I profoundly disagree with those who equate ‘literary’ with ‘serious’ – unless ‘serious’ encompasses ‘po-faced’, ‘dull’, ‘indigestible’. Anyone who does anything that seems easy or light or which actually entertains people always tends to get overlooked – apart from by the reading public, the only people who really matter. I reserve the right to write the kinds of books I feel like writing’
Nick Hornby on his style of writing. (source)
I saw the movie “Fever Pitch” (UK 1997 – USA version 2005) some time ago that made a strong impression on me as the subject was recognizable and treated in a popular but yet well elaborated way. Nothing posh or literary indeed but an everyday life story with a lot in it.
The original story is about a passionate fan of the English soccer club Arsenal who is an English teacher and gets acquainted with a female teacher at the same school. A relationship evolves that is very much influenced by the man’s relation to the soccer club. In fact it is often unclear in a clever play of words if he talks about the relation to the woman or to the club. It has a climax that touched me because of the recognizable emotions and situation.
The thought-evoking theme in the story is whether or not it is acceptable to be passionate and to behave like a “12 year old kid who refuses to grow up” as I remember it being put in the movie. Or about the tension between the freedom of the by nature egocentric individual and the commitment to a loved one. And yes – it is about soccer.
I was a pleasure to see the English version with good acting and well working conversations in a plain language and with music by such knows bands as The Pretenders, the Smiths and Lisa Stanfield.
An inspiration for a writer.
Links:
The site of the book on the publisher’s site (Penguin)
Info about the English movie (www.imdb.com)
Info about the US movie (www.imdb.com)
An interesting BBC/British Council Site using the book as an entrance for English lessons. With a.o. an extract, Characterisation and “after reading questions”.