The Fan Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
Fear strikes.
All baseball fans have a favorite player. This one has a favorite target.
Baseball's $40 million man has always treated the game like a matter of life and death. This time, it really is.
Three-times MVP baseball player Bobby Rayburn joins San Fransisco Giants, and obsessive fan, whose profession is selling hunting knives, Gil Renard is excited over that. But Rayburn plays the worst season of his career and Renard tries to do everything to help him, but goes too far.
| Robert De Niro | Gil Renard |
| Wesley Snipes | Bobby Rayburn |
| Ellen Barkin | Jewel Stern |
| John Leguizamo | Manny |
| Benicio Del Toro | Juan Primo |
| Patti D'Arbanville | Ellen Renard |
| Chris Mulkey | Tim |
| Andrew J. Ferchland | Richie Renard |
| Brandon Hammond | Sean Rayburn |
| Charles Hallahan | Coop |
| Dan Butler | Garrity |
| Kurt Fuller | Bernie |
| Michael Jace | Scalper |
| Frank Medrano | Leon, the Bartender |
| Don S. Davis | Stook |
| Tony Scott |
5.40 out of 10 (11251 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Flash...no substance
posted on 22 Jun 2009No question that Snipes and De Niro are fine actors. But the direction/cinematography in this movie gives the feeling of being a glossy rock video -- and not a very good one at that. So let's review...De Niro/Snipes are good actors...script is laughably bad...people behind the camera tried to divert attention from the script but it didn't work.Please see other movies under the "psycho stalker" category on IMDB ("Blue Steel," "Duel," etc.). They're much better
Disappointing
posted on 04 Jun 2009What a bad movie. I'm really surprised that DeNiro and even Snipes would be associated with something like this. If you're going to make a movie that involves baseball, and shows scenes of baseball, at least make the action look somewhat realistic. Why was the crowd always standing up for no particular reason during games? ***POSSIBLE SPOILER*** And the last scene in the movie....what was that? We are somehow led to believe that DeNiro has found his way onto the field in an umpire's uniform, and that the game is even being played in a torrential downpour....one of the worst ever scenes in a sports movie. 3 stars out of 10.
One of the most underrated films of the past decade and a gripping character study
posted on 19 Feb 2009No, I'm not joking.And no, I'm not just saying this because I'm a De Niro fan.I admit when he makes mistakes -- "Rocky and Bullwinkle" for example -- but the critics really took a beating on De Niro when this was released and I think the criticism was wholly unfair. In my opinion "The Fan" is one of the best thrillers of its kind, up until the messy conclusion (which is stupid, far-fetched and disappointing). It reeks of Hollywood interference - as if test screenings failed and the corporates demanded a re-shoot, or something.The rest of the movie seems too honest to deserve such a horrible ending. De Niro plays Gil, an obsessive baseball fan who takes a liking to newly recruited Giants player Bobby (Wesley Snipes), whose contract was some $40 million for the team. Others are skeptics, but Gil believes in Bobby, even after an injury lowers his batting average and fans everywhere cry bloody outrage.Gil decides to take matters into his own hands by "helping" Bobby -- until the baseball player turns on his fans and Gil feels betrayed and works up a revenge scheme.The plot summary for this may sound stupid, but I like it because of the depth added to the characters. The film really builds up insight into Gil, a failing knife salesman who has a strange obsession with the Rolling Stones, baseball and violence.In fact the subtleties are what make this movie succeed past others of its genre. We don't understand what's going on with the Rolling Stones at first. "Sympathy for the Devil" is playing on Gil's car radio and later some more songs, and then inside his room we catch a brief glimpse of a Rolling Stones shrine with pictures of Mick Jagger... maybe Gil is in fact a repressed homosexual? Or perhaps before he took a liking to baseball he stalked the Stones as well.It's my opinion that Gil is a continuation of the Travis Bickle character from "Taxi Driver." It's like seeing him 20 years onwards. The obsessions, compulsions and behavioral problems are all the same -- in fact, if anything, worse than before.I really do like this movie for the most part. Up until its conclusion it's well-made, a taught character study that doesn't rely on stupid action sequences for effect. It takes its time studying Gil and most of the film is indeed dedicated to revealing his true nature, which is rare for a Hollywood film these days, and especially rare for a Tony Scott film.I don't understand why all the critics hated this, I think it's one of my favorite guilty pleasures.
Don't like baseball? Watch it anyway.
posted on 04 Sep 2008Being from the UK, baseball is a sport I'm not particularly a big fan of. The sport though isn't important, the film is just great and can be enjoyed by even the most 'anti-baseball' person in the world!! Just as with Al Pacino's latest film, 'Any Given Sunday', the sport simply doesn't matter. De Niro is on top form, and though morally you know you should condone some of his actions in this film, you find yourself sympathising with him...until he really loses it! The (brief) scene where De Niro starts singing 'Start Me Up' by The Rolling Stones is (yet another) classic De Niro scene. Rating: Strike 3 out of 3.
