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Big Fan

Play trailer Poster for Big Fan R 2009 1h 28m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
85% Tomatometer 89 Reviews 62% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Paul Aufiero, a parking-garage employee, is a huge fan of the New York Giants. He lives at home with his mother and spends much of his free time extolling the virtues of his favorite football team on sports radio. One night, Paul and his best friend, Sal, spy Giants linebacker Quantrell Bishop in their neighborhood and follow him to a strip club. Paul decides to approach his idol, but the encounter goes very badly.
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Big Fan

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Critics Consensus

Featuring Patton Oswalt's sympathetic portrayal, Big Fan humorously and effectively captures the dark and lonely world of a sports fanatic.

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Critics Reviews

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Linda Barnard Toronto Star 11/29/2009
3/4
First-time director Siegel shows promise. His script is solid, and although the last act feels somewhat awkward, the idea is clever. Go to Full Review Jonathan F. Richards Film.com 11/22/2009
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 obsessive as any religious fanatic. Go to Full Review Mick LaSalle San Francisco Chronicle 10/23/2009
3/4
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 unaccountably becomes an offbeat locus of dignity. Go to Full Review Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies 09/09/2024
4/5
Fifteen years later, Big Fan might show its age in some ways but it still holds up with a phenomenal Patton Oswalt performance. Go to Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review 08/25/2023
2.5/4
Paul’s fandom digs him into a hole, but he doesn’t learn anything from it [...] Big fans like Paul are dedicated no matter the circumstances, whether their teams are winning or not, and their resolve is scarily unshakable. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 09/01/2021
3/4
Big Fan stretches credulity in spots, but, for the most part, it manages to keep its eye on the ball. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Bucky R @Bucky3085 06/16/2025 At 80 minutes, it still felt long. It's a bit more appealing for NYG/PHI fans. See more Stephen J @RT39775380 11/29/2024 Patton Oswalt is miscast. This is a " B" movie for sure. Too much wasted time on several scenes, like walking through a bar, you sit and watch 10 minutes of Patton walking through a bar until he finds the person he's looking for. Ugh. Okay so some good points: his mother did a good job of acting. You are left with "how can a guy in his thirties be such a loser". That is one of the things the writer and director wanted to come across, and they got that across for sure. See more Herb F @herb.fuchs 08/24/2021 A bit violent but an interesting story about professional sports fans who take their enthusiasm a bit too far. See more dave s @RT68722908 11/24/2020 If you go into Big Fan expecting a Patton Oswald comedy, you will be deeply disappointed. Big Fan is a dark, brooding, and pensive character study of a man fanatically obsessed with the New York Giants, to the point where it impacts on all aspects of his life and those around him. If there is any humor, it is dark to the point where it is hard to see. The broader theme is clearly the danger of any kind of fanaticism, regardless of whether it is sports, religion, politics, etc and the negative impact it can have on society. Directed by Robert Siegel with great confidence, close-ups are used effectively and the periodically jarring editing helps give the viewer a sense of the protagonist's mental decline. This is a small but powerful film. See more bryan b @heybryan 07/11/2020 If you ever wondered who calls in to sports radio shows See more 11/06/2018 This film was almost good. See more Read all reviews
Big Fan

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Cast & Crew

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Robert D. Siegel

Director

Patton Oswalt

Paul Aufiero

Kevin Corrigan

Sal

Marcia Jean Kurtz

Theresa Aufiero

Michael Rapaport

Philadelphia Phil

Matt Servitto

Detl Velardi

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Big Fan

Big Fan (2009) Big Fan (2009) (L-R) Patton Oswalt as Paul and Marcia Jean Kurtz as Paul's mother in "Big Fan." (L-R) Patton Oswalt as Paul and Kevin Corrigan as Sal in "Big Fan." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Paul Aufiero, a parking-garage employee, is a huge fan of the New York Giants. He lives at home with his mother and spends much of his free time extolling the virtues of his favorite football team on sports radio. One night, Paul and his best friend, Sal, spy Giants linebacker Quantrell Bishop in their neighborhood and follow him to a strip club. Paul decides to approach his idol, but the encounter goes very badly.
Director
Robert D. Siegel
Producer
Jean Kouremetis, Elan Bogarin
Screenwriter
Robert D. Siegel
Distributor
First Independent Pictures
Production Co
First Independent Pictures, Big Fan Productions, Economy Pictures
Rating
R (Language|Some Sexuality)
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 28, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 2, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$234.4K
Runtime
1h 28m
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