- Title: Fever Pitch
- Date: 9th November 1998
- Description:A ROMANTIC COMEDY ABOUT A MAN, A WOMAN AND A FOOTBALL TEAM Based on Nick Hornby's best-selling autobiography, FEVER PITCH is set during the 1988/89 football season. Paul Ashworth, an English teacher in his mid-thirties, is a passionate Arsenal fan; as the season and the film progress, his team at last stand their best chance of winning the Football League Championship, and ending a barren run of eighteen years. At the North London comprehensive school where he teaches, Paul meets Sarah, whose propensity for severity, dourness and single-minded professionalism reminds him of Arsenal manager George Graham. Against their better judgement - Paul thinks Sarah is too uptight, Sarah thinks Paul is a monomaniacal yob - they embark on an occasionally stormy relationship. In a series of flashbacks the film uncovers the roots of Paul's Arsenal obsession: we learn that Arsenal has helped Paul and his father develop a relationship at a crucial stage, that football has eased his way through school and friendships, and that the football club has provided him with an emotional centre and a sense of belonging. None of this is of much use to Sarah, however, and as the wheels begin to come off Arsenal's championship challenge, she realises just how dangerous it is to tie one's fortunes to those of a football club; the romance seems to fall apart in the aftermath of a catastrophic home defeat by Derby County. All is not quite lost, though. Arsenal have one more chance, an impossible-looking game away at Liverpool, and in a nail-biting climax, Sarah comes to understand not only that football can be more than 'just a game,' but that it has the potential for the kind of heart-stopping, dream-come-true moment rarely found in life. PRODUCTION BACKGROUND - FROM BOOK TO SCREENPLAY Nick Hornby's autobiographical book, FEVER PITCH, is a rarity, a publishing phenomenon; a first work that has remained a best-seller, because it is a simple story of a fan's life, uniquely told, that touches the hearts of all who read it. First published four years ago, the book certainly laid the foundations for a whole new genre of modem football writing, but its influence has reached far beyond football. In telling the story of one man's passion, the book found a way to communicate to an extremely wide readership; men, women and children, football supporters and non-supporters, fans and non-fans alike, all its diverse readers seemed to find a truth in it special to each of them. The film of FEVER PITCH promises to have the same appeal, by presenting a uniquely refreshing, absorbing and very funny story of love and obsession. Turning FEVER PITCH the book into FEVER PITCH the film has taken over four years. The project began even before the book's publication in the autumn of 1992 when the director of the film, David Evans, who was directing for the BBC Arts series, THE LATE SHOW, was given a galley proof of the manuscript by a friend working for Hornby's publisher, Gollancz. For Evans, FEVER PITCH was a case of love at first sight. I was one of the first people to read Nick Hornby's book FEVER PITCH, and felt immediately it was about me." Since Evans is definitely not an Arsenal fan, this was an early indication of the wide recognition Hornby's personal revelations would receive. Evans knew he had to meet Nick Hornby. Then with Hornby's collaboration, he directed a special Late Show piece on FEVER PITCH, including dramatised sections of the book. "What appealed to me was the kind of person Nick is as a storyteller. That was what I got from the book, his insights, what he thinks about people." But Evans always believed the book deserved a far greater exposure. I read the first couple of pages before starting off on a car journey, but I ended up stopping half-way to read on in a motorway service station. As well as being a beautifully articulate, wonderful book, it gave me the feeling more strongly than anything else I'd ever read that it was written by somebody like me and about somebody like me. Now I know that this feeling of intimacy is a common reaction among Nick's readers, but this was before publication - I was one of the first people to read the book. Also, I thought 'This is it. This is a story I could make a good film of.' It defies belief to me, frankly, that anybody could read a chapter called The Greatest Moment Ever [from FEVER PITCH the book] and not think that it might have cinematic possiblities." Evans put the idea of a feature to Hornby while preparing an item on the book to coincide with its publication, and while working on The Late Show piece, the seeds of the film, a friendship and a