Big Fan (2009) User Reviews (57)

Are you really a Big Fan

[airguitar57 · 7/10 · 27 April 2009]

In his directorial debut, Robert Siegel shows that his true talent still lies in his writing. The tone of Big Fan feels very similar to Siegel's past writing venture, The Wrestler. In both films Siegel proves that he is able to craft a story that feels so rooted in the real world that at times it can feel as if you are simply a fly on the wall watching these events unfold. The only problem with this is that the real world can be boring, and without the direction of Darren Aronofsky to help bolster it, Big Fan occasionally slips into this category.

Big Fan follows the life of Paul Aufiero (Patton Oswalt), a devout New York Giants fan, and parking garage attendant. Paul plods along through his life, living with his mother (Marcia Jean Kurtz) in Staten Island, working nights at the parking garage, and finishing everyday by cranking one out before he falls asleep. We soon see that the only thing that Paul really cares about is football, or more specifically, the New York Giants. Paul meticulously crafts rants about why his Giants are "destined" for glory and calls in to a local late-night sports radio show where he is a known contributor and enemy of Philadelphia Eagles fan, Philadelphia Phil. Paul seems happy with this life and only asks that come Sunday he can put down another win for the Giants. Things then take a turn for Paul as a night out with his best friend Sal (Kevin Corrigan) results in a sighting of his favorite player Quantrell Bishop (Jonathan Hamm). The two follow Bishop through Staten Island eventually coming to a Manhattan strip club. In the club Paul finally builds up the guts to go over and talk to Bishop and in a drunken state Bishop misinterprets something Paul says and beats him to a pulp. The rest of the film follows Paul and his struggle to figure out his life as everyone around him tries to get him to sue, and imprison his hero, all while his Giants stumble and fall from their path to "destiny".

The acting in this film is its true saving grace. Oswalt proves that he is so much more than the voice of the rat in Ratatouille. He becomes Paul, leaving the audience completely convinced that the Giants truly are this man's reason for living. Also of note is Kevin Corrigan. Corrigan is continuing to be "that guy" in movies. He is probably best known as Eddie on TV series Grounded for Life, but he has also popped up in movies like True Romance, Goodfellas, The Departed, and more recently Superbad and Pineapple Express. The guy is a great actor and really deserves a lot more credit than he gets. With the character of Sal, he really is the only character to stick by Paul throughout the entire film, and he is completely believable the entire time. Not once is the audience left to wonder why Sal is supporting every decision Paul makes. Corrigan never makes us feel that he is just the token best friend in the movie. Sal supports Paul because that is who he is and we never doubt that. Corrigan truly deserves to get a lead role in a film so that he can really show people what he can do.

The comparisons between Big Fan and The Wrestler are unavoidable. Both were made on a small budget, take place in lower middle class urban neighborhoods, and deal with sports. Unfortunately for Siegel, where Aronofsky succeeded with The Wrestler, Big Fan seems to falter. The direction is not bad; it just causes the film to sag in spots. I was bored during some long stretches of the movie that made me feel like I was watching the most mundane moments of Paul's day. The visuals often leave something to be desired, making the viewer feel like the film was a few steps away from being great.

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. Siegel shows us again that he is a great writer and has a gift when it comes to crafting believable real life dialogue. The direction causes the movie to be boring in some parts most likely due to this being Siegel's first outing. Even if you are not a football fan, which I am not, you will be able to enjoy this movie. And maybe next time you hear a crazed fan on a radio call-in show, you will feel a little differently.

Kept afloat by Oswalt's fascinating performance, which is hard to shake off even after the credits are over.

[MovieAddict2016 · 8/10 · 5 January 2010]

Paul is in his mid-thirties, single, and still living at home with his mother. He works as a parking lot attendant in New York, and is content to sit in his booth at night writing down passionate, articulate rants, so that when he goes home he can call a local radio sports show and prove his fanaticism for the Giants, his favorite football team.

Paul is played by Patton Oswalt, one of the funniest stand-up comedians alive, and what he does in this film is really quite remarkable. He creates a fully convincing and pathetic loser, and is unafraid to reveal all the character's lowest points. If this were an Adam Sandler comedy we'd probably have scenes showing us how misunderstood and sweet Paul is, so we can understand that he's the one we're meant to root for, but Oswalt's Paul isn't so cleancut. He treats his family like crap and has terrible mood swings; he only seems truly happy when he's in his element: either witnessing a Giants win or ranting to strangers on the radio. The fact that he must write his speeches down beforehand, and preps himself for hours in advance of calling, says everything.

Paul gets in trouble when he spots a Giants quarterback at a gas station in a shady neighborhood and follows him into a NYC nightclub. After an awkward introduction, Paul makes the mistake of mentioning that he's been following the sports star and his entourage for the past few hours, and the drunken athlete reacts by beating him senseless. Three days later Paul is hospitalized and the police want his statement -- but he suddenly "can't remember" anything that happened, desperately hoping the Giants won't be forced to suspend their star athlete. But that's just the beginning of his problems.

Big Fan is the directorial debut of Robert D. Siegel, who wrote last year's sports-themed The Wrestler. Both movies concern the plights of apparent losers, the biggest difference being Mickey Rourke's 'Ram' actually had a life at one point, whereas Paul's existence is experienced vicariously. Everyone around him tries to offer a better life, whether it's jobs or moving into his own place, but he firmly rejects them. In Paul's eyes, this is his life. He is perfectly content to be discontent, and the movie's lack of transformation for its character will undoubtedly alienate some viewers.

And, put bluntly, Big Fan is not as strong or poignant as The Wrestler. Siegel is not as capable a director as Darren Aronofsky, and the story -- despite clocking in at under an hour and a half -- does tend to meander a few times. But it is endearingly bleak, honest and real, and kept afloat by Oswalt's fascinating performance, which is hard to shake off even after the credits are over.

