and Wilder