close working relationship were sown. In early 1993, as sales of the hardback book continued to rise, Hornby was receiving more offers for film rights to the book, but he was keen to honour the verbal agreement he and Evans had made. The director introduced Hornby to producer Amanda Posey, who was a long-standing friend of Evans, and who had been working for many years in feature films with Stephen Woolley and Nik Powell of First Palace Pictures, then Scala Productions. Posey, born and bred in North London (and, at that time, a 'fairweather' Arsenal fan) also loved the book and felt sure that the combination of Homby and Evans' abilities could realise it on screen. Together, Evans, Posey and Hornby took the project to David Aukin and Allon Reich at Channel Four Films. "From the beginning I thought we should work with a company like Channel Four, so we were delighted that they were so enthusiastic about the project and commissioned the script," remembers Posey. "They were also as keen as we were that Nick write the screenplay himself," she explains. "Nick's writing is just unique. No one else could have caught the humour, accessiblity and intimacy of his work on screen. At the same time, we all felt that his writing would adapt naturally from page to screen." Hornby by now had overcome his initial, and entirely unfounded, anxiety that the best that could happen was "that the film didn't mess up the book" and agreed to write the screenplay adaptation. The screenplay grew in stature as Hornby grew in confidence, inspired by the team around him. "Once I got to know everyone behind the making of the film I trusted them," he explains. "I realised that they all had the same film in mind, and I was confident that the film would be good. Having been on the set almost every day, I can honestly say that every scene of the film is better than I had imagined it would be. David and the cast have brought so much more to the screenplay." Hornby continues, "The whole process has been very collaborative. Both David and Amanda have been very respectful of the script, and the casting is excellent. There is nothing I would have wanted to be done differently." FROM AUTOBIOGRAPHY TO FICTION The chief difference between FEVER PITCH the book and FEVER PITCH the film is that the former is a genuine autobiography of Hornby's life, and the latter is a work of fiction based on characters 'suggested' by Hornby's life. The book is narrated by one person, Hornby, talking directly to the reader. However, in order to express those themes in a film the author - as screenwriter - had to externalise his thoughts and find a dramatic expression for them. The key to the film, as Evans had originally believed, was to be found in the book's chapter 'The Greatest Moment Ever', which told the story of Arsenal's extraordinary progress through the 1988-89 Football League. That year's League season, with its heart-stopping climax, became the narrative structure for the film, and provided a context in which Hornby could also develop the fictional romantic relationship, absent from the book but an essential part of the film's appeal. It was also a context which allowed him to explore those concerns of love, family and belonging that are expressed in both FEVER PITCH and his subsequent novel, HIGH FIDELITY. 1n the film," explains Hornby, "romance is the vehicle which carries the themes of the book and translates them from the page to the screen. For the film we invented a narrative that combines the key themes of the book into a central relationship, a romance between the character Paul, a schoolteacher played by Colin Firth, and fellow school teacher Sarah, played by Ruth Gemmell. Paul has to have people to talk to and one of these people in the film is his girlfriend, Sarah, who in the beginning is mystified by his all-consuming obsession for Arsenal Football Club." That obsession is pretty much the only thing Paul has in common with Hornby, who believes the audience will understand that the autobiographical content of the book has been removed in FEVER PITCH the film, although it does draw on aspects of Nick Hornby's life, real and literary. "Paul in the film is an amalgam of myself, Colin Firth and a lot of people I know. A number of Paul's characteristics are actually completely unlike my own. Paul has a deep pessimism about life and football in particular, which I don't, although I have a number of friends who do. I'm not gloomy when a game goes badly. I tend to be stupidly hopeful, which is the reverse side of the same pathology, I suppose. I also think Paul is a much better teacher than I ever was! When I wrote the character of Paul I was hoping to get away from