A smart little gem of a movie

[gilligan-11 · 7/10 · 30 January 2010]

While watching this movie, it's best to keep in mind that the word "fan" is a shortened form of "fanatic." Patton Oswalt is disturbingly good as Paul, a 36 year-old pathetic shlub who still lives with his mother and works a dead-end job as a parking lot attendant. His life revolves around the NY Giants and calling in to sports radio shows to deliver rants he carefully composes while he passes the time in his parking attendant booth. One night in a strip club, Paul meets his favorite player—who proceeds to beat Paul within an inch of his life. The rest of the film becomes a distressing and insightful commentary on the vaunted status we afford to our sports "heroes," often at the expense of our own sense of self-worth. We witness Paul's inability to understand what's happened to him, which results in a growing sense of dissociation, ultimately leading to a sad and pitiable attempt to assert his loyalty and strength.

Character study in too much passion and too little ambition

[Polaris_DiB · 6/10 · 3 November 2009]

A combination of the awesomeness of The Wrestler and the terrifying mood of the trailer brought me to this movie. Robert Siegal has his eyes on sports, but he's not making the feel-good sports movies about the American Dream and hope winning over the underdog. His sports movie is the world of self-destruction, or in this case, of ultimate passion met with ultimate lack of ambition, as he explores the life of a person with absolutely no motivation but for what serves his team.

Patton Oswalt plays Paul Aufiero, a man who loves his New York Giants. He loves the Giants so much, in fact, that he has nothing else in his life. He lives with his mother, he has no intention of getting a girlfriend, he has a dead end job that he's nevertheless completely satisfied with, and he does nothing all day but think up some excited rants to give out on his local fan radio station and drive to the Giants ballpark to support them (though not monetarily, as he just watches the television in the parking lot). When he and his one and only friend Sal (Kevin Corrigan) see the Giants' quarterback Bishop getting gas, they decide to follow him to get a chance to meet him. Unfortunately, their lack of social grace and a miscommunication results in a violent confrontation and Paul ends up in the hospital, Bishop cannot play anymore, and the season--and thus Paul's sense of reality and self-esteem--go down the tubes in rather short order.

I was expecting disturbing drama but a lot of this movie is actually quite comedic, and it seems to me that Siegal is mostly working character portrait this time around. The good thing is that Paul Aufiero is neither a caricature of sports fans in general, nor does he stand-in for, for instance, Giants fans or anything like that. He is entirely his own individual character, and it's the lack of familiarity with him that gives most of the drama since it makes his decisions quite unpredictable. However, Siegal is, between The Wrestler and Big Fan, obviously great at creating empathy for his characters, so the drama definitely draws you in. I would have preferred a darker story simply because that is what I went in expecting, but it turns out that even the more comedic moments really do make sense in terms of who Paul is and what he would do in those situations. In the end, the movie is surprisingly nonjudgmental about his decisions, and he still manages to lose the all of nothing he had and still be happy (because he needs nothing else). So, good for Paul? The movie itself is certainly a win.

--PolarisDiB

I'm a big fan of Big Fan.

[ironhorse_iv · 7/10 · 28 January 2014]

What a kick-off to the movie season! Most sports movies focus on the success of a particular team or player, so the idea that sports are not simply about the players themselves, but about the fans and the city the team represents is an original and refreshing concept. So you can have a field goal with this. Directed and written by Robert D. Siegel, the story revolves Paul Aufiero (Patton Oswalt); one of the biggest fans of the New York Giants. One day, Paul and his friend, Sal (Kevin Corrigan) spotted Giant's linebacker Quantrell Bishop (Jonathan Hamm) in a public nightclub doing drugs. The character of Quantrell Bishop or nicknamed QB in the movie, is model out of real life Giants Hall of Famer, Lawrence Taylor, who had a very public drug history. When they chat with him; things go soured because QB mistake them for cops. The intoxicated Bishop became enraged and brutally beats Paul. Paul is hospitalized for his injuries and Bishop has been suspended. Now, Paul Aufiero has to make a choice, go on to intercept Bishop's playing career by pressing charges against him, or stay loyal to his beloved team by allowing Bishop to get off scot free. The movie seems to have something going with a similar plot to 'the Wrestler', but it falls flat because one main different. Instead, of trying to better his life, Paul's existence is so remove from the norms of society that it's unlikeable. He rejects any offer that would help him, whether it is a job or moving into his own place. This movie's lack somewhat of a transformation for its character. Nothing really happens in this movie besides showcasing how mentally incompetent and bleak, Paul is. Let's keep in mind that the word "fan" is indeed, shortened form of the word, 'fanatic'. Paul is pretty unlikeable and this will undoubtedly alienate some viewers. I couldn't decide whether to feel sorry for Paul or hate him. It's not that he's socially awkward or can't interact with society, it's that he doesn't want to. I have to say, while Patton Oswalt isn't really acting anything new, here since this role is similar to the hopeless nerd loser roles he been typecast for years now. Patton Oswalt does do a good job in this dramatic side of the role, besides doing his norm shticks. Patton Oswalt did makes a touchdown when it matters, by showing the fanatic of this character, but you can't help wanting more out of him. Adam Sandler was offered the part of Paul Aufiero at first, and I think he might had made this work, but in my opinion, I think both actors were limited in their range. In his role, you would think Patton Oswalt is a huge football fan in real life, but surprising Oswalt and his co-star Kevin Corrigan don't have a clue of any football terminology. Another person that fits their role in real life, is Michael Rapaport. He flew like an eagle in his brief scene as the supporting role, arch-enemy of Paul, Philadelphia Eagles fan, Philadelphia Phil. Like Patton Oswalt, he isn't really acting much here, besides acting like Rapaport. I found minor football mistakes in the movie, that any football fan can notice, but it's wasn't like a big deal here like other football movies. Some people might hate it, due to the negative light on football fans, but as a football fan, I didn't find it, disrespectful at all. Like any other sport, there are people that take the sport too far, and I didn't think the movie went that level. I wish, it did. It would had been more entertaining. I was hoping for something like 1996's the Fan. I found 2012's Silver Linings Playbook with Bradley Cooper in a similar story and role, told it a little bit better. It did keeps the story at a realistic level. Even when it approaches the crazy at the end, we can still believe what we are seeing. I'm surprise to see that the NFL allow the movie to even show the Giants in a fiction based negative light and other teams. Do note, while the movie revolves around the NFL, you don't see a single NFL logo on display, nor a moment of actual sports action through the film. The NFL wouldn't even allow them to film in the stadium. So there were some limited to what they were able to do in the film. While this movie didn't had the budget, Silver Lining or the Fan did, it did get me hook to the story. I would have preferred a darker story simply because that is what I went in expecting, but I was OK with the results. It felt boring at times. Most of the best blitz conflict scenes just happens to be near a toilet in an odd way. The comedy tone is all over the place, and never really working. The film falls to tie up so many of the loose ends in Paul's social and family life. The ending doesn't really solve anything. At less, it ask you, how far is Paul willing to take his obsession. It did had a good twist toward the end zone. For anybody who isn't a fan of the sport, there is a lot more to this movie, besides football. It is a character study. The movie is a upsetting and insightful commentary on the vaunted status how society afford to our media, some call "heroes," often at the expense of our own sense of self-worth. Overall: a good watch, but somewhat a fumble.

