Fever Pitch
In case you haven't picked up on it, I like romantic comedies with Drew Barrymore (Music & Lyrics, 50 First Dates, The Wedding Singer, Fever Pitch,
etc.). For this post, though, I will not be focusing on her character.
Instead, I will be focused on the male lead, Ben, played by Jimmy
Fallon. Usually, I look at all three character types, but Ben is such a
strong spirit character, I thought I would devote the entire post to
him.
Drew Barrymore plays Lindsey, a mind character with three friends. Two of her friends are spirit characters and one is a body character, creating the 'Lindsey' set of mind, body, and spirit. Ben is a spirit character with three friends. One of his friends does not interact enough to really nail down his character type, another is a mind character, and the third is a body character, making up the 'Ben' set of mind, body, and spirit.
If you haven't seen the movie, beware of spoilers. As is my usual advice, see the movie first, then read the post.
Ben is a teacher, which should be differentiated from a 'professor.' Teachers are usually depicted as spirit characters (see Freedom Writers, Stand and Deliver, Renaissance Man, Dead Poet's Society, Mr. Holland's Opus, Dangerous Minds, etc), while professors tend more toward mind characteristics. When Ben takes a group of kids to see Lindsey's work, he ends up asking her out on somewhat of a dare from one of the kids.
Ben arrives for the date with flowers in hand, a traditional romantic, but Lindsey is suffering from what appears to be food poisoning. Rather than running away, Ben comes in and takes care of her through her illness. His romantic nature comes out in just about everything he says. During one conversation, he realizes Lindsey calls him "Ben, the school teacher" to her friends. When she asks what he says about her to his friends, he replies, "Anything I said about you would be an understatement." At the end of the movie, when Ben is selling his seats at Fenway, he tells Lindsey, "If I keep these seats, all I'll think about is what I gave up for them."
One of the major plot points in the story is Ben's obsession for the Red Sox, but that obsession goes beyond the team. He has a passionate personality. When Lindsey thinks she is pregnant, he goes out and buys a little Red Sox outfit for the "player to be named later." He recognizes he is capable of being passionate and asks Lindsey if she still cares about anything she cared about 23 years ago, or even 10 years ago. He is trying to show that he can be passionate about her and about their relationship, but all she sees is the Red Sox.
Ben is highly emotional. He is obviously very sad when he finds out Lindsey is not really pregnant. He equates inviting Lindsey to opening day to a marriage proposal. He becomes defensive and agitated when she starts to question the relationship, saying she didn't realize how 'big' his obsession with the Red Sox really was. He says his obsession with the Red Sox taught him how to love under the best and the worst of conditions.
One line in the film actually sums up Ben's character, and spirit characters in general. Ben tells Lindsey he enjoys being a part of something that is bigger than himself.
Drew Barrymore plays Lindsey, a mind character with three friends. Two of her friends are spirit characters and one is a body character, creating the 'Lindsey' set of mind, body, and spirit. Ben is a spirit character with three friends. One of his friends does not interact enough to really nail down his character type, another is a mind character, and the third is a body character, making up the 'Ben' set of mind, body, and spirit.
If you haven't seen the movie, beware of spoilers. As is my usual advice, see the movie first, then read the post.
The Spirit Character: Ben
Ben is a teacher, which should be differentiated from a 'professor.' Teachers are usually depicted as spirit characters (see Freedom Writers, Stand and Deliver, Renaissance Man, Dead Poet's Society, Mr. Holland's Opus, Dangerous Minds, etc), while professors tend more toward mind characteristics. When Ben takes a group of kids to see Lindsey's work, he ends up asking her out on somewhat of a dare from one of the kids.
Ben arrives for the date with flowers in hand, a traditional romantic, but Lindsey is suffering from what appears to be food poisoning. Rather than running away, Ben comes in and takes care of her through her illness. His romantic nature comes out in just about everything he says. During one conversation, he realizes Lindsey calls him "Ben, the school teacher" to her friends. When she asks what he says about her to his friends, he replies, "Anything I said about you would be an understatement." At the end of the movie, when Ben is selling his seats at Fenway, he tells Lindsey, "If I keep these seats, all I'll think about is what I gave up for them."
One of the major plot points in the story is Ben's obsession for the Red Sox, but that obsession goes beyond the team. He has a passionate personality. When Lindsey thinks she is pregnant, he goes out and buys a little Red Sox outfit for the "player to be named later." He recognizes he is capable of being passionate and asks Lindsey if she still cares about anything she cared about 23 years ago, or even 10 years ago. He is trying to show that he can be passionate about her and about their relationship, but all she sees is the Red Sox.
Ben is highly emotional. He is obviously very sad when he finds out Lindsey is not really pregnant. He equates inviting Lindsey to opening day to a marriage proposal. He becomes defensive and agitated when she starts to question the relationship, saying she didn't realize how 'big' his obsession with the Red Sox really was. He says his obsession with the Red Sox taught him how to love under the best and the worst of conditions.
One line in the film actually sums up Ben's character, and spirit characters in general. Ben tells Lindsey he enjoys being a part of something that is bigger than himself.
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