The Perfect Catch

I haven’t read Fever Pitch (though it’s on the list) and I haven’t seen the 1997 adaptation that featured Colin Firth, so I’m not in a position to compare the two films. In isolation, however, The Perfect Catch was a thoroughly enjoyable by-the-numbers affair.

Barrymore (50 First Dates) is radiant as ever, although I wonder if she’s sick of making these lightweight romcoms. Jimmy Fallon (Taxi) is perfect, and his performance hints at a very broad acting range. Having a relatively fresh face in attendance certainly worked in the film’s favour, and the two performers bounce off each other wonderfully. The supporting cast seem a bit awkward, with some stilted deliveries, but this often seems to be the case with the Farrelly brothers’ movies.

The directing team have been fairly restrained in their latest feature – there’s only the faintest whiff of potty humour here. They may be getting soft after all these years, but The Perfect Catch certainly isn’t as overwhelmingly sentimental or quite the morality tale that Shallow Hal was.

Thankfully the film places the viewer in the position of the outsider, assuming that we, like Lindsey know little or nothing of baseball. This helps us to sympathise with Barrymore’s character, who effectively finds herself suddenly in a very alien culture. It was easy for me to relate to such a predicament: I can’t imagine anything worse than dating a sports nut.

As sickly sweet and predictable as it is, I found myself grinning like a dolt throughout most of The Perfect Catch. The main drawback is the top and tail voice over, which is horrendous (and almost offensive with its exaggerated accent) and certainly leaves one with a bad taste in the mouth. Though it sometimes tries too hard and often feels a little contrived, The Perfect Catch does what all romantic comedies should: it effectively tugs at the heartstrings and admirably encourages our cravings for a happy ending.