That's not to say that there's anything wrong with Kevin Costner.  He's been in a number of...um...memorable roles.  The Untouchables.  Remember that?  It wasn't bad.  The point is that, statistically speaking, if a move involves baseball in some way, Kevin Costner could very well be in it, and this movie does involve baseball, and Kevin Costner isn't in it, so it is therefore worth mentioning.

Jon Favreau is not in this movie either, but he's never worth mentioning.

Just to be clear, this movie isn't exactly about baseball...it's about a baseball fan.  Really, this is a movie about people.  It's a romantic comedy.

This is the point in the review where people begin to wonder why the Masked Reviewer is taking so long to make any significant points about the movie.  So far in this review, you've learned that neither Kevin Costner nor Jon Favreau are in the movie.  That's not terribly useful, although maybe it is.  The sad fact is, there isn't a whole lot to say about Fever Pitch, so it requires some "filler."

Does that mean it's a terrible movie?  No.  The film stars Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore.  This is an interesting pairing.  Both have built their careers, to some degree, on being cute and charming.  Neither one is hilarious.  They're both attractive.  They each seem to be personable.  So, what's not to like?

Nothing!  Everyone is likeable.  But there's not too much that's memorable about the movie, either.  Less than a week after viewing the movie, it's hard to remember anything about it, other than the fact that Jimmy Fallon's character is a big baseball fan.  It's not over-the-top comedy, it's very light.  There aren't any big jokes, and the romantic parts aren't particularly moving and don't pack any emotional punch. 

It's a fine way to kill a couple of hours, and it's not a bad choice for a date movie -- there's nothing awkward or uncomfortable about the movie (unless one of the people on the date is a baseball fan -- if both are, it won't be a problem).  It's safe.  It's low-key.  It's kind of dull.

It's not boring, per se, just rather unfulfilling.  Seeing Fever Pitch is kind of like being moderately hungry and then eating a cheese-flavored rice cake.  It's not bad, but it's not what you really want.  It's better than nothing, but you still could eat.  It won't stop you from wanting something else, really, but it's still much better than seeing something with Kevin Costner, which might best be compared to a severe case of food poisoning.  And, just to be clear, the Masked Reviewer isn't saying that everything with Kevin Costner is going to bring you to your knees, hugging toilet...it's like milk that has passed its expiration date.  Sometimes it's fine...other times, it's sour and...clumpy.

The point is, Fever Pitch is okay.  The stars are likeable, and they seem to get along.  Nothing terribly interesting happens, and neither star is able to be so overwhelmingly charming that you could sit and stare at a screen for 90 minutes while they pick broccoli out of their teeth.  It is occasionally worth a chuckle, but very forgettable. 

Huge fans of either Drew Barrymore or Jimmy Fallon are unlikely to feel any less about either one after seeing this film.  In fact, if you're a huge fan of either one, you'll likely enjoy the movie more than an average person.  It's not bad, just not much. 

The truly shocking thing about Fever Pitch is that it was directed by the Farrelly brothers, who brought you Dumb and Dumber, There's Something About Mary, Shallow Hal, Kingpin, Stuck on You, and Me, Myself, and Irene.  Their involvement hasn't been heavily promoted, probably because this film entirely lacks that crazy, rough, crude humor that the Farrelly Brothers are known for.  This isn't their cup of tea; if you plan to see this because you love their other films, you will likely be disappointed.  It's nothing like their earlier work.

Expectation from the Title: A struggling writer goes for a meeting with a big-wig movie studio executive to try and sell his latest story idea.  Unfortunately for the writer, he loses his notes and has to come up with an idea while struggling with bad case of the flu and a 102 degree fever.

Mother's Rule (Always Say Something Good About Everything):  Those two lead acting people are just so cute.

The Pros: Charming actors, decent chemistry.

The Cons: Not memorable in any way; not funny enough, not romantic enough; none of the trademarked humor of the Farrelly Brothers.

Jimmy Falon, Drew Barymore, Farelly Brothers, Farrely Brothers, Farely Brothers, Fever Pich: they're alll right here.