You don't have to like sports to enjoy this movie.

[13Funbags · 7/10 · 11 June 2017]

I never knew this movie existed until Howard Stern mentioned it on his show last week. I'm glad he did because this was a good movie. Patton Oswalt is once again type-cast as the geeky guy who lives with his mom except this time he's a huge football fan. Michael Rappaport basically just plays himself, a mean spirited jerk, and Kevin Corrigan is once again type-cast as the barely noticeable, somewhat supportive best friend. Despite the three main actors not stretching at all for this movie, it still works somehow. Though I must say that Satan from Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell was disappointing as the police detective. This is definitely a movie you should see.

dark comedy downer

[bdp420 · 27 August 2009]

Well Patton Oswalt is a funny guy. I like his comedy and he's got a unique personality. This film is not exactly funny. It's written by the guy who wrote The Wrestler and its similar to it in many ways. He also directs for the first time and it's like he just followed the same mood that Darron Aronofsky used. Here we got the guy who's a football nut calling into to a radio show to boost his ego because he lives with his mom, he has one friend he hangs out with and they go to watch football in the parking lot of the NY Giants because they can't afford to get in. He's the Big Fan of the quarterback of the Giants and calls in to the local radio show to talk trash about any team playing them. Especially the Philly Eagles. HE practices his calls while working his crappy job as a parking lot attendant. The film drags a bit and the highlight is when he confronts a Phillies fan with a grudge. He's a loser 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 to get back in the game after his life turns out bad and lonely. This film is about resisting any change no matter how sorry the situation. I so want to like Patton doing a dark comedy, a little more humor and some kind of character build would have helped and proved Patton can act. It fizzles away before I can even decide what to think about it.

As an Eagles fan, I loved it!

[J_Trex · 7/10 · 4 September 2009]

Oswald Patton plays Paul, a 30 something pathetic loser living with his elderly Mom in her Staten Island home. He's a cashier in a parking garage, where he passes his time planning his next talk sports radio call in stint, the object of all his affections being the NY Giants football team, and their star player Quantrell Bishop, who he obsesses over. Paul has a particular hatred for the Philadelphia Eagles, and a rival radio caller, an Eagles fan named "Philadelphia Phil".

While out getting a bite to eat with his friend Sal, they spot Quantrell Bishop and decide to follow him all over Staten Island (where they see him making a clandestine visit to what could be a drug house) and into a Manhatten strip club, where Paul brazenly introduces himself as a 'big fan', and inadvertently lets Quantrell know he followed him in from Staten Island. Quantrell goes berserk and gives Paul a brutal beating, putting him in a coma for 3 days, with brain injuries that recur after the initial hospitalization.

Quantrell is suspended from the Giants for his aggravated assault, yet Paul refuses to help with the police investigation, because he wants Quantrell back on the field to help his beloved Giants beat the hated Eagles.

Much of the dynamic of the movie is between Phil, who doesn't want to prosecute, 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 a better life and, less importantly, because it's the right thing to do. The NY media and the police are also constantly harassing Paul for info regarding the attack.

The movie ands up with a dramatic denouement in South Philly, where Paul and Phila. Phil finally meet up with each other.

Some might find the film a bit too dark. Is this a comedy or what? It kind of reminds me of DeNiro's "King of Comedy", about a fan's obsession 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 watching this.

Oswalt surprises in basically serious movie

[jmydgeek · 9/10 · 24 September 2009]

Oswalt plays a guy you might call a loser, but his character wouldn't agree. He's not as over-the-top into loserdom as DiNiro in "King of Comedy." He's not delusional, in other words, just passionate. His team means more than anything to him, and if they are doing OK, he is content. In his world, he has status, and he's just not interested in anything outside that world.

I was surprised to see real acting going on, not comedy. (I won't say "just" comedy - that's hard as hell and takes real talent.) Nothing milked for laughs, nothing that broke the boundaries of the world of the story. A reviewer said Oswalt was "fearless", and I agree. William Goldman wrote of stars that you can never make their parts cool enough for them. That's why so many movies are so terrible. Oswalt has never seemed that interested in being cool. Instead, he dives into his character, as sympathetic or unsympathetic as the moment requires. Not a shtick: character.

It is a low budget production, but I felt it was adequate. The production values didn't hurt. And it is funny, just not 3 jokes / page of script.

Bittersweet, really.

[dfranzen70 · 7/10 · 27 April 2016]

What a poetically sad movie! Patton Oswalt is just amazing and sincere as a sad-sack loser who happens to be a HUGE FAN of the New York Football Giants. So much so that he and his pal Sal watch the games on an old TV in the stadium parking lot - presumably for the ambiance - rather than at home.

