Robert Siegel could have made a documentary using me for Big Fan. I suspect it would have been cheaper to follow me around for an entire football season and watch me dedicate my entire life to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Much like Patton Oswalt’s Paul, I spend my entire week thinking about the next game with the excitement of a win, or the disappointment of a loss racking my mind all week. In addition, my Terrible Towel follows me everywhere, every day of the season and that includes non-game days. Safely, not safety, I can say I got a nice kick out of Siegel’s film as he crafts what it’s like to be a die-hard fan of a sports team. From one fan to another, he hit the nail right on the head.
Before the meat of the story is discussed, the focus will be on how Siegel crafted this story. It goes without saying he does a wonderful job of shooting the picture and has solid composition, particularly his nighttime shots. Nothing looks or feels cheap as cinematographer Michael Simmonds makes sure everything has a three-dimensional look. The photography gives off a very Michael Mann vibe with the way Simmonds uses hand-held cameras and how he composes his shots. Of course that’s a beautiful thing, but these guys make it their own (something Mann’s student Peter Berg seems to not understand.)
Siegel’s been criticized for showing ‘inexperience’ but I’m throwing the challenge flag down on that. He actually does a nice job of following the “show don’t tell” rule that some filmmakers tend to forget. For instance one of the opening shots is of Paul writing down what he’s going to say on the radio. It’s all written down very poorly and, coupled with his crummy job, gave me the impression Paul isn’t well-read. Furthermore, the portrayal of his brother’s family shows money can’t buy it all. Siegel takes this one step further and writes Paul’s sister-in-law (Serafina Fiore) some fake boobs and what looks like some work on her lips. One can’t call Siegel a seasoned vet, but considering how he shows these things, it’s inexperienced to call him, well, inexperienced.
Siegel has also been accused of borrowing from Scorsese, particularly Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy. Fortunately he’s guilty as charged – but that doesn’t mean he blatantly rips those movies off. Quite the opposite; he takes the ideas of those pictures and morphs them into a satire of fan culture. The scary thing is that Siegel gets a lot of this down pretty accurately, to where one can believe a fan might take it that far. It’s totally plausible that Paul and his “yes-man” Sal (Kevin Corrigan) would follow Giants superstar Quantrell Bishop (Jonathan Hamm) around and all but stalk him. Even still believable is that after Quantrell assaults him, Paul refuses file charges against his idol.
While it is against his personality type, Patton Oswalt seems like a perfect fit as Paul Aufiero. He may not be a fan of sports but Oswalt certainly has us buying that he’s the ultimate Giants fan – even outside of the part. He excites himself by being on the radio nightly, and that seems very genuine and unforced. Unlike his silmeball brother though, he’s happy that all he really has is pride for the Giants. Kevin Corrigan provides a fine performance as Sal, and it’s nice to finally see the man get some bigger roles. Marcia Jean Kurtz is both hateable and wonderful in her role as Paul’s mother with Gino Cafarelli flawlessly capturing the sliminess of Jeff, the aforementioned brother. Jonathan Hamm captures the aura of a big shot, ego-fueled NFL player and reminded me of the recently reinstated Michael Vick.
Speaking of Vick and his new team, Paul’s rival in the movie is a character named Philadelphia Phil, who lives and dies for the Eagles, obviously. He’s played by Michael Rapaport and he’s the best achievement the film can laud. While there’s a lot to love about the movie, Rapaport just kills his role as that absolutely annoying fan who’s a prick just to be a prick. He may be as die-hard as Paul, but he gets his kicks by insulting Giants fans and all their worth. Rapaport is the perfect villain, degrading Paul and the Giants as if they had murdered his family (which, truthfully, is how most rival fans act toward the others). Unlike Paul, though, Philadelphia Phil isn’t likable, from when we first meet him. He’s a pure douche, and one who thinks he owns the Philadelphia bar he visits every weekend. He’s the fan you want to to hate, and Rapaport delivers an award-worthy turn in the role.
All of this praise, and we’ve yet to discuss the humor in the film. While Siegel didn’t intend for this to be a comedy, the film does have some solid laughs in it. The club scene in particular, as Sal and Paul watch Quantrell chill with his homies while two gorgeous women hit on both of them. Instead of being on them like white on rice, Paul and Sal basically tell them to “go away” while they admire Quantrell. Also hilarious is Paul’s showdown with Philadelphia Phil, which let’s just say is something I would have liked to have done to a certain Titans player for stomping on the Terrible Towel last year.
Big Fan should be seen by sports fans to give them a nice look at themselves. It’s also a safe venture to urge die-hard fans of anything – be it sports, comics, or a famous property – to examine the film as well. The nature of what fans will go through has been perfectly captured and satirized here and it’s tough to not get something out of it. On a personal note, Big Fan let me know that I truly am as die-hard as I claim to be about the Steelers as I did see a lot of myself in Paul.
Unfortunately, I’ve learned nothing as I continue to support the team just as much as Paul will support his Giants.