depicting anyone in particular. I hope everyone who sees the film will recognise someone they know, be it themselves or a friend." Certain elements of the screenplay, especially those about Paul's childhood, do, however, remain very close to his own experiences as a youngster discovering Arsenal, girls and the traumas of teenage years. Hornby admits that seeing some of these scenes recreated for the screen was "a little creepy" thanks largely to the painstaking efforts to recreate the period detail. I really don't feel it's about me any more. Paul is someone with a different name who did different things during a season I also shared. I went to all those games and he went to all those games and he could have been standing next to me - but he isn't me." FROM FOOTBALL TO ROMANTIC COMEDY FEVER PITCH the film is a romantic comedy in which the fortunes of Arsenal during the 1988/89 season provide a narrative 'arc' for the ups and downs in Paul and Sarah's relationship. There are also flashbacks to Paul's childhood, from 1968 when Young Paul is first introduced to Arsenal, through to 1972, but unlike FEVER PITCH the book, the film does not trace the varying fortunes of Arsenal over the years and decades, nor does it provide the kind of detail explored in the book. "The story starts soon after the beginning of the football season, which is also the beginning of the school year, and it ends at the end of the football season", explains producer Amanda Posey. "However, FEVER PITCH is not a film about football as such. It is about the relationship between a man and a woman, and the man happens to be obsessed with something, which happens to be football. Of course, since the obsession is football, it does allow for some real cinematic moments and a seasonal narrative with a built-in climax, which an obsession with car mechanics, for example, just could not provide." Hornby believes this is why the film avoids the traps that many films more specifically about football have fallen into in the past. "One of the problems in the past is that producers have had to choose between actors who can't play football or footballers who can't act. Because FEVER PITCH is about fans, and there is not that much actual action, we have circumvented that problem. The film is about the people, rather than what happens on the pitch." "FEVER PITCH is fundamentally no more about football than HOOP DREAMS is about basketball" explains Posey. "What it describes, is that being a football fan can give you a sense of belonging, of community, and the opportunity to experience moments of a rare excitement. Moments which can lift you above ordinary life." Leading actor in the film Colin Firth is equally certain of the film's accessibility. "It won't be a film you can go and chant to", he smiles. "The film will appeal to football fans but will certainly also appeal to men and women who are not die-hard soccer fans, or soccer fans at all. The two lead characters are very recognisable human beings who find themselves in familiar circumstances." Firth found it easy to relate to themes in FEVER PITCH where his character Paul was struggling to gain control over the uncontrollable. Anyone can have an obsession of any kind and everyone can recognise, as Firth did, how easy it is to get carried away and experience the marked emotional peaks and troughs that Paul has to live through. It is that sense of identification, of self -recognition and empathy that the film consistently inspires in its audience and is the film's very lifeblood. It gives FEVER PITCH a unique power, as Firth himself concludes: "I'm sure it will touch a nerve with anyone who has ever had an obsession, be it a sport, music ... anything at all, and also those people who have had a relationship with them." THE CASTING OF THE FILM The success and popularity of FEVER PITCH the book served the production extremely well. Among the hundreds of thousands who had read and fallen in love with both of Hornby's books were many actors and agents. Fortunately, they found themselves equally enamoured with the script. 'We were very lucky in the choices we had when casting the film" remembers David Evans. "When our casting director, Liora Reich, asked agents about certain actors, they would frequently get back to us and offer us their biggest actors, they loved the script so much. Hence in supporting roles we have actors of the calibre of Ken Stott, Neil Pearson, Holly Aird and Mark Strong, and in the lead roles we have Ruth Gemmell and Colin Firth who are just perfect for those parts." Stephen Rea also agreed to play the cameo role of Ray the School Governor. He loved the script, but was also an Arsenal fan himself and particularly relished the idea of playing the Arsenal-supporting Governor who gives Firth such a difficult time. Ruth Gemmell, who plays Sarah, was a particularly interesting candidate for the co-starring role. 