Taxi-Ws/Fever Pitch-Ws (2005)

Fever Pitch: According to Red Sox super-fan Ben Wrightman (Jimmy Fallon), finding romance is about as likely as his beloved team winning the World Series. But when Ben scores a beautiful new girlfriend (Drew Barrymore), suddenly anything is possible. Now the two passions in his life have a chance to go all the way...if he doesn't strike out first.

Taxi: Sassy hip-hop star Queen Latifah brings hilarious attitude to this hard-driving, high-octane comedy action blast! Latifah plays Belle, New York's fastest cabbie, whose taxi-driving expertise -- not to mention her loaded-to-the-max vehicle -- comes in handy when a fumbling young undercover cop (Jimmy Fallon) must crack a bank robbery plot hatched by a gang of supermodels! Don't miss this tire-squealing, stop-on-a-dime comedy with a topflight cast of stars, including NYPD Blue's Henry Simmons, Ann-Margaret and supermodel Gisele Bundchen!
 
"[Taxi] ...enjoyable."  Chris Hewitt, Empire
"[Taxi] Frivolous but fun..."  David Sterritt, Christian Science Monitor
"[Fever] It's been a while since a movie made the game of love this winning. "  Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
"[Fever] Effortlessly entertaining romantic comedy."  Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
 


Editor's Note

FEVER PITCH: The Farrelly Brothers (THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, DUMB & DUMBER) take a slight departure from their signature breed of over-the-top, gross-out humor and opt instead for sensitive restraint with this genuinely sweet love story. Credit is due in part to the writing team of Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel (SPANGLISH) who adapt Nick Hornby's popular British novel, moving it to Boston and exchanging the protagonist's obsession with soccer for an all-consuming love of baseball. Ever since his first childhood visit to Fenway Park, easygoing schoolteacher Ben (Jimmy Fallon) has been in love with the Boston Red Sox. When he meets a successful workaholic named Lindsey Meeks (Drew Barrymore), he warns her that being such an avid fan has been a problem in his past relationships. On the brink of turning 30, Lindsey is eager to make what seems like an otherwise promising romance work, and she agrees to go with Ben to opening day (of the eventful 2004 season when the Red Sox won the World Series for the first time in 86 years). As baseball season proceeds, the truly obsessive nature of Ben's passion is revealed, and a love triangle is set up in which baseball plays the role of the other woman. While the film's structure is pretty typical of a romantic comedy, FEVER PITCH offers quirky characters that ring true. Fallon and Barrymore display a genuine chemistry and Fallon proves (after leaving SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE) that he can pull off the role of the romantic lead.

TAXI: Jimmy Fallon gets his first starring role with TAXI, an action-packed comedy that finds the former SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE showman teaming up with Oscar-nominated rapper-turned-actress Queen Latifah (CHICAGO). Fallon is Washburn, a truly pathetic New York City cop who can't seem to wake up in the morning without bumbling busts and breaking whatever he touches. After his most recent debacle, his boss and former flame, Lieutenant Marta Robbins (Jennifer Esposito), revoked his license. Latifah is Belle, a retired bike messenger who is about to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming a bona fide cab driver. When Fallon commandeers Belle's services after hearing of a nearby bank robbery, a partnership is formed. Unfortunately, even when he means well, Washburn is nothing but trouble. Against her better judgment, Belle finds herself doing what she can to help out the pitiful Washburn, even though the bank robbers (led by supermodel Gisele Bundchen) are several steps ahead of the game. Produced by Luc Besson, who wrote the 1998 film upon which Tim Story's film is based, TAXI is an engaging romp that features likeable performances from its lead actors, as well as hilarious supporting turns from Ann-Margret and Adrian Martinez.