Big Fan (2009)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: Featuring Patton Oswalt's sympathetic portrayal, Big Fan humorously and effectively captures the dark and lonely world of a sports fanatic.
Big Fan Photos
Movie Info
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Cast
as Paul Aufiero
as Sal
as Theresa Aufiero
as Philadelphia Phil
as Gina Aufiero
as Jeff Aufiero
as Quantrell Bishop
as Dennis
as Detective Velardi
as Christine
as Christine
as Sports Dogg
as Hospital Doctor
as Christine & Dennis's Daughter
as Birthday Boy
as Gina and Jeff's Daughter
as Christine and Dennis's Daughter
as Law-Office Ad Woman
as Shady House Guy
as Quantrell Buddy #1
as Quantrell Buddy #2
as Quantrell Buddy #3
as Quantrell Buddy #4
as Quantrell Buddy #5
as Strip Club Valet
as Doorman
as Cashier
as Bartender
as Waitress
as Bouncer #1
as Bouncer #2
as Paul and Sal's Stripper
as Play-by-Play Announcer
as Color Commentator
as Zone Reporter Ed Rosen
as Radio Caller
as Parking Garage Driver #1
as Passenger #1
as Parking Garage Driver #2
as Passenger #2
as Parking Garage Driver #3
as Parking Garage Driver #4
as Front-Lawn Reporter #1
as Front-Lawn Reporter #2
as Parking Garage Reporter
as Wrong Phil
as Wrong Phil's Buddy
News & Interviews for Big Fan
Critic Reviews for Big Fan
All Critics (88) | Top Critics (34) | Fresh (76) | Rotten (12) | DVD (4)
First-time director Siegel shows promise. His script is solid, and although the last act feels somewhat awkward, the idea is clever.
Writer-director Robert D. Siegel grew up listening to callers like Paul on The FAN, New York City's all-sports radio, and he gives us a bizarrely sympathetic portrait of a guy who is as devout and as obsessive as any religious fanatic.
It's a classic situation, transplanted to a small, petty arena. When I think of this movie, I think of Oswalt, how his anguish feels real (whether we understand it or not) and how his face unaccountably becomes an offbeat locus of dignity.
Though the movie isn't much to look at, he gets a credibly dark and pathetic performance from the typically comic Oswalt.
Oswalt's performance alone makes Big Fan worth seeing.
A comedy with dark undertones, it asks: What kind of a man listens to and calls sports talk radio compulsively, even at 2 a.m.? Even out of season? Even on, say, Thanksgiving? He should get a life, do you think?
Audience Reviews for Big Fan
Big Fan is a humorous look at the lonely life of a fanatic sports fan, and first-time director Siegel manages what seemed to be almost impossible: to make a poignant portrayal of a loser who only thinks of football, a task that is helped mostly by Oswalt's terrific performance.
Super Reviewer
Robert D. Siegel, bring a criative screenplay that show to the audience the empty and lonely life of Paul Aufiero, Patton Oswalt in a very good acting, a sport fanatic, just like others fans. Big Fan, is a terrific independant dark comedy that, make me want see the film from the beginning to the end. Fresh.
Super Reviewer
Big Fan is a minor, dark indie masterpiece, full of honesty, drama, pathos and painful humor. Writer/director Robert Seigel shows immense talent as an observer of obsessive losers who have the audience's absolute empathy, despite of - or because of --their utter lack of self awareness. . Be warned if you're expecting another Adam Sandler Waterboy - it's NOT essentially a comedy, let alone a Hollywood one. In a blurb on the box, you might be misled into thinking that this is light fare about wacky sports fans. The same material could have easily been spun in a way similar to other light Hollywood comedies about obsessive fans like Fever PItch. That disconnect is likely why the film didn't much of an audience in its theatrical release and those who have seen it, expecting wacky Sandler-like mayhem, must have ejected the DVD disc before hitting the half hour mark. The film captures a culture of obsessive football fans who define their entire lives by the ups and downs of their team (The New York Giants in this case). Their own limited lives matter far less to them than the fate of their heroes. Paul, the lead character is self defeating. He runs away from any chance of getting out of his mother's house and his job as a parking lot attendant at the age of 35 and lives to call in to the sport phone in shows as the most super Giants fan of them all, his only accomplishment. That and getting the stuffing beaten out him, almost killing him, at the hands of the Giants' star QB. The casting of all supportive roles is stellar, from Paul's suffering mother to his Sancho Panza buddy in Giants obsession, to his sleazy brother, a personal injury lawyer. The film is grungy, and not aesthetically beautiful, but is appropriate to its dreary setting and characters. It's also paced beautifully. After this and the Wrestler (an excellent film, but I think this film is more interesting, despite Mickey Rourke's star power) I greatly anticipate what Robert Seigel will do next. Not to mention the star: Oswalt's performance is full of honesty and courage, he is very gifted with the pathos as well as the funny. Every twist and turn of Big Fan is surprising and fresh, and pays off. I thought the only misstep in Seigel's script was a hasty and apparently violent ending (last ten minutes) that didn't quite compute. In addition, no one changes or learns any lessons, which is possibly true to life, but not as interesting dramatically.
Super Reviewer
Big Fan Quotes
| Paul Aufiero: | Eagles suck. |
| Jeff Aufiero: | How do you get a concussion when you have no fucking brains? |