When the guys run into the team's star linebacker, they follow him surreptitiously - which leads to a cringe-worthy confrontation and, ultimately, Patton's Paul being beaten very badly. Now he's in an unenviable position: he can press charges, partly for the money and partly to teach these "thug athletes" (term from movie) a lesson, or he can let things go so that the Giants don't suffer as a team. This is a die-hard fan right here.

His family thinks it's not a tough decision. His local-celebrity brother, a personal-injury lawyer, certainly wants Paul to sue. His mom wants him out of the house (yes, he lives with his mom). But Paul feels a strange, strong loyalty to the player and the team, despite his severe injuries.

Oswalt is really amazing here. He's not funny. He's never funny. He's just the epitome of pathetic, and Oswalt's portrayal is as authentic as they come. There's so much to him as a character that the ending is an interesting surprise, too.

There's no on-field football action, so if you're looking for sportsing, you're out of luck. This is a character study, and is an exquisitely detailed one. A fine, if somber, movie.

Unbalanced Dark Comedy Is Mostly a Misfire

[evanston_dad · 5/10 · 28 January 2010]

"Big Fan" is an unpleasant movie about an extremely unpleasant man.

Patton Oswalt plays a dumpy 37-year-old loser who lives with his mother and spends his life living vicariously through the glories of the New York Giants. On a night out on the town, he and his buddy catch sight of their favorite player and follow him to a nightclub. When they approach him, a misunderstanding leads to Oswalt getting badly beaten by him. But he refuses to take legal action against him despite the admonishments of his family, because he'd rather see his favorite player able to lead his team to a win than seek remuneration for himself.

"Big Fan" starts out as a low-key comedy, but gradually picks up dark overtones and seems like it's going to take its audience to some uncomfortable places. Oswalt's character comes across as a schlubby but mostly decent guy at first, but as the movie progresses, we start to wonder if he might be mentally unhinged. However, a cop-out ending lurches the film back into uneasy dark comedy, and basically asks us to find Oswalt's character endearing even though he's been nothing but off putting.

The tone is all over the place, the comedy never really working. If the film had acknowledged that Oswalt's character is a loser, and made some kind of point about the fine line that begins to separate hobby from obsession, it might have been more interesting. But it instead asks us to take his side, and seems to take the stance that his obsession is just the healthy interest of your everyday man-child. The movie goes out of its way to make Oswalt's family into obnoxious caricatures, and we're not supposed to like them because they think he needs to get a life, but guess what....his family seemed to me to make a lot of sense.

Pretty much the definition of a misfire.

Grade: C

The sports religion

[moviemanMA · 9/10 · 8 January 2010]

Patton Oswalt plays Paul Aufiero, the star of Big Fan, an indie drama about a New York Giants football fanatic. He eats and breaths blue and red and wants nothing more than for his team to go all the way. He works as a parking garage attendant where he takes money, opens the gate, and prepares his thoughts for the night's radio broadcast where he is Paul from Staten Island. He calls to give his opinion about the team, how they will win, and tells another fellow caller, Philadelphia Phil, a proud Eagles fan, that he can basically go eat his own shorts.

He lives at home with his mother where he is bombarded with ideas and images of a better life thanks to his well of brother (Gino Cafarelli), a lawyer, and his brother-in-law who keeps after Paul with a job offer that he doesn't want. Paul's only haven is with his best and only friend Sal (Kevin Corrigan). They share a love for the game and a love for their team. One night they spot Quantrell Bishop, Paul's favorite Giant. His idol of the gridiron. They see him coming out of a shady spot on Staten Island and decide to follow him all the way into a Manhattan night club. When they decide to approach they are met by a hostile Bishop who thinks they are stalkers. He beats Paul into the hospital where he is met by a barrage of questions from investigators and his lawyer brother. Now he is faced with the decision of turning a blind eye to what happened or pressing charges against his favorite player, likely causing his team a division title.

A round of applause to Oswalt for his performance. He really captured the spirit of his character. I am sure that there are many people out there similar to him (I can think of a few I know who border on this line of fan-hood). Oswalt is a stand-up comedian by trade, but lately has been dabbling with some acting roles. He was the voice of Remy in Pixar's Ratatouille, one of their better casting jobs, and I particularly liked his cameo on Comedy Central's "Reno 911" where he played a "gamer" like those from "World of Warcraft" and "Dungeon's and Dragons". Here he steps way out of his comfort zone and does so effortlessly.

This is a Robert D. Siegel's directorial debut. After writing the screenplay for last year's The Wrestler, he dives into a different sport: the sport of, well, watching sports. He presents us with another tragic character. Paul is someone who cares only for his team. Not himself, his family, or his future. He doesn't care for his job and he doesn't care about how he lives. He is a special kind of man.

Siegel does a nice job behind the camera, but his strength is clearly on paper. He does a great job establishing background for his characters. We know that Paul has been a die hard sports fan for a long time. We know that he has worked the same job and has lived the same routine for years and years. Little things like his mother saving Chinese food condiments and the cluttering of Paul's bedroom walls with sports paraphernalia give these characters a history. One that we can relate to and have seen before.

This is a nice little film that has an excellent story with an even better ending. I really enjoyed the struggle that Paul goes through with all of the different pressures around him, trying to persuade him to go against his will. An excellent achievement for both Siegler and Oswalt.

More than a sports movie

[john32935 · 7/10 · 20 January 2015]

I count myself as a big fan of Big Fan. If you watch it, you may too.

The story revolves around the title character's (Patton Oswalt in a very good star turn) rather depressing, boring life and his reasons for living, the NY Giants football team and his opportunity for notoriety via his "witty" banter on a sports radio call-in show. When he randomly spots, follows and approaches one of the team's stars, he unknowingly triggers a violent response. Rather than use this experience to change his view of his team, he denies any wrong-doing in an attempt to not cause HIS team any disruption on their march to the playoffs.

This character study is detailed and very realistic, with some interesting twists. Each of the minor characters also ring true, and one could easily picture this story as a slice of life for any number of anonymous sports fans. There is enough comedy (light and dark) and emotional sincerity that this movie will appeal to more than the sports fan.