Underrated. DeNiro plays another great S.O.B
posted on 01 Sep 2008The Fan is the polar opposite of Field of Dreams and I loved it. Baseball movies have no spine to them whatsoever, they tend to all ways follow the same Pride of the Yankees formula where Baseball is a fraternal sport in which everything is okay. The Fan digs deeper.Robert DeNiro plays Gil Bernard an odd knife salesman who loses the visitation rights to be with his son. Bernard vents his rage by following his San Francisco Giants religiously. Gil becomes obsessed with Bobby Rayburn, the Giants' new top paid center fielder. Rayburn believes in jinxes and wants his lucky jersey number back to end a slump. Gil gets it for him by killing his teammate. Gil confronts Rayburn who says his change of luck was due to his not caring anymore. Gil goes berserk and threatens to kill Rayburn's son if he doesn't due a Babe Ruth and hit a homer for him.DeNiro represents the Fan who turns to MLB as an escape from real life. His Gil is a tragic character who only lives for the game and focuses on what he could have been and what he wants to force his son to become. We don't necessarily agree with him but we can better see what makes this villain tick.Snipes Rayburn isn't a bad guy but he like the Arod's of day let's the fame get to his head. He undergoes a perspective change through the film as he questions what the game means to him.The Fan is a great dark satire of baseball. We see all the aspects that are there but are so often ignored. The greed of the players and their agents, the sports writers eager to sink their teeth into the slumping hitter, and the fathers who try to pressure their children to live their athletic dreams through them.My one complaint about the film is it's ending. It just seems far too over the top and unrealistic. Gil shouldn't have received that much attention at his death, it should have been a private confrontation between him and Rayburn.
Slick, and good looking, but lacking in substance
posted on 24 Jul 2008From the outset this film is well shot, it looks slick and you can tell who was at the helm. Unfortunately the story is quite weak, you feel no empathy for any of the characters, and the acting seems to be just enough to get the job done. I must say that Wesley Snipes acted better than he has ever done before, no action for him to fall back on this time. (I have to admit though, I am a Snipes fan!). Miss it.
Underrated
posted on 13 May 2008I just saw The Fan, and it has to be one of the most underrated films I have ever seen. Robert De Niro gives a fantastic performance as always, and Wesley Snipes' performance is great. The ending was alright, but the performances by De Niro and Snipes make up for it.
No Ball Player Wants A Fan Like Gil Renard
posted on 13 May 2008Bobby Rayburn (Wesley Snipes), an all-star baseball player who has signed a 40 million dollar deal with the Giants, thinks his life is perfect. What he doesn't know is that he has an overly obsessed fan named Gil Renard (Robert De Niro) who will make his life a living hell. Gil, a knife salesman with a short temper, slowly lets his life fall apart. After losing his job and his kid, he tries to help his favorite player get his reputation back. After all, stalking, killing, and kidnapping are normal things for an obsessive fan to do, right? Obsessive and crazy take a new turn in this edge of your seat drama. For the most part I enjoyed watching this movie. I think some fans are this crazy and know more about an athlete then they are aware of. Robert De Niro plays a great crazy guy, and Wesley Snipes does a great job playing a baseball player who deals with a crazy fan. What I didn't like about this movie is the way that Gil gets into all of this information about Bobby. In real life I didn't think it would be so easy for a fan to get access to where a player lives. He gets access to the bullpen to talk to Bobby on the phone and finds out where #11, another player Juan Primo (Benicio Del Toro), is relaxing at a local spa. How does he do it? He attacks his wife and busts into his house, where she later gets a restraining order and he still shows up at the games and nobody calls the police. Crazy people deserve to be locked up and in this case he doesn't get what he deserves. Watch out all famous athletes--the next psycho stalker fan may be lurking around the corner.
Not a bad film
posted on 01 Apr 2008Wesly Snipes usually ruins films with his 2 d acting, but this film he acts the role. De Niro is perfect as an Postal type salesman, who takes America's past time a little too far. I love the ending where the game becomes more than a game. Worth watching on TBS 6/10
"A Simple Thank You Would Have Been Nice"
posted on 18 Dec 2007This movie wasn't as bad as everyone says. I think it's safe to say that I am a fan of Robert De Niro, and that will certainly help if you like Robert De Niro to enjoy this movie. But I didn't enjoy this movie solely on the fact that I like De Niro, I thought Snipes gave an equally choice performance. The thrills in this movie were small, but they were satisfying. The ending is, without a doubt, the best part. There were other good thrills though, like the freezer scene. I must say that I liked this movie a good deal. Its is not without its flaws, but in order to enjoy this movie, and a lot of other movies for that matter, you must look past the flaws, and just take it for what it is. Enjoy this movie for its handful of thrills, decent acting, and great music (I am a big fan of the Rolling Stones also). This is a good no-brainer with a creepy overtone, so just watch it for its pros, not its cons. 8/10
The sharpest guy in town
posted on 09 Dec 2007Gil Renard is an unemployed knife salesman who has one burning ambition in life -- to be exposed as baseball's biggest fan, or, more accurately, as hitting sensation Bobby Rayburn's biggest fan. He will go to any length to protect his hero from the media and all other ramifications that stem from being paid an excessive $40,000,000 a year to play with the Giants. And this dedication to perfection, as his ex-boss puts it, is what leads to his partial schizophrenia and almost complete absorption into the world of an over-hyped celebrity. But when Renard realizes that his efforts and 'kindnesses' are not appreciated by his #1 idol, he turns on his role-model and viciously hunts him and his family down to the film's final climax.7/10
No "Fan"s in this movie..
