Paul Aufiero, a hardcore New York Giants football fan, struggles to deal with the consequences when he is beaten up by his favorite player.
Genre(s): Comedy, Drama
Runtime: 86 minutes
Rating: 8.5/10 (144 votes)
Release Date: 18 January 2009
Country: USA
Languages: English, English
Company: Big Fan Productions
MPAA: Rated R for language and some sexuality.
Director(s): Robert D. Siegel
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Producer(s):
Elan Bogarin - producer
Jen Cohn - executive producer
Nick Gallo - associate producer
Jean Kouremetis - producer
Mike Loew - associate producer
Joshua Trank - co-producer
Writer(s):
Robert D. Siegel - written by
Cast:
Patton Oswalt - Paul Aufiero
Kevin Corrigan - Sal
Michael Rapaport - Philadelphia Phil
Marcia Jean Kurtz - Paul's Mom
Gino Cafarelli - Jeff
Matt Servitto - Detective Velarde
Serafina Fiore - Gina
Polly Humphreys - Christine
Joe Garden - Dennis
Jonathan Hamm - Quantrell Bishop
Music: Philip Nashel-Watts
Elan Bogarin - producer
Jen Cohn - executive producer
Nick Gallo - associate producer
Jean Kouremetis - producer
Mike Loew - associate producer
Joshua Trank - co-producer
Writer(s):
Robert D. Siegel - written by
Cast:
Patton Oswalt - Paul Aufiero
Kevin Corrigan - Sal
Michael Rapaport - Philadelphia Phil
Marcia Jean Kurtz - Paul's Mom
Gino Cafarelli - Jeff
Matt Servitto - Detective Velarde
Serafina Fiore - Gina
Polly Humphreys - Christine
Joe Garden - Dennis
Jonathan Hamm - Quantrell Bishop
Music: Philip Nashel-Watts
Posted on: August 18, 2009
April 27th, 2009
In his directorial debut, Robert Siegel shows that his true talentstill lies in his writing. The tone of Big Fan feels very similar toSiegel's past writing venture, The Wrestler. In both films Siegelproves that he is able to craft a story that feels so rooted in thereal world that at times it can feel as if you are simply a fly on thewall watching these events unfold. The only problem with this is thatthe real world can be boring, and without the direction of DarrenAronofsky to help bolster it, Big Fan occasionally slips into thiscategory.
Big Fan follows the life of Paul Aufiero (Patton Oswalt), a devout NewYork Giants fan, and parking garage attendant. Paul plods along throughhis life, living with his mother (Marcia Jean Kurtz) in Staten Island,working nights at the parking garage, and finishing everyday bycranking one out before he falls asleep. We soon see that the onlything that Paul really cares about is football, or more specifically,the New York Giants. Paul meticulously crafts rants about why hisGiants are "destined" for glory and calls in to a local late-nightsports radio show where he is a known contributor and enemy ofPhiladelphia Eagles fan, Philadelphia Phil. Paul seems happy with thislife and only asks that come Sunday he can put down another win for theGiants. Things then take a turn for Paul as a night out with his bestfriend Sal (Kevin Corrigan) results in a sighting of his favoriteplayer Quantrell Bishop (Jonathan Hamm). The two follow Bishop throughStaten Island eventually coming to a Manhattan strip club. In the clubPaul finally builds up the guts to go over and talk to Bishop and in adrunken state Bishop misinterprets something Paul says and beats him toa pulp. The rest of the film follows Paul and his struggle to figureout his life as everyone around him tries to get him to sue, andimprison his hero, all while his Giants stumble and fall from theirpath to "destiny".
The acting in this film is its true saving grace. Oswalt proves that heis so much more than the voice of the rat in Ratatouille. He becomesPaul, leaving the audience completely convinced that the Giants trulyare this man's reason for living. Also of note is Kevin Corrigan.Corrigan is continuing to be "that guy" in movies. He is probably bestknown as Eddie on TV series Grounded for Life, but he has also poppedup in movies like True Romance, Goodfellas, The Departed, and morerecently Superbad and Pineapple Express. The guy is a great actor andreally deserves a lot more credit than he gets. With the character ofSal, he really is the only character to stick by Paul throughout theentire film, and he is completely believable the entire time. Not onceis the audience left to wonder why Sal is supporting every decisionPaul makes. Corrigan never makes us feel that he is just the token bestfriend in the movie. Sal supports Paul because that is who he is and wenever doubt that. Corrigan truly deserves to get a lead role in a filmso that he can really show people what he can do.
The comparisons between Big Fan and The Wrestler are unavoidable. Bothwere made on a small budget, take place in lower middle class urbanneighborhoods, and deal with sports. Unfortunately for Siegel, whereAronofsky succeeded with The Wrestler, Big Fan seems to falter. Thedirection is not bad; it just causes the film to sag in spots. I wasbored during some long stretches of the movie that made me feel like Iwas watching the most mundane moments of Paul's day. The visuals oftenleave something to be desired, making the viewer feel like the film wasa few steps away from being great.