Exposé of sports fanaticism has inspired moments of lunacy but needs better finale

[Turfseer · 5/10 · 23 February 2010]

Robert Siegel, the talented new screenwriter responsible for the indie hit, 'The Wrestler', now has written and directed his own feature on a limited budget. 'Big Fan' chronicles the misadventures of Staten Island resident Paul Aufiero, a fanatical New York (football) Giants fan who's in his mid-thirties and still lives at home with his mother. Paul works at a dead-end job as a parking attendant but has no interest in finding a new career. Instead, he pals around with Sal, his best friend, who is equally fanatical about the Giants. The obsessed couple reminds me of the hapless Garth and Wayne from Wayne's World in that they seem to revel in their social awkwardness.

The fun of 'Big Fan is to see just how far Paul will go in his obsession with his beloved Giants. A good part of the obsession revolves around Paul's late night calls to a New York sports talk radio station. He's earned a reputation as the special caller from Staten Island, mainly known for his aggressive put-downs of the Philadelphia Eagle football team as well as their fans (Paul has a particularly noxious rivalry with his counterpart in Philadelphia, who also makes numerous late night calls to the station). In his provincial world, Paul fancies himself the king of all Giant fans but doesn't have the self-confidence to speak spontaneously when he calls into the radio talk show (instead he writes down what he wants to say on a pad of paper and reads it over the air, only to have his canned speech interrupted by his mother who ends up castigating him over the phone while the radio audience can hear everything she says).

Due to their low paying jobs, Paul and Sal can't afford to buy a ticket and go inside the stadium to watch the Giants. Instead, they dutifully camp themselves out in the Giant parking lot and watch the game on a mini-TV set every week (Siegel was unable to gain permission from the NFL to film inside the stadium, so he created the above 'parking lot' scenario).

We break into the Act Two of 'Big Fan' when Paul and Sal spot one of their favorite Giant players, Quantrell Bishop, hanging out with some friends in the Stapleton section of Staten Island. Paul and Sal drive into the City following Bishop and his entourage in their limousine and they all end up at an x-rated club in Manhattan. Paul attempts to strike up a conversation with Bishop and possibly get a picture taken with him. Things go horribly wrong, when a drunken Bishop believes that Paul is some kind of stalker and ends up pummeling him to the point where Paul ends up in a coma for three days. Bishop is immediately suspended by the NFL and his fate is up in the air.

When Paul awakes from his coma in the hospital, his brother, a negligence attorney, wants to sue Bishop for $70 million. Naturally, Paul, the die-hard fan, will have nothing to due with the lawsuit much to the chagrin of his brother. Later, an NYPD detective pays numerous calls to Paul and finds that he's a totally uncooperative witness. Had this happened in real-life, Paul's identity would probably have been revealed in about a day's time and he would have been subject to intense media scrutiny. This is one of the major weaknesses in the plot. Instead, Paul's brother institutes the lawsuit without his permission and only after his brother takes action, does the media get wind that it's Paul who was involved in the incident at the strip club.

There are moments of inspired lunacy in Big Fan. I particularly liked the take-off on the infomercial created by Paul's brother. The nagging of Paul by family members is not far removed from reality and the hoarding of the soy sauce by Paul's mother is a classic commentary on the root of Paul's dysfunction. Kudos also to the 'Sportsdog', the manic talk show announcer who I'm told has a sports talk show in real life on Sirius FM radio. More could have been done with Paul's sidekick, Sal, who ends up as a glorified cheerleader and what about Bishop? He simply disappears after the incident at the club.

Big Fan becomes darker and less comic at the climax. After Paul's identity has been exposed and he's labeled a turncoat on talk radio, he feels he has to prove his 'loyalty' to the Giants so he puts on some 'warpaint' and drives to Philadelphia where he confronts the despised 'Philadelphia Phil' in a bar bathroom. At first it appears that Paul shoots Phil with a real gun which would have destroyed the entire comic tone of the movie; but as it turns out, the gun is merely a paint ball pistol and he ends up showering Phil with paint. Still, the scene underscores Paul's abject pettiness as he must resort to humiliating his rival by pretending that he's about to shoot him. The scene unfortunately makes Phil a much less likable and much more pathetic character as he resorts to violence to deal with his 'humiliation'. And one wonders if a character such as Paul would have done such a thing in the first place. After all, his goal is to prove to as many people as possible that he did not betray his team but his humiliation of Philadelphia Phil happens in a vacuum—no one else will ever get wind of what he did nor would anyone be impressed by his actions.

Big Fan would have been more successful if we come to like Paul at the end despite his obsession. Instead, the lovable loser morphs into someone who's mean-spirited. Siegel however is to be commended for satirizing the fanatics of our society who delude themselves into believing that what they have to offer is meaningful, when in reality their obsessions are reflective of a profound shallowness.

I can relate

[hall895 · 7/10 · 5 November 2010]

As an obsessive-compulsive New York Giants fan myself this one hits rather close to home. I can see a lot of myself in Paul Aufiero, the main character in this film. And that's somewhat scary because Paul Aufiero is unquestionably a complete and total loser. And probably at least a little bit deranged. OK, in all truth probably more than a little bit deranged. But you can relate to the guy, identify with him. Well I can at least. Your mileage may vary.

Paul Aufiero is in his mid-30s, works a dead-end job as a parking-lot attendant, lives with his mother and has no apparent goals or ambition in life. He lives for his football team. If the Giants win, he's happy. As "Paul from Staten Island" he calls sports-talk radio shows in the middle of the night, with his mother shushing him from the other room. He carefully scripts his phone calls down to the smallest detail, writing the whole thing down on legal pads while he works. It's all rather pathetic. But Paul of course doesn't see it that way. As Paul from Staten Island he's important, he has a voice. He sees his painstakingly thought-out radio speeches as being in fact quite brilliant. He has the unique, so he thinks, ability to explain to the world why the Giants are like totally freaking awesome and why the hated Eagles and his radio call-in rival Philadelphia Phil are total losers. So maybe his life's going nowhere but the Giants are winning, everything is good in Paul Aufiero's little world. And then it all goes horribly wrong.