'We saw a number of actresses for the role of Sarah, but Ruth Gemmell stood out," remembers Amanda Posey. "She is an extremely talented actress who has proven this in the television work she has done, but she had never played a lead in a feature film before. We found that she had the rare ability to be witty and comedic while remaining absolutely true to the character and the drama, and this was key to the role of Sarah." Ironically, the role of Paul was the last to be cast. Director Evans was very keen on Colin Firth, but it had been difficult to meet, since Firth was, at the time of casting FEVER PITCH, in Italy having just completed NOSTROMO. Evans was also very aware that after the huge success of the BBC's production of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, in which he played Mr. Darcy to universal acclaim, Firth was being offered big-budget movies. But knowing that fortune favours the brave, a script was sent to Firth anyway. "Then one day he called up," recalls Evans. "He said that of all the scripts he had read recently, he really liked FEVER PITCH, and wanted to meet up. But he was still working in Italy. We worked out that he could only come to England for a day, and that the time to meet would be a two hour window between his incoming and return planes at Heathrow airport. So Amanda and I met Colin at a strange cinema-themed bar at Terminal Four to discuss the film." Posey continues: " Both David and I were surprised by how unlike the 'Mr. Darcy' character Colin seemed and looked. He had a very instinctive understanding of Hornby's writing and the Paul character in particular." Firth agreed soon after to play the role of Paul, and all involved in the project were excited and gratified to have attracted an actor of his calibre and ability. "I was delighted when I knew Colin Firth wanted to make the film," states Hornby, "as I respected his work, while he was clearly very keen on the script, since he'd turned down a number of other films - and higher offers -to make this one." Athough Firth was not a devout fan of any particular team, he was a fan of football in general. After accepting the role Firth went back to Italy - where he went to see Roma play - then on his return to England met up with Hornby and accompanied him to an Arsenal match. Later, Firth went to a further three Arsenal games with co-star Mark Strong who plays his best friend Steve, and he now admits that since making the film he has become an Arsenal fan. This prospect was not, however, what first attracted him to FEVER PITCH. I accepted the role of Paul as I loved the script and had great confidence in David and Amanda," remembers Firth. "Nick's script made me laugh out loud and it was truthful. After I had read it, the script stayed with me. Having worked on the film, I have now realised it has affected me in ways I would never have imagined." Ways the actor could not have imagined but which Hornby wholeheartedly approves of.. I must admit that Arsenal has begun to have a disturbing influence on me," grins Firth. I have actually woken up with football chants in my head and the other day I was watching a documentary and thought, 'Oh, they're wearing Arsenal colours' only to realise it was filmed at Christmas and they were wearing Santa Claus outfits!" LOCATIONS AND DETAILS FEVER PITCH was filmed over a six week period during May and June of 1996 at a studio and locations in London and Maidenhead. Ironically, the Maidenhead location was a stone's throw from the street where Hornby had grown up and of course, many of those in the capital were close to Highbury, where Hornby himself now lives. Foremost among the locations are the environs,, as well as the exterior and interior, of Arsenal Stadium in North London3 the home of Arsenal Football Club. But being faithful to the period also meant that when the production team of FEVER PITCH were recreating the scenes of Young Paul's visits to the North Bank terraces in 1972, and also of Sarah's first visit to a game in 1989, they were unable to shoot inside the stadium itself due to the introduction of seating where once the fans would have stood on bare terraces. For all such scenes, shooting took place at Craven Cottage on the banks of the Thames, home of Fulham football club. Throughout filming, the production found the local support, both for Arsenal and for Nick Hornby, proved a huge bonus. Many devout fans provided the authentic football crowd performances, and local