Customer Reviews

Big Fan

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The NFL is.

This is a chilling depiction of how obsession with a sports team morphs into a genuine psychological pathology. This uber-Giants fan loses all perspective in his identification with his favorite team and player, despite the fact that the latter beats him to within an inch of his life. Sad commentary on modern life and how devoid of meaning it can be that people develop unhealthy attachments to a sports team.

At times the movie was hard to watch, but it was well done in depicting the dark underbelly of sports obsession.

As to this movie, it made me a big fan...

My bias against spectator sports means I don't watch sports, don't watch movies about sports. But this movie tweaked my interest and I'm glad it did. It isn't about sports ... not even so much about sports fans, though that is the backdrop of the movie. For me, it was about people who don't "fit in" finding a place of their own, a place to feel not alone. This sweet, sad, and funny movie is incredibly well done. Paul and Sal are unforgettable.

Paul Aufiero, a 35-year-old parking-garage attendant from Staten Island, is the self-described "world's biggest New York Giants fan". He lives at home with his mother, spending his off hours calling in to local sports-radio station 760 The Zone, where he rants in support of his beloved team, often against his mysterious on-air rival, Eagles fan Philadelphia Phil. His family berates him for doing nothing with his life, but they don't understand the depth of his love of the Giants or the responsibility his fandom carries. "Big Fan" manages to combine just the right amount of comedy in what is most definitely a drama. The acting is surprisingly good, with both Oswalt and Corrigan turning in great performances. The direction causes the movie to be boring in some parts. It is a low budget production, but I felt it was pretty good.

With that pithy title, BIG FAN summarizes its story. Protagonist Paul Aufiero builds his life around an N.F.L. football team and as BIG FAN unfolds, we see just how much the man wants his club to win. The film does not try to analyze Aufiero, played well by Patton Oswalt. My guess? This fellow was born with the fan gene. It's D.N.A., but just not as common as others. Were money, women, or, say, civil rights his obsession, perhaps people would not question him. But the New York Giants?

Actors Michael Rapaport, Serafina Fiore and Kevin Corrigan excel in their supporting BIG FAN roles playing Paul Aufiero's sports fan rival, sister-in-law, and fellow Giants disciple, respectively. BIG FAN's strength is showing us people as they are. It would not surprise me if the filmmakers considered shooting BIG FAN documentary-style before settling on its traditional form.

See BIG FAN.

I was surprised by "Big Fan" because of the accuracy with which it portrayed a behavior that is all too common throughout the world as we've all seen in it's most extreme - killing through fanaticism. I've experienced this fanaticism from the elementary to the collegiate level in my coaching and although much of it is well intended too much of it is personal projection from lives looking for fulfillment. To see the alcohol driven pre-game parties surrounded by million dollar motorhomes with fans dressed from toes to top of head in team colors and whose emotional if not functional week rises or falls with each movement of a ball is a neurosis that afflicts not only our society but many others. I'm not sure which institution in society is most responsible for addressing this issue of the fan fantasy world - religious, educational, political - but it would probably be suicidal to tackle it (puns).

"Big Fan" was well written, directed and acted. Kudos!

I never even knew this movie existed until I heard Patton on a radio show. Though it is low budget and suffers a bit from slow pacing, this is a really interesting look at an obsessed, pathological Giants fan. Patton is actually quite good as the loser. I'm not quite sure what they were going for with the movie, I just found myself angry at Patton. I think this is certainly worth a rental.

I've been a big fan, no pun intended of the comedian Patton Oswalt for quite some time now. When I learned of his role in the movie Big Fan, I definitely had to check it out. Oswalt plays Paul, a late 30s-ish parking deck gate operator, and he's...well he's kind of pathetic. He's a football junkie and his drug of choice is the New York Giants. He is such a nut that he writes out diatribes against rival football teams and calls in sports radio shows just to read off his preposterous rants. One night, he happens to come across his favorite NYG player, and after an awkward attempt at saying hello, he gets his ass kicked by said favorite player. I'll stop there but this movie has funny moments but balanced out by some drama as well. There's even a dark moment near the end, but it has a great payoff and this might be a cult classic in the coming years. A must for anyone, especially NYG fans.

Patton Oswalt delivers a stunning performance in this poignant film written and directed by Robert Siegel. It's an excellent character study of a male ego bruised by the hero he worships. The film could have concluded in one of two ways - triumphantly or hopelessly - and you will either love or hate the choice Siegel made. The cinematic style is honest and provides the perfect vehicle for Oswalt's raw emotions to permeate the screen.

More reviews at [...]

I have zero interest in sports, so I was a little apprehensive when someone asked me to go see this movie last year, but I really enjoyed it. Shows what can happen when you revere anyone too much, including sports heroes and just how weird the overcome fans can become. I'm looking forward to the DVD release.

It's nice to see a movie every once in a while where the bad guy wins or (in this case) the loser loses. Often, movies present positive fantasies about the extreme underdog prevailing or the good guy dominating the crappy people. We all know this isn't how it always works out though. Paul's (Patton's character) story goes well beyond football fanaticism (and sports fanaticism in general) in my opinion.