While Big Fan is by no means a spectacular film it definitely works, thanks almost entirely to the performance of Patton Oswalt who plays Paul. There are supporting players sprinkled throughout but it's largely left to Oswalt to carry the film on his own and he succeeds. The film takes us inside the head of this strange little man. And being inside that head is a scary place to be. It's a great performance. In spite of the character's obvious failings you can't help but root for Paul. Unless maybe you're an Eagles fan but we all know Eagles fans aren't quite human so they don't really count. As Paul's obsession takes him into dark, dangerous territory there's a sense that we may see this guy just totally lose it. Whatever little grasp of "it" he had to begin with anyway. But the story has some final surprises in store for us and things wrap up happily enough. Happy for us anyway. Happy for Paul? How do the Giants look this season? That's all that matters. That's all that ever matters. I can relate.

How big is your love for your team?

[deloudelouvain · 7/10 · 9 October 2015]

Nice movie about how fanatic people can be when it's about their favorite sports team. It doesn't matter which sport it is, American football or soccer or whatever other sport. Some people dedicate their life to their team and if you are not one of them you probably won't understand this movie completely. I did, and I thought it was a nice movie about the dedication he has for his team, the NY Giants, and for one player in particular. Patton Oswalt plays Paul Auferio, hardcore fan of the Giants, that suddenly becomes a victim and the cause of the failing of his favorite team. He struggles with the things he should do. His family tries to convince him to go for the big money, but as a fan he is not interested in that. Very well done from Patton Oswalt. Nice to see him in a different role then we are used to see him. I enjoyed this movie, and I think even non sports fanatics will also enjoy it.

An Original Sports Comedy

[kennychaggerty · 6/10 · 14 February 2010]

For many Americans last weekend was one of the most important days of the year. You guessed it, The Super Bowl. So although I am not a fan of any NFL team and have yet to watch a game this year, I feel obligated to watch tonight's game. Why? Because the Superbowl is so much more than just two teams playing football. The Superbowl is in many ways a celebration of the American way of life. It is a day where people can forget about their personal troubles and spend their time with friends, eating pizza, drinking beer, and watching football. For most Americans they will be cheering for one team or the other, despite their favorite team being knocked out during the regular season or the playoffs. Yet for those lucky fans of the Saints or the Colts, they truly care about who wins and who loses. In some rare cases the level of team pride that fans have may match that of Paul Aufiero (Patton Oswalt) from Robert D. Siegel's Big Fan (2009).

Big Fan follows a character who literally lives for New York Giants football. Although Paul doesn't have the money to go to the games, he makes the effort to head to the stadium to cheer for the Giants. Despite being a 36 year old parking garage teller who lives with his mother, he makes it clear to his family that he is satisfied with his life. One day while at a gas station, Paul sees the Giants starting quarterback and decides to follow him all the way across New York in order to express how big of a fan he truly is. However, when he finally meets the star player and tells him how he traveled hours just to say hello, the quarterback becomes enraged and hospitalizes Paul for a week. As a result the quarterback ends up being charged with aggravated assault and is suspended by the National Football League. This leaves Paul with a tough decision, sue the quarterback so that he can make millions of dollars and start a new life or let it go so the star player can continue to help the Giants get to the Superbowl.

Most sports movies focus on the success of a particular team or player, so the idea that sports are not simply about the players themselves but about the fans and the city the team represents is an original and refreshing concept. Yet while watching Big Fan I couldn't decide whether to feel sorry for Paul or laugh at him. Although Paul seems satisfied with his life, you have to wonder whether it is because he actually likes being a fan or because he has never been able to experience anything better. The scenes showing the conflict between Paul and his mother are easily the funniest in the film. She can't understand how Paul is content with living the way he does and he can't understand how she just can't seem to let it go.

What makes this film superior to most other comedies is the great cast of characters. It is as if every actor and actress was born to play the character they portray. This is especially true for Oswalt, who plays the lead better than anyone that comes to mind. So although this film only contains a few laugh out loud moments (mainly between Paul and his mother), the relationships between the different characters kept me interested and entertained for 90 minutes. If you have Instant Netflix, add Big Fan to your queue because it is well worth your time.

We came all the way from Staten Island Big Fan

[jaredmobarak · 6/10 · 10 January 2010]

Don't underestimate the talent of Patton Oswalt. Playing a 36-year old man that lives with his mother, works a dead-end minimum wage job, and lives only for the New York Football Giants; this comedian delivers the goods on dark depression. It is always a pleasure to see an actor that has been pigeon-holed into one genre branch out and show the possibilities of range that have never been discovered. With Big Fan being written and directed by the former editor-in-chief of The Onion, I guess it makes sense. Himself originally at the head of a satirical news source, Robert D. Siegel has found himself as the screenwriter for the acclaimed drama The Wrestler and now at the creative center of his own feature debut. We may say he took a chance at an unproven dramatic talent, but perhaps he knew something we did not, some semblance of that inner suffering and inability to care about self-worth beyond the happiness of the one thing always there for him—football.

Oswalt is Paul Aufiero, an uneducated yet passionate man. All facets of his life have had their growth stunted except for his die-hard fandom for the G-Men. Attending every home game—in the parking lot with a TV rigged to the car—owning Giants memorabilia from clothing to cell phone case, and calling into the local radio station each night to prove his faith in the team, Paul lives and breaths the blue and red. Looked upon by best friend Sal, another fine performance from the unheralded Kevin Corrigan, as an intelligent and quick-witted guy, the truth is that he is indecisive, lonely, and scared. Every 'eloquent' diatribe that he calls in with has been written down in his notebook first, rampant with spelling errors and incorrect verbiage, then edited and rewritten. Attacking a faceless 'Philadelphia Phil' who participates in the show to rile up the New Yorkers listening in, Paul imagines that he lives the high life, adding something to the winning ways of his team and being the absolute biggest fan they have.