residents were very helpful in abiding by full street closures day and night, to allow for the film making, and in particular for the final street party scene. Other locations included an Indian restaurant in Brick Lane, Camden Passage in Islington, a pub in Stoke Newington and a school in Muswell Hill. Using Fortismere School in Muswell Hill was a particular coup, since as well as providing a very convincing location, many of the children also appear in the film both as pupils in Paul and Sarah's classes and in the school football team which Paul coaches in a hilarious imitation of Arsenal's style. To maintain the illusion of all scenes, great care and attention was paid to fashions of the film's two periods. "Getting the detail exactly right was extremely important to us", explains Posey. "The scenes set during the 1988/89 season are just as much 'period' as those set between 1968 and 1972. Fashion has changed considerably, the football strip has changed between 1988 and 1996, and obviously hair cuts are very different throughout!" The same is true of the soundtrack to FEVER PITCH, as fashions in music have proved at least as changeable as fashions in football and hair cuts. "We all talked at great length about what songs should make up the sound-track. The main period of FEVER PITCH, 1988-1989, was very much alive in the 6iemory of everyone involved, and all the cast and crew would pitch in with suggestions. Hornby used to bemoan the fact that Arsenal won the League at generally such a bad time for British music, but luckily we managed to clear some of the best tracks of that time for the film." Choosing songs for the soundtrack became something of an obsession for Hornby who actually presented a draft compilation tape of his musical wish- list for the film to director Evans even before completing the first draft screenplay. Although this wish-list was constantly updated throughout the making of the film, with Hornby providing many more inspiring compilation tapes, several tracks from his first suggestions are actually included on the final film: 'Baba O'Riley' (The Who); 'All Around the World' (Lisa Stansfield) and the 60's reggae classic 'The Liquidator'. Hornby's own passion for music, expressed so brilliantly in his novel, HIGH FIDELITY, spilled over onto the sets where even as filming reached its final stages he and Firth would use their time between takes to discuss which songs would best accompany the scenes they were filming. CREW BIOGRAPHIES NICK HORNBY (SCREENWRITER) Nick Hornby was born in 1957. He studied English at Jesus College, Cambridge and after graduating became a teacher. Throughout the 1980's he worked as an English teacher in Cambridge and London and was also a freelance writer for a number of literary journals and newspapers including the Literary Review, The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Times. At the end of the 1980's he gave up teaching to concentrate on writing. He was commissioned by publisher Gollancz to write his autobiography, FEVER PITCH, which was published in September 1992. The book enjoyed great critical success and was universally praised: "Whether you are interested in football or not, this is tears-running-down- your-face funny, read-bits-out-to-complete-strangers funny, but also highly perceptive and honest about Hornby's obsession and the state of the game. FEVER PITCH is not only the best football book ever written, it's the funniest book of the year." Nicholas Lezard, GQ The book went on to be a major best seller. It was shortlisted for the NCR Prize and was voted the William Hill 'Sports Book Of The Year' in 1993 and the William Hill 'Sports Book Of The Decade' in 1995. It was in the top ten in the UK's best seller list for six months and has been published in the USA, Holland, Israel, Hungary, Spain, Germany and Italy. Hornby met director David Evans in 1992 when he was interviewed on the Late Show for the publication of the hardback edition of FEVER PITCH. Evans had read the manuscript even before it was published and immediately told Hornby he wanted to make a feature film of the book. In the Spring of 1993 Hornby and Evans worked together for the Late Show when they went to Italy to make an item about Italian Football. After being introduced to producer Amanda Posey and Channel Four, Hornby was commissioned to write the screenplay of FEVER PITCH. Hornby's first novel, HIGH FIDELITY, about men, women and pop music, was published in the Spring of 1995 to glowing reviews. It won the Writer's Guild Award For Fiction in 1996 and its paperback edition has been on the UK Best-Seller list for over six months, hitting no. 1 in the charts after 25 weeks. It has