Big Fan manages to combine just the right amount of comedy in what ismost definitely a drama. The acting is surprisingly good, with bothOswalt and Corrigan turning in great performances. Siegel shows usagain that he is a great writer and has a gift when it comes tocrafting believable real life dialogue. The direction causes the movieto be boring in some parts most likely due to this being Siegel's firstouting. Even if you are not a football fan, which I am not, you will beable to enjoy this movie. And maybe next time you hear a crazed fan ona radio call-in show, you will feel a little differently.
May 31st, 2009
First off I gotta admit right off the bat I didn't have the worldsbiggest hopes for this one. You see I'm not exactly what you'd call asports fan. Its just never been my thing– especially football. So youcould probably imagine my surprise when I saw this at the Boston filmfestival last month and found myself truly LOVING IT!! To be honest itsreally not a sports movie at all like you might normally think ofsports movies. I would probably compare it more accurately to somethinglike Taxi Driver. Patton Oswalt makes his acting debut here and he isquite simply awesome. I really found myself relating to his character,as would anybody I think who's way into something– whether its sportsor not. The supporting cast is great too, which includes MichaelRappaport and the great Kevin Corrigan. And though it definitely wasnot a comedy, there were a lot of really funny moments throughout theentirety of film. I guess none of these positive comments should be toosurprising since this film was written and directed by the guy whowrote the Wrestler, another movie I hardly expected to love (seecomments above) but wound up loving anyway. So in summary, I would saythis is definitely one to keep an eye out for!
August 13th, 2009
Big Fan is character study piece which Oswald pulls off considerablywell given his background in comedy. Secondary characters seem a littletoo obvious playing up to New York stereotypes.
Siegel's script could have used some editing but overall solid, theassumption is this was written before 'The Wrestler'. Hopefully he willbranch into more diverse fair.
The film has a low budget / student feel. The majority of the scenesfeel very staged, which unfortunately effects the acting. Theoverwhelming feeling of location is inauthentic. This 'production'needed a 'production designer'.
August 22nd, 2009
First time, long time. Thanks for taking my call. If you've everuttered either sentence, Wrestler screenwriter Robert Siegel'sdirectorial debut with the gritty Big Fan is for you. Hell, it may beabout you. Actually Fan is for any sports fanatic and, maybe even moreso, for the people that live with them. It has a Law and Order,Sopranos (pay attention during the ride to the Giant's game), New York/ New Jersey feel to it. And it was done for under one million dollars.
It's a rap battle, e.g., 8 mile, except it's rehearsed and delivered bya tortured geek from his bedroom where his mom interrupts his speechesby yelling at him to quiet down.
The beating that ensues will remind viewers of the Hitchcock Psychoshower scene.
"Here we go again. It's the latest installment of the all too longrunning show called Athletes Behaving Badly. And this week's episodewas filmed right here in our own back yard." Paul from Staten Islandputting on game day facepaint leads to as tense a 7 minutes as one hasseen in theaters since Gran Torino.
Siegel was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at Sundance this year. IfPatton Oswalt isn't very careful…he could be looking at an Oscarnomination.
August 27th, 2009
Well Patton Oswalt is a funny guy. I like his comedy and he's got aunique personality. This film is not exactly funny. It's written by theguy who wrote The Wrestler and its similar to it in many ways. He alsodirects for the first time and it's like he just followed the same moodthat Darron Aronofsky used. Here we got the guy who's a football nutcalling into to a radio show to boost his ego because he lives with hismom, he has one friend he hangs out with and they go to watch footballin the parking lot of the NY Giants because they can't afford to getin. He's the Big Fan of the quarterback of the Giants and calls in tothe local radio show to talk trash about any team playing them.Especially the Philly Eagles. HE practices his calls while working hiscrappy job as a parking lot attendant. The film drags a bit and thehighlight is when he confronts a Phillies fan with a grudge. He's aloser going nowhere. And that is his goal. As well as that of the film.Now, where the Wrestler told an underdog story about a guy trying toget back in the game after his life turns out bad and lonely. This filmis about resisting any change no matter how sorry the situation. I sowant to like Patton doing a dark comedy, a little more humor and somekind of character build would have helped and proved Patton can act. Itfizzles away before I can even decide what to think about it.
September 4th, 2009
Oswald Patton plays Paul, a 30 something pathetic loser living with hiselderly Mom in her Staten Island home. He's a cashier in a parkinggarage, where he passes his time planning his next talk sports radiocall in stint, the object of all his affections being the NY Giantsfootball team, and their star player Quantrell Bishop, who he obsessesover. Paul has a particular hatred for the Philadelphia Eagles, and arival radio caller, an Eagles fan named "Philadelphia Phil".
