Fever Pitch 1989, a Michael Thomas goal giving Arsenal the 0–2 win they needed to win the title. "Fever Pitch" compares Hornby's life at Arsenal and other football clubs. A 2005 film remake of "Fever Pitch", directed by the Farrelly Brothers with Hornby as an executive producer, starred Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore. In this adaptation (based on the 1997 film, not the 1992 book), the action is moved from London to Boston, the focus of the protagonist's obsession is shifted from football to baseball and the story is based on the 2004 Boston Red Sox season, which culminated with the team's
Fever Pitch (2005 film) 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". On CinemaScore, audiences gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale. From a cinematographic and literary perspective, the film received some favorable criticism from experts Roger Ebert and James Berardinelli. The film opened at #3 and grossed $12.4 million in its opening weekend. The final North American gross of the film was $42,071,069, and the worldwide gross was $50,451,307. "Sports Guy" Bill Simmons of ESPN disliked the film because he regarded it as a "chick flick" disguising itself as a sports movie and said