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Patton Oswalt, Kevin Corrigan, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Michael Rapaport, Matt Servitto ... see more see more... , Gino Cafarelli , Serafina Fiore , Jonathan Hamm , Joe Garden , Polly Humphries , Scott Ferrall , Caroline Gallo , Maya Louise Dispensza , Sidne Anderson , Julian Lane , Cookie Bradshaw

A parking garage attendant and lifelong New York Giants fan finds his life spinning out of control following an altercation with his favorite football player in this darkly comic drama starring Patton... read more read more... Oswalt. For 35-year-old Staten Island native Paul Aufiero (Oswalt), sports are a religion. Paul still lives with his mother, he's the self-proclaimed "world's biggest New York Giants fan," and he spends most of his spare time calling in to the local sports radio station 760 "The Zone," where he can frequently be heard bickering with his contentious on-air nemesis Philadelphia Phil (Michael Rapaport), a fervent Eagles fan. Berated by his family for his obsessive love of sports, Paul retorts that they simply cannot appreciate the responsibility that goes with being the New York Giants' number one fan. One night, Paul and his best friend, Sal (Kevin Corrigan), spot Giants linebacker Quantrell Bishop (Jonathan Hamm) at a local gas station and impulsively follow his SUV to a Manhattan strip club. Once inside, the two friends bask quietly in the presence of football greatness before cautiously approaching their idol. When things don't go as planned and Paul winds up in the hospital, the resulting media frenzy finds him questioning everything he believes in just as his beloved team begins preparing for a late-season showdown with the Eagles. Former Onion scribe and Wrestler screenwriter Robert D. Siegel makes his feature directorial debut with this film, which he also scripted. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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59% liked it

32,662 ratings

Critics

88% liked it

85 critics

R, 1 hr. 25 min.

Directed by: Robert D. Siegel

Release Date: August 28, 2009

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DVD Release Date: January 12, 2010

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Stats: 1,057 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,057)

  • fb100002359227440
    November 19, 2011
    fb100002359227440
    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 ... read morebeginning to the end. Fresh.
  • fb1038944442
    November 16, 2011
    fb1038944442
    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 awa... read morereness. .

    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.
  • blkbomb
    July 10, 2011
    blkbomb
    Paul Aufiero: He was rusty.

    Upon a second viewing of Big Fan, I liked it a lot more than I remember. I believe a lot of the negative ratings come from people going in expecting a laugh a minute comedy; when Big Fan is more of a dark drama with some comedic moments.

    Patton Osw... read morealt was perfectly casted as Paul Aufiero. He's a big fan as you might expect from the title. He scripts out what he's going to say all day before making his calls into the Sports Dog; his favorite sports radio program. He's such a big fan that he goes to the stadium every Sunday just to sit out in the parking lot and watch the game on television. He calls his team(New York Giants) we, like he has something to do with their success or failure. Kevin Coorigan is also perfect as Paul's friend Sal, an equally big fan who is Paul's one and only friend.The drama begins when he gets to close to his hero and favorite player. After an altercation which results in his heroes suspension, he has a choice to make, him or his team.

    Big Fan is a really good black comedy and it reminds me a lot of another movie I recently watched, Film Geek. Both movies center around a guy who has let his respected passion take over his life completely. Big Fan is much more enjoyable then Film Geek though, and really deserves a viewing or two.
  • bottcorecords1
    March 23, 2011
    bottcorecords1
    NFL fans can be pretty rabid at times, but there exists a special breed of sports fan, one whose whole life is consumed by the game, that goes beyond rabid. Take Paul (Patton Oswalt) for example. He's a 36 year-old parking garage attendant whose time is occupied by the New York... read more Giants and the Giants alone. There are no other interests or hobbies, and his friends and family come a distant second. He makes weekly calls to a sports talk radio show, for which he spends much of his free time writing down what he wants to say on his next call. Things come to ahead when he and his friend Sal (Kevin Corrigan) see his idol, Quantrell Bishop (Jonathan Hamm) at a gas station and begin following him across town. After following to a strip club, a misunderstanding arises, and Paul lands in the hospital with a concussion. This leads Paul to a great dilemma: whether to press charges and hurt the Giants in the play-offs, or let Bishop get off scott-free after practically murdering him. You won't find any profundity in Big Fan, just an indie film that takes a shot at the atypical sports fan. Oswalt manages to achieve the right amount of psychosis for his character, from the disturbing blinking to his random outbursts. Is it a dark comedy or simply a dark movie? I'm leaning towards the latter.
  • cosmo313
    March 18, 2011
    cosmo313
    Writen and directed by Robert D. Siegel (who wrote The Wrestler), Big Fan is a dark dramedy (emphasis on drama) about the nature of being a fan of something, and how it can dominate one's life. This charming little indie film is a nice character study that I'm sure plenty of peop... read morele can relate to in some way, especially sports fans.

    Despite having an uneven tone, this small, quiet film makes a good case for why Siegel is someone to watch, and why Patton Oswalt deserves more work/recognition. The casting and performances are top notch, and, it probably helps that this is an indie- it just wouldn't be the same if it was a little more mainstream. The mainstream crowd may find something to enjoy here though.

