Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon recently reflected on the original ending of their 2005 film ‘Fever Pitch’, sharing some behind-the-scenes stories. In a preview clip from ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ the two reminisce about how the movie was supposed to end and their experience filming during the historic 2004 World Series.
In ‘Fever Pitch’, Fallon plays Ben, a teacher obsessed with the Boston Red Sox, who falls for Lindsey, played by Barrymore. The film coincides with the Red Sox’s real-life dramatic comeback from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Yankees in the ALCS and sweep the Cardinals in the World Series. However, Barrymore revealed that the original script had the Red Sox losing, reflecting their 86-year championship drought. The planned ending would have shown the characters dressed as old people, celebrating a future Red Sox win.
Image Courtesy: People
But as filming progressed, the Red Sox made it into the playoffs, creating “magical” timing. Fallon explained that they were capturing footage at key games, with Fox Sports allowing them to use their cameras for the World Series finale. The result was the iconic on-field kiss after the Sox’s victory, which made it into the film. Barrymore shared that she kept some of the sand from the mound as a memento, while Fallon’s dirty baseball hat ended up in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
During their chat, Fallon also talked about his recent 50th birthday. Instead of a big party, he spent it with his family, enjoying a nostalgic Pee-wee Herman breakfast. His wife, Nancy, also surprised him by restoring his late father’s old jukebox, which had been lost for years. In a touching coincidence, one of the songs on the jukebox, ‘Oh Babe What Would You Say’ by Hurricane Smith, was both in ‘Fever Pitch’ and a song from Fallon’s wedding.
–Farheen Ali