subsequently been translated into 12 languages, has sold extremely well in Italy and Germany and it is to be made into a film, set in the USA rather than North London, by Disney. It has recently been gathering fans in the USA and has featured on the best-seller lists in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston, amongst others. Hornby is currently working towards completing his second novel, to be published by Gollancz. He is also writing an original screenplay for producer Andrew Eaton. His introduction, telling the story of the making of FEVER PITCH, will be published along with the screenplay, by Gollancz. DAVID EVANS (DIRECTOR) FEVER PITCH is David Evans' feature film directorial debut, but he has behind him a wide range of experience in theatre, television arts, drama and documentaries since graduating from the Bournemouth & Poole Film School. David was brought up in Wolverhampton, and has begun to claim allegiance to Wolverhampton Wanderers football team, since being surrounded by Arsenal fans! After working as artistic director of the Dream Ticket Theatre Company from 1984-1986, David worked as assistant producer on Angela Carter's CURIOUS ROOM for The BBC's OMNIBUS series, winner of a BAFTA Huw Weldon Award for Best Arts Documentary. David also made two films of his own for OMNIBUS; ANDREA DWORKIN: AGAINST PORNOGRAPHY (1989) and LIVING SHAKESPEARE: A YEAR WITH THE RSC (1992). In 1992, Evans started work on BBC2's THE LATE SHOW with an item he made to coincide with the publication of Nick Hornby's FEVER PITCH. I was making this film about the RSC", David recalls, "when my friend who worked at Nick's publishers gave me a draft copy of his FEVER PITCH autobiography. I just fell in love with it, completely, when I first read it." Even at that early stage, before the book had been published, David was certain that FEVER PITCH would make a superb film. If you look at THE LATE SHOW piece, many of the basic ideas of the film are already in place. I was very lucky at that stage that other people seemed unsure whether the book could inspire a good film." After teaming up with long time friend, producer Amanda Posey, David worked closely with Nick as the writer developed his screenplay, but before shooting began on FEVER PITCH the film, David continued to work in television documentaries, making WALL TO WALL'S science series for BBC2, BIG SCIENCE - and drama - directing 3 hour long episodes of BBC's RTS Award Winning and BAFTA nominated COMMON AS NWCK and Granada's BAND OF GOLD 2. With the latter completed, David was free to direct FEVER PITCH. AMANDA POSEY (PRODUCER) Amanda Posey takes the producer's credit for the first time with FEVER PITCH after developing the project from inception along with writer Nick Hornby and director David Evans under the banner of her own company Wildgaze Films. This move follows a varied career in all aspects of film production. After graduating from Cambridge, Amanda worked for The Comic Strip and was assistant to Comic Strip founder Peter Richardson when he directed, co--wrote and starred in the 1991 Palace film THE POPE MUST DIE. Stephen Woolley then asked Amanda to work for Palace Productions, initially supervising completion of TV mini series WOMAN AT WAR and then as acting head of UK production working with Stephen Woolley and Nik Powell on Palace film development and production. She was also post-production supervisor on Neil Jordan's THE CRYING GAME (1992). After Palace's collapse in June 1992, Amanda produced an acclaimed short film MANHUNT and a pop promo, before returning to work with Stephen Woolley in February 1993 both in London and Los Angeles while THE CRYING GAME was enjoying its huge US box office and Oscar success. Amanda next worked as Stephen Woolley's executive assistant and post-production supervisor on Neil Jordan's INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (1994) in New Orleans and London for Warner Bros./Geffen. The next two years were spent as Scala's head of development, during the making of Terence Davies' THE NEON BIBLE and Angela Pope's THE HOLLOW REED, and the development of a large slate of projects including Scala's current productions, Michael Radford's B. MONKEY, financed by Miramax, and DOWNTIME directed by Bharat Nalluri. FEVER PITCH was a project that Amanda first became involved with even as she worked on INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE. After her introduction to Nick Hornby through David Evans, she set up Wildgaze Films to produce the film, and the three worked closely together, and in collaboration with Channel Four Films who financed the film from its early development. "Nick, David and I had our