    I really liked how this film got to be pretty unpredictable, especially towards the end (although some of the impact of the end is lessened by one quick shot...that I can't reveal for risk of spoiling). Aside from that, I really have no complaints...except for the tone (again). For a first feature though, this is some really good stuff worth checking out. Just make sure to be ready for something kinda dark and offbeat.
  • mjgildea
    January 4, 2011
    mjgildea
    A generally disappointing movie that couldn't decide if it wanted to be a comedy or a trip to the dark side. There were a few parts that I think were supposed to be funny but the overall grim and pathetic tone never really let me know it was okay to laugh. I felt like I was watch... read moreing a Taxi Driver and King of Comedy mash-up that never really got off the ground. All of this of course while being reminded of how truly retarded sports fans can be.
  • itsjustme2004
    October 14, 2010
    itsjustme2004
    Haha. wow. I can't believe that I liked this movie, cuz I never did like Patton Oswalt. However, I found this movie strangely compelling. This is one loser guy that really needs to get a life. Watching him slowly deconstruct was great. I have to admit that he did ok.
  • blacksheepboy
    June 10, 2010
    blacksheepboy
    Big Fan is a quite humorous look at the lonely life of a fanatic sports fan, and first-time director Siegel manages what I considered to be almost impossible: to make a poignant portrayal of a loser who does only think of football, a task that is helped mostly by Oswalt's terrifi... read morec performance.
  • axadntpron
    April 5, 2010
    axadntpron
    When I think Patton Oswalt, I don't think A-list. However, he handles himself will in the film. The first twenty minutes are fantastic and really set the tone for what could have been a five star film. Yet, while the film veered off course as it went on, it is still a fascinating... read more look into the psyche of a die hard sports fan.
  • cancercapricorn2002
    March 18, 2010
    cancercapricorn2002
    Robert D. Siegel's directorial debut Big Fan is as remarkable for what it isn't as for what it is, and that's something that's said with real, heartfelt admiration. The long-time editor and editor-in-chief of The Onion and writer of last year's incredible The Wrestler has made a ... read morefilm about an obsessive, lives-with-his-mom football fan (comedian Patton Oswalt) that examines the dynamic between athlete and booster that's serious and intelligent, without straying into the crazy stalker/murder territory covered by films like The Fan or Misery. A true on-the-cheap independent, the film is a quietly great character piece about a man having to make a difficult decision about the nature of his relationship to the team he loves.

    Paul Aufiero is a big fan of the New York Giants. He lives in a room with football posters in his mother's house, and works in a parking lot booth at night, where he scripts the calls he makes to the Sports Dog radio call-in show, where he engages in a rivalry with Eagles fanatic Philadelphia Phil. He and his best friend and fellow fan Sal (Kevin Corrigan) watch home games from the parking lot outside Giants stadium and away games in front of a chips and root-beer littered table in Sal's apartment. Paul is hounded by his mother, his successful litigator brother and his brother-in-law to do something with himself, to move out, but he seems content being a fan. After seeing their favorite player, Quantrell Bishop (Johnathan Hamm), at a gas station on Staten Island, Paul and Sal, fascinated, follow him into Manhattan, and into an expensive club. The pair gradually work up the courage to approach Bishop, and manage to introduce themselves, much to the derision of Bishop's posse. Paul explains that they followed him from Staten Island, which enrages the football player, who then puts Paul into the hospital. When he wakes up, Paul discovers that Bishop has been suspended from play indefinitely due to his actions, pending an investigation, and that the Giants lost. Paul must decide what to do: tell the police the details of the attack and doom his team to a lost season and personal humiliation at the hands of Philadelphia Phil, or forget the whole thing and move on.

    The discovery in the film is Oswalt who as Paul Aufiero has every opportunity to wring as many laughs as he can out of his character but more often than makes much more interesting choices. At the start of the third act, after the beating, Paul's brother (Gino Cafarelli) accuses Paul of being brain-damaged, and it's a sign of the quality of Oswalt's performance and Siegel's script and direction that that's not a joke or a throw-away insult. Paul Aufiero is a character that is totally familiar to anyone that's watched sports in a bar or listened to talk radio but is at the same time a total cipher, with occult, deeply felt motivations. Aufiero could very well be brain damaged but he could very well just be different, happy subsuming his self into the identity of fan, of true supporter. Oswalt's performance is fantastic. Siegel's direction is solid, wringing as much grit and realism out of a guerilla-style shoot in the parking lot of the stadium as possible, and it's a testament to his seriousness as a filmmaker that none of his characters - the slimy litigator brother, the nagging mother - are less than three-dimensional in a story where the audience all but expects broad types. Big Fan has some slow spots, some thin spots a small budget couldn't quite cover, but ultimately it's more than held aloft on the back of a great, smart script and a handful of great performances, Oswalt's chief among them.

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Critic Reviews

Linda Barnard
November 29, 2009
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star

First-time director Siegel shows promise. His script is solid, and although the last act feels somewhat awkward, the idea is clever. Full Review

Jonathan F. Richards
November 22, 2009
Jonathan F. Richards, Film.com

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 ... Full Review

Mick LaSalle
October 23, 2009
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

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 unaccountab... Full Review

J. R. Jones
October 2, 2009
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

Though the movie isn't much to look at, he gets a credibly dark and pathetic performance from the typically comic Oswalt. Full Review

Roger Ebert
October 1, 2009
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

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... Full Review

Ty Burr
September 18, 2009
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

A bleakly funny character study of a very particular species of urban fauna -- the sports radio call-in fanatic -- Big Fan is compulsively watchable. Full Review

Chris Vognar
September 11, 2009
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News

Oswalt nails Paul's mix of sadness and devotion, and Siegel gives the whole affair an air of gloom with just the barest hint of satire.

Kenneth Turan
September 10, 2009
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

Big Fan is a poignant, dead-on character study, an examination of a crisis in the life of the most die-hard of die-hard New York Giants football fans.

A.O. Scott
September 8, 2009
A.O. Scott, At the Movies

It's a modest, drab little drama about a psychologically unstable guy living in a sad little corner of America. Full Review

Michael Phillips
September 8, 2009
Michael Phillips, At the Movies

[Oswalt] is doing work here he has never done on screen. Full Review

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