While out getting a bite to eat with his friend Sal, they spotQuantrell Bishop and decide to follow him all over Staten Island (wherethey see him making a clandestine visit to what could be a drug house)and into a Manhatten strip club, where Paul brazenly introduces himselfas a 'big fan', and inadvertently lets Quantrell know he followed himin from Staten Island. Quantrell goes berserk and gives Paul a brutalbeating, putting him in a coma for 3 days, with brain injuries thatrecur after the initial hospitalization.
Quantrell is suspended from the Giants for his aggravated assault, yetPaul refuses to help with the police investigation, because he wantsQuantrell back on the field to help his beloved Giants beat the hatedEagles.
Much of the dynamic of the movie is between Phil, who doesn't want toprosecute, and Paul's family (Mother, and his brother who is a lawyer)who want Paul to sue Quantrell and get some money so he can have abetter life and, less importantly, because it's the right thing to do.The NY media and the police are also constantly harassing Paul for inforegarding the attack.
The movie ands up with a dramatic denouement in South Philly, wherePaul and Phila. Phil finally meet up with each other.
Some might find the film a bit too dark. Is this a comedy or what? Itkind of reminds me of DeNiro's "King of Comedy", about a fan'sobsession and the lengths to which it impacts one's life.
As an Eagles fan, I say go check it out. I had a lot of fun watchingthis.
September 7th, 2009
Big Fan reveals a character who we might be familiar with, either inlife or in the movies. In the former… well, you know who you are,perhaps, with the (possible?) loser who is in his thirties with a s***job living with his mother and with no ambition except an unwaveringpassion for sports or something like it (probably, if you're asuburbanite slob, it's sports). The latter, one may be reminded of theKing of Comedy (the trailer might make you think of Taxi Driver, butthe only connection is with the letter writing), as it's about Paul,played by Patton Oswalt in a revelatory performance, who calls in ataround 11:30 to a sports talk radio show with a hand-written letter toread off as if it was just coming off the top of his head about histhoughts on the upcoming game or players or (naturally as a Giants fan)resentment against the Philadelphia Eagles. This happens, naturally, atthe nagging from Paul's mother, to which Paul tries to quiet his voice.He might as well be talking to himself for all she knows or cares.
This is a movie where the character's own sense of self-worth is thatof the ultimate fan, to the point that if a quarterback were areal-life superhero he'd do anything for him/her as if the hero wereprotecting his psyche. The way the story unfolds for Paul, and how he'srevealed as a very interesting, flawed and weak creature, is that onenight he and his friend (Kevin Corrigan) happen to see their favoriteGiants QB at a gas station with his posse, they follow them all the wayto midtown Manhattan and go inside a strip club. Paul and his buddymight just be eager fans, sure, but when Paul reveals that they've beenfollowing this typical big-shot sports guy he gets beat up badly by hisone true hero. How this unfolds is the interesting part; he won't goafter him to press charges or sue, since, naturally, it would mean hishero would be out of play for the season.
After thinking more about the movie, after trying to compare it toother movies (the Scorsese lonely/crazy guy movies and a recentaudacious unlikeable black comedy Observe and Report), what makes thisstand out is the compulsive nature of a character with such low-selfesteem. He knows what he wants, he's not an aggressive personality, buthe can only be pushed so far. This is what ultimately happens withanother caller to the talk radio show via 'Philadelphia Phil' (MichaelRapport, used well in a mostly voice-over role) who is to the Eagles asPaul is to the Giants as far as fandom goes, but it also mean and abully in his 'I-can-say-whatever-I-please' over the phone lines. Theclimax of this is one of the more surprising ones in recent moviememory, and a great little twist on how climaxes go with'lonely-crazy-guy' movies.
Big Fan sometimes can get uncomfortable to watch, very uncomfortable,like a Curb Your Enthusiasm episode without the daring of Larry Davidbehind it. It's also real, maybe too real; the guy behind it, RobertSiegel, previously wrote The Wrestler, which wallowed wonderfully in abanal, grungy (and somewhat stereotyped) New Jersey backdrop andcharacters, and Big Fan is the same only without the strong vision ofan Aronofsky. I can't wait for Siegel's next film though, as he showswith his directorial debut to have an original take on familiar subjectmatter. Where else would one see a movie where die-hard fans of a sportsit outside of their team's stadium in the parking lot during a game?Or, for that matter, where else would one see Mr. Oswalt- a stand-upcomic and actor also known as the voice of Remy in Ratatouille- performas a (mostly) harmless but dead-end person we may know, or may notrather know so well? Big Fan is where, and it's a small sleeper.
January 11th, 2010
you people should hook up and write a novel ffs.