first meeting early in 1993. I said then that I loved the idea and that it was the kind of film that we should develop from the start with someone such as Channel Four. David, Nick and I have always had the same kind of film in mind - and the development period gave Channel Four the opportunity to get to know us as a team. I think it has worked really well." "A lot of people will ask how FEVER PITCH is going to appeal to people in other countries and other cultures, especially those who don't know or understand football. I think the thing that is always true about films that travel well is that they are true to themselves. I really believe the heart of this film will resonate with a very wide range of audiences no matter what their gender, age or nationality." STEPHEN WOOLEY & NIK POWELL (EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS) The partnership behind Palace, the biggest independent producer and distributor of films in the UK during the 80's, and subsequently Scala Productions, Stephen and Nik's producing credits include THE COMPANY OF WOLVES; MONA LISA; ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS; SCANDAL; HARDWARE; THE CRYING GAME and BACKBEAT. For Warner Bros/Geffen Pictures, Stephen has also produced Neil Jordan's INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE and MICHAEL COLLINS and is executive producer on Jordan's BUTCHER BOY. The pair continue to work with many of the foremost film-making and performing talents in today's cinema, and Scala Productions remains very busy, having just completed VICIOUS CIRCLES in Paris, being in post-production on the thriller DOWNTIME starring Paul McGann and shooting Michael Radford's B. MONKEY in London for Miramax films, as well as Stephan Elliot's THE BIG RED, set in Australia. Amanda Posey has for many years worked closely with Stephen and Nik, and they both strongly supported her move into producing the film and starting her own company. Fans of Nick Hornby's books FEVER PITCH and HIGH FIDELITY, and subsequently of Nick's screenplay, they agreed to join the FEVER PITCH team as Executive Producers, and Wildgaze Films is currently based at Scala Productions. CHRIS SEAGER (DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY) Chris Seager BSC has worked as a director of photography since 1989, gaining a wealth of experience in prestigious television drama, which he has now more recently brought to feature films. Among his TV credits are: ASHENDEN (1991); NICE TOWN (1992); THE VAMPYR and IF YOU SEE GOD TELL HIM (1993). In 1994 he worked as DP on SKALLAGRIGG which won the year's BAFTA award for Best Single Drama. His feature film work has included 1995's COLD COMFORT FARM directed by John Schlesinger, released theatrically in the US with excellent box office results; Nigel Finch's STONEWALL; and the hit of 1996's Berlin Film Festival, Hettie Macdonald's BEAUTIFUL THING. MICHAEL CARLIN (PRODUCTION DESIGNER) As well as designing numerous commercials and music videos, FEVER PITCH production designer Michael Carlin was the construction manager on THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE AND HER LOVER and art directed HARDWARE; DUST DEVIL and BACKBEAT. As production designer, he has worked on some high quality, notable short films including THE BIG FISH; I WAS CATIIERINE THE GREAT'S STABLE BOY and SOUP. FEVER PITCH is his first feature as sole designer and has already attracted much praise for his authentic recreation of both the 80's and the late 60's on a tight budget. He recently designed the film BRING ME THE HEAD OF MAVIS DAVIS starring Jane Horrocks. SCOTT THOMAS (EDITOR) Scott Thomas is a graduate of Beaconsfield's National Film And Television School and has directed three short films including BRAINSTORMS which won first prize at the 1992 National Student Film Festival. His film credits as editor include: COMING UP ROSES; ON THE BLACK HILL; THE REFLECTING SKIN and AFRAID OF THE DARK. In 1995 he worked with the producer/director team of brothers Billy and Gillies MacKinnon on SMALL FACES and subsequently with Gillies MacKinnon on his forthcoming feature starring Stephen Rea, TROJAN EDDIE. He is durrently editor on THE WINTER GUEST, Alan Rickman's directorial debut starring Emma Thompson. NEILL MACCOLL & BOO HEWERDINE (ORIGINAL SCORE COMPOSERS) The original score for the film has been written by distinguished singer/-songwriters, instrumentalists and record producers Neill MacColl and Boo Hewerdine, and is their first film score. Both were members of the acclaimed 80's band, The Bible,
- Broadcaster:Channel 4
- Collection: Channel 4
- Producer:Wildglaze Films
- Transmission Date:09/11/1998
- Rights:Worldwide
- Decade: 1990s