Big Fan
| Big Fan | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Robert D. Siegel |
| Written by | Robert D. Siegel |
| Produced by | Jean Kouremetis Elan Bogarin |
| Starring | Patton Oswalt Kevin Corrigan Michael Rapaport Marcia Jean Kurtz Matt Servitto Serafina Fiore Gino Cafarelli Jonathan Hamm Polly Humphreys Scott Ferrall |
| Cinematography | Michael Simmonds |
| Edited by | Joshua Trank |
| Music by | Philip Watts |
| Distributed by | First Independent Pictures |
Release date | August 28, 2009 |
Running time | 91 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Big Fan is a 2009 independent drama film written and directed by Robert D. Siegel, and starring Patton Oswalt, Kevin Corrigan, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Michael Rapaport, and Scott Ferrall. The story revolves around the bleak yet amiable life of the self-described "world’s biggest New York Giants fan",[1] Paul Aufiero (Oswalt). Big Fan garnered positive reviews at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.[citation needed] The film had a limited release in the United States beginning on August 28, 2009.
Plot summary
Paul Aufiero (Patton Oswalt) is a parking garage attendant who lives with his mother (Marcia Jean Kurtz) in Staten Island, New York. Paul relentlessly follows the New York Giants football team and his favorite pastimes include going to Giants Stadium with his friend Sal (Kevin Corrigan) and watching the games on television in the stadium parking lot as well as calling the Sports Dogg's (Scott Ferrall) radio talk show as "Paul from Staten Island", where he rants in support of his beloved team, often against his mysterious on-air rival, Philadelphia Eagles fanatic "Philadelphia Phil" (Michael Rapaport). His family berates him for doing nothing with himself, but Paul disregards the scorn and happily makes football the focus of his life and crux of his identity.
One day, Paul and Sal happen upon Giants star player Quantrell Bishop (Jonathan Hamm) and his entourage in Staten Island. They follow him to a drug deal in Stapleton and into a strip club in Manhattan. Paul introduces himself to Quantrell, and all goes well until he discovers that Paul and Sal followed him all the way from Staten Island. Enraged, Bishop brutally beats Paul, who is hospitalized for his injuries.
After the incident, Bishop is suspended from playing indefinitely. Paul is pressed by his personal injury attorney brother Jeff (Gino Cafarelli), who files a multimillion dollar lawsuit on behalf of him, and NYPD Detective Velarde (Matt Servitto) into pressing charges against Bishop, but he refuses, due to the fact that it would adversely affect the Giants' performance on the field if he did so. The charges against Bishop are eventually dropped, and he is able to play again.
When Philadelphia Phil reveals on the Sports Dogg's show that the victim of the Quantrell Bishop beating is in fact "Paul from Staten Island", Paul heads for Philadelphia to confront Phil. Disguised as an Eagles fanatic, Paul meets Phil in a local bar and gains his trust as they watch the Giants and Eagles play in the pivotal final game of the season. As the Eagles dominate the Giants, the crowd in the bar begins to deride the Giants in increasingly enthusiastic fashion, to Paul's considerable consternation. As time runs out and the Eagles fanatics celebrate their victory, Paul follows Phil into the bath-room and pulls a gun on him, shooting Phil multiple times. It is revealed that Paul is actually wielding a paintball gun and Phil is covered in red and blue paint, the colors of the New York Giants.
Paul is arrested and imprisoned for the assault. Sal visits Paul in jail and reveals to him the Giants' schedule for the following season, and pointing out the week he gets released, much to the delight of Paul.
Cast
- Patton Oswalt as Paul Aufiero
- Kevin Corrigan as Sal
- Michael Rapaport as Philadelphia Phil
- Marcia Jean Kurtz as Theresa Aufiero
- Matt Servitto as Detective Velarde
- Serafina Fiore as Gina
- Gino Cafarelli as Jeff
- Jonathan Hamm as Quantrell Bishop
- Polly Humphreys as Christine
- Scott Ferrall as Sports Dogg
Reception
Big Fan has earned mostly positive reviews from critics. As of January 15, 2010, Rotten Tomatoes reported that 88% of critics gave the film a positive review.[2]
