Big Fan
Written and Directed by: Robert Siegel
Starring: Patton Oswalt, Kevin Corrigan, Michael Rapaport, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Jonathan Hamm

When Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler started to gain a lot of attention last year, people were pretty shocked to find out that the man who came up with the story and the screenplay was none other than Robert Siegel, former editor of the satirical newspaper and website, The Onion. How someone could go from peddling fake news to weaving such a dark, heartbreaking tale of redemption is beyond me, but if nothing else, Siegel certainly proved his versatility as a writer. Then he decided to take it a step further, and find out if he could not only write a script, but also direct it as well.

Following on the success of The Wrestler, Siegel managed to pull together a fairly low budget independent production for his directorial debut, Big Fan. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and once again, turned out to be another gloomy character study set in the world of sports. However, whereas The Wrestler was all about a man who used to be in the spotlight, trying to get it back, Big Fan takes the perspective of someone who is outside that spotlight, looking in: the die hard fan.

Paul Aufiero (Patton Oswalt) is just your average New York Giants fan. Every Sunday, he’s either at a tailgate party or watching the game on TV with his buddy Sal (Kevin Corrigan). During the week, he spends every waking moment listening to talk radio, preparing diatribes and rants that he can call in and deliver on the air. He’s 36 years old and still lives at home with his mom, who nags him about finding a girlfriend and a better job, but he doesn’t care. He just wants to watch football. One night, a chance encounter with star linebacker Quantrell Bishop leads to a misunderstanding in a New York City nightclub, and Paul finds himself faced with the agonizing realization that maybe his hero isn’t the man he thought he was.

Casting Patton Oswalt in the lead role was an interesting choice, and perhaps a bit of a risk, considering that he is mostly known for his stand up comedy and his role on the sitcom The King of Queens. Fortunately, he turns in a strong performance here, continuing to build on some of his smaller dramatic roles (ie. Observe and Report, United States of Tara). Although Oswalt is not a sports fan in real life, he is a self-confessed geek, and in a way, I think that informs his portrayal of Paul. Plenty of hardcore sports fans are really just wanna-be jocks who feel the need to belong. Oswalt certainly pulls off the lonely and alienated vibe quite well, and for the most part he keeps his intensity hidden just below the surface.

As you can probably guess by now, Big Fan is not a comedy, and anyone expecting broad laughs will be sorely disappointed. Although there are comedic situations, Oswalt is generally the straight man. Most of the comic relief comes from Paul’s family, who seem to be based on various Staten Island stereotypes. His mother (Marcia Jean Kurtz) is an overbearing Italian woman, while his brother (Gino Cafarelli) is a slimy personal injury lawyer who has a trophy wife with fake breasts (Serafina Fiore). Kevin Corrigan is great as his agreeable sidekick Sal, while Michael Rapaport is the perfect choice for Paul’s obnoxious rival Philadelphia Phil.

Big Fan brings up some interesting questions about the nature of celebrity and fan culture. There are plenty of testosterone-fueled athletes out there who have such huge bank accounts and egos that they think they are above the law. Shouldn’t they be held accountable for their actions? On the other hand, sometimes fans can get too close and cross that thin line between public and private. Is Paul’s obsession dangerous or unhealthy? Siegel doesn’t claim to have the answers, he just leaves it for us to judge.

The movie is pretty bare and straightforward; there are no overly complicated plot twists, and it doesn’t ever really step into thriller territory except towards the end. For the most part, it’s just an unsettling drama, with traces of dark humour rooted in reality. There is a stretch of the film after the “incident” occurs where we simply watch Paul’s internal conflict play out, perhaps for a little too long. The movie is short as it is (86 minutes), but it felt like it could have used an additional curve ball or two. The ending is also pretty predictable, but fortunately there is a minor twist that keeps things from getting too melodramatic.

Siegel’s inexperience as a director is evident in Big Fan, and visually speaking, the movie leaves much to be desired. However, for what is literally his first time ever behind the camera (he hadn’t even directed any short films before this) it’s a pretty commendable job. Obviously it’s totally unfair to compare this to The Wrestler; Aronofsky’s vision and Rourke’s powerhouse performance take that film to a whole other level. Here, Siegel has still managed to capture another facet of the dark underbelly of sports, and the movie is an absorbing watch even if it doesn’t pack quite the same emotional wallop as his previous script. Big Fan is definitely worth checking out… especially if you happen to be a fan of the Giants. — Sean

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