Fever Pitch

If you thought coverage of the Red Sox' improbable championship run was cruel and unusual, you should watch the Farrelly brothers do romantic comedy. Based on a novel about an obsessed soccer fan and his girlfriend, Fever Pitch caters to Americans by depicting an obsessed BoSox fan (Jimmy Fallon) forced to choose between his team and his girl (Drew Barrymore). While we'll never endorse allowing Fallon and Barrymore onto the field during the World Series, the Farrellys did a great job of shooting last year's playoffs while smacking a couple of slapstick gags around the infield. Just be warned: This is a chick flick disguised as a baseball comedy that forgoes the off-color hijinks we've come to expect from the first brothers of gross-out humor. Whether Fallon is using the magic of baseball to dispense life lessons to his high school students, or recounting Sox playoff failures to his clueless girlfriend, the dialogue's stiffer than Ted Williams. Worse still, after the relationship's grace period expires, she shifts into wet blanket mode, ruining the vibe at Fenway, in the bedroom, and in the theater. After nine innings with the mismatched duo, we left feeling confused, angry, and depressed. In other words, it's a must-see for any Red Sox fan.