posted on 06 Nov 2007*MANY MANY SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW* This movie was horrible. I am a huge baseball fan so I thought I'd watch it, and I was very disappointed. It started out okay.. When I saw the bad influence DeNiro had on his young son, I was hoping that he would become a better father throughout the movie or something. Anyways, at the beginning it seemed as if DeNiro was supposed to be the protagonist. He was the only one that believed in Bobby, and he had his adorable son that he was losing custody of, which gave me a reason to feel bad for him. He wanted to help Bobby by talking to Primo, when out of absolutely nowhere he brutally stabs Primo to death... Not to mention that sketchy reoccurring song "I WANT TO **** YOU!!!!" at random unfitting moments.Later, when DeNiro saves Bobby's son from drowning, I was hoping that the movie could redeem itself.. He could forgive himself for killing Primo if he saved Bobby's son. But of course this is far beyond the depth of the movie, because all he cares about is getting CREDIT for the murder, and does so by stealing Bobby's son, car, and dog and holding them hostage- Bobby just has to hit a home run and announce that DeNiro is a "true fan" while displaying a picture of him biting a knife.Now we get to the completely unrealistic scene at the end... It is pouring like hell and we are expected to believe that the game hasn't been called. Then DeNiro somehow magically appears on the field in an umpire suit and calls Bobby out at home, proceeding to pull out his knife and start stabbing everyone that runs onto the field. There are seemingly no officers on the field (but the police are on their way), so DeNiro steps on the mound and prepares to pitch a knife to Bobby when he gets shot to death. But don't worry, this cheerful and pleasant movie has a happy ending, because Bobby find his son.This is NOT a sports movie. It is NOT about a fan. As far as I know, fans are not rabid psychopaths that threaten, rob, and throw knives at their admirees. This is likely to be the sickest movie I will ever see in my life. The plot was shallow, the soundtrack sucked, the movie had no purpose whatsoever. I warn you not to waste your time on this disgusting excuse for a film.
Bad Story, Great Acting
posted on 23 Aug 2007The story of this movie is really crappy, I couldn't figure out why a fan of baseball would something like that. The story is just out of someone's mind, but the actings were superb by De Niro and Snipes! You might want to watch this when you have nothing to do.
Fascinating movie!
posted on 18 Jul 2007A fascinating movie which kept me seated all night. The look into the brain of an obcest fan and the pressure under which topathlets have to perform are well shown by De Niro and Snypes, although the ending is a bit sudden. I think i'll keep this one on tape to see it again sometime. Regards, Leo.
Not the best movie, but excellent performances
posted on 14 Mar 2007I saw The Fan after seeing Traffic and The Fan made me understand why Benicio del Toro won so many awards. Del Toro's body language, facial expressions, voice, and accent are so different that you can barely tell it's him. He is only in a fraction of the movie, but his immersion into his character is absolutely brilliant.(De Niro's and Snipe's performances were solid, as expected.)
brilliant performance
posted on 24 Feb 2007sorry i did not see raging bull or mean streets. that's the 9th de niro movie i have seen and his acting ability had never impressed me more in any of his movies. in the beginning moments of the movie it was a typical performance from him, nothing special but especially after he met wesley snipes he begins to show his act which made this movie very special for me
Major League meets Taxi Driver in a great suspense thriller.
posted on 14 Jul 2006This is one of the all time great suspense thrillers ever. De Niro and Snipes are a great combination. Nobody plays the role of an obsessive psychopath like Robert De Niro. Also, Snipes works perfectly as the caulky ball player. All in all this is a great film that will leave you on the edge of your seat until the surprising ending.
Quite good, but SNIPES and DeNIRO can do better!
posted on 20 Jun 2006When I saw the filmposter of "The FAN" first, I expected a really big smashing hit, because of SNIPES and De NIRO together in a flick must be something for the ratings. Unfortunately it was not like that, is it really so easy to invade a sports-pro´s private Life???, I don´t think so, there were no bodyguards around in the scene on the beach with SNIPES´ kid. And the scene where De NIRO killed the teammate of SNIPES´, PRIMO is also far from credibility. Well, overall it´s a quiet good movie, but don´t expect a really tension-like psycho drama compared to CAPE FEAR, for example. And why BASEBALL ?, ok, it´s a big sport in the USA, but SNIPES could also have acted as a tennis-pro, that would have been fare more realistic, cause from my experience, to get closer to Tennis-Pro´s is indeed an easy thing.
And