But it all comes crashing down one night in an evening that could have been a dream come true. Standing across the street while eating pizza, the two Staten Island residents see Paul's favorite player, five-time Pro Bowl linebacker Quantrell Bishop. These are two grown men, however, now looking at a man they idolize from afar. A lifetime of disappointment and insecurity has left him unprepared to approach a celebrity figure, let alone show appreciation without coming off as stalkers. Following him all the way to the city for over an hour does not help matters, but accidentally admitting the fact to Bishop is even worse. The star athlete feels violated and, in his drunken state, beats Paul up to within an inch of his life. So, now we have an over-exuberate fan destroyed mentally and physically by his hero—possibly left with brain damage from the fight and now made to watch his Giants play without their star, sending them off onto a prolonged losing streak. Paul must then face the social and judicial consequences of the incident, wrestling with the fact that if he sues or presses charges, his team might lose all hope of making the playoffs.

Oswalt's character goes from superstitiously carrying his team on his shoulders, just by being in the parking outside while they play, to literally being at the center of their current implosion on the field. He plays the role so well, a childlike naivety consistently on his face as he laughs through the pain. His family, including a lawyer brother, doesn't understand his thought process or how he can seriously put the wellbeing of the team above his own. They watch as he slowly hides from the problem, hoping it will go away. Paul feigns amnesia with the police and self-righteousness with his family, but the anger continues to build up inside, boiling for its eventual release. We see that it will all have to come out sooner or later with uncontrolled outbursts leaving his mouth left and right. His scripted radio call-ins become weak and incoherent, his speech with Sal hostile. There becomes only one thing for him to do, but I feel as though Siegel took the easy way out in regards to that conclusion and didn't quite live up to the pitch-black horror his plot was progressing towards.

I do believe that Big Fan deserves to be seen for Oswalt's performance alone, hopefully proving to be only the first of many serious roles for him in the coming future. All the acclaim thrown his way is warranted, but the film itself may be a tad too weak in its resolution to be an unequivocal success. Perhaps it was the need to infuse humor or the fear of alienating his audience, I just wish the end had more gravitas, something that could easily have been rectified, excising the twist thrown in for the event we imagine will happen. Siegel does undeniably show signs of talent, though. Getting the performances here speaks wonders for that fact, but certain sequences help the cause as well. The entire part in Philadelphia's Sharkey's bar at the end is beautifully shot in chaotic close-up, commencing with a stunning entrance for Oswalt in slomotion, the lights and reflections shining through. Michael Rapaport's integral supporting role also becomes fully realized here, finally pitting the two antagonists of the radio war together, face to face. Paul needs retribution and he does so in the only way he knows how. I just wish the stakes were higher; elevating the finale to a resounding crescendo rather than the quasi-meaningful whimper it delivers.

a profound and thoroughly remarkable character study marked by a magnetic performance of Patton Oswalt

[manicman84 · 9/10 · 25 March 2010]

Big Fan stands as a profound and thoroughly remarkable character study marked by a magnetic performance of Patton Oswalt. He excels as Paul Aufiero, a life-long fan of New York Giants being brutally hit by one of Giants' top players in a strip club. Oswalt is equally sympathetic and believable starring as this deeply troubled character. His performance is the chief, but thankfully not the only reason to see Big Fan. Writer-director Robert Siegel regards the sports fanaticism as an addiction and that gives his film the necessary gravitas: its power and its credibility. The script is devoid of clichés with many well-observed situations thrown in and several ingenious twists you won't see coming. As a result, you observe Paul falling into decay with great anxiety combined with care. Siegel crafts a subversive comedy, funny and bleak in equal measures. It also works as a peculiar take on the pathology of sports mania.

Drama is Easy, Comedy is Hard.

[dunmore_ego · 7/10 · 17 August 2011]

I'm no fan of Patton Oswalt as a comedian. But what a remarkable dramatic actor! Oswalt plays Paul Aufiero, the eponymous BIG FAN of the New York Giants, whose favorite player, Quantrell Bishop (Jonathan Hamm) nearly fatally bashes Paul one night for seemingly stalking him.

(If someone really hates you, that is presumably "reason" enough they might do you harm; ironically, if someone really really really loves you, that is ALSO reason enough.) Rather than bring a lawsuit against Bishop, which would mean Bishop's suspension and therefore the crippling of Paul's favorite team, Paul drops all charges and pretends amnesia to a nosy detective.

Written and directed by the writer of THE WRESTLER (Robert D. Siegel), BIG FAN is a hard closeup of the pathology and pathos of being so deep into a fantasy that the real world cannot compete let alone offer any solace.

Like director Darren Aronofsky simply followed The Wrestler through his mundane workday, Siegel reveals Paul's tics and quirks simply by training his camera on him: Paul sits in his toll booth composing screeds to deliver on sports radio call-in shows; when he does call in, his delivery actually sounds scripted (testament to Oswalt's talent), yet his best friend listening in, Sal (Kevin Corrigan) believes him to be a prophet; Paul and Sal regularly catch Giants games - from a portable TV in the Giants Stadium car park, cheering as wildly as if they're in the bleachers; Paul lives with his nagging mother (Marcia Jean Kurtz), holed up in a small bedroom which offers no privacy. The tragicomedy is cringeworthy.

Gino Cafarelli plays Paul's lawyer brother, who complicates matters when he brings charges against Bishop without Paul's consent; Serafina Fiore brings her outsize breasts to the role of Paul's sister-in-law (I still cannot understand why women with outsized fakes believe anyone would take their "acting" seriously when faced with their elective surgery orbs of distraction); Matt Servito ("the lovely Agent Harris" from THE SOPRANOS) is the nosy detective who cannot understand why Paul is protecting Bishop.

Tension and black humor drives the last act, with some twists that nicely augment Paul's dementia, as he seeks revenge not on Bishop, but on a rival team's fan (Michael Rappaport). And Patton Oswalt delivers with a surprising conviction that makes me wonder why he chose comedy as his career when drama is so clearly his forte.

Where Patton Oswalt Actor is concerned - I'm a BIG FAN... Now where's my gun?...

I know it was low budget but....

[phat_cat · 3/10 · 10 September 2010]

I gave this movie a chance on the movie network on demand. I already knew this was a low budget film and I have seen the main character do his stand up routine so I wasn't expecting much. I was interested in the beginning of the movie as it seemed to have a nice premise and good character development. After 25 minutes in or so I was thinking to myself what am I watching? Where is this movie going? And why hasn't it started to go there yet? The plot was building very slowly. And some consider this a comedy, I didn't even realize this until I read up more about the movie. The only thing this movie has going for it is the very ending where he shoots the eagles fan with a paint gun, that was a twist I was not expecting. And the main character really showed his ability of an actor in the ending scene. This movie could have been better in my eyes if they would have had one or two more 'exciting' parts to it like the ending.

Patton Oswalt makes a touchdown when it matters...

[the_rattlesnake25 · 8/10 · 8 January 2010]

Simplicity is a rare commodity in today's fast moving, conglomerate world, but for Paul Aufiero (Patton Oswalt) there's only one thing that matters in his life. Everything else is irrelevant in comparison and it isn't his wife, or his child, or his family in general; it is the American Football team the New York Giants. As the self-proclaimed 'biggest Giants fan ever' Paul lives, breathes, shouts, screams, and sleeps everything about the team. He even situates a poster featuring his favourite player Quantrell Bishop (Jonathan Hamm), the Giants quarterback, above his single-bed. But when an opportunity arises to meet Quantrell, the player mistakes Paul for a stalker and violently strikes out causing his instant hospitalisation. Once released he has to come to terms with the fact that his simple, linear life is now starting to crash around him, like a fumble in the final moments of the Super Bowl, as his family, the media and the team all want a piece of the Giants 'Big Fan'.

Written and directed by Robert Siegel on a minimal budget, 'Big Fan' is a surprising independent gem that attains the majority of its prowess from an outstanding offensive performance by Patton Oswalt as the man who lives for the Giants. His support is monumental as he travels week in and week out to merely sit in the car-park outside Meadowlands Stadium and watch the game on a portable TV with his right-hand fan Sal (Kevin Corrigan). While he spends his job as a parking attendant writing up witty remarks to use on the Sports Dogs nightly call-in Sports show – of which one participant called Philadelphia Phil becomes Paul's nemesis over-time. There banter over the airwaves becomes one of the biggest driving forces of Paul's life while he isn't thinking about the next game. But after the assault takes place, his loyalty, and in turn his life starts to become torn apart. His family want him to turn the event in an opportunity to sue the player; the local authorities want him to press charges against quarterback, while the team are on a losing streak as Quantrell has been suspended while the investigation is on-going. All the while, all Paul wants is to support the team and nothing more. He doesn't have the greed and the ambition that others do. To him the Giants are his life-support machine, and if you take those away he would flat-line in an instant.

While Oswalt's performance is mesmerising, Robert Siegel's writing and direction must also be commended. His script is honest and straight-to-the-point, he captures it captures all the awkward events of Paul's life perfectly, including the argument between the brothers on the toilet. While he uses the space of the world around him perfectly to capture Paul's subtle isolated life brilliantly and at the same time Siegel also uses the, sometimes overtly exaggerated, close-up shot to portray the characters emotions within this one man's own perfect universe. 'Big Fan' is low budget, high impact film that thrives off a gleaming central performance by Patton Oswalt, and is definitely one of the best independent films of the last couple of years.

Oswalt nicely pathetic

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 24 June 2016]

Paul Aufiero (Patton Oswalt) is a hardcore New York Giants football and a parking lot attendant. He lives with his mother in a combative relationship. He and his best friend Sal (Kevin Corrigan) listen to the games in the stadium parking lot. He even calls into sports radio with prepared comments. One night, he sees his favorite player QB Quantrell Bishop at a gas station. He and Sal follow Bishop to a strip club. They introduce themselves but it goes horribly. Bishop beats up Paul sending him to the hospital. The police wants him to press charges and the team suspends Bishop. Oswalt plays a pathetic character great. The movie sets him up for a compelling meeting with his hero but it never comes. This is an indie with limited ambitions and it is able to meet them.

Incredibly bad movie, from beginning to end

[mtiago-sh · 1/10 · 6 January 2010]

I'm sorry to disappoint all of this movie-fans (8.0 on this???!), but i really see no point on this film. An idiot football-fan, who got beat up by his hero, who didn't want to get money, he is very poor and have no life, and all of this so his "hero" can play on the football team or not to get sued? And then, throwing ink like a child at the other guy and run? Stay in jail very happy? Maybe i've missed the point of the movie, that maybe stands for "yeah, be a football-idiot-dumb-poor- frustrated-fan, American dream!!!!" I want that hour and half back to my life, please! So, so so bad movie.... there's not any lesson on this film, it's really dumb, honest. peace out

A story recognizable to any sports geek, or any geek period

[wandereramor · 7/10 · 11 April 2012]

Most of the talk around this film has been about Patton Oswalt's surprisingly tragic turn as its central character, an obsessive sports fan whose idolization of his heroes is called into question. Most comedic actors try something "serious" eventually, but usually once they're much more established as stars than Oswalt is. And it's a good performance. It suits the film, too, something that we can laugh at but also recognize the inherent sadness of it. If you've ever been obsessed with something -- and who hasn't? -- you'll recognize yourself here, and how seemingly trivial things can become life or death.

Big Fan does feel a little slight, more like a stretched-out sitcom episode than an actual film. Most unfortunately, there's not enough plot, and the film has a tendency to paint in broad strokes. But if it's never really a transcendent movie, it's always an entertaining ones, equal parts pleasant and uncomfortable. A decent way to while away an afternoon and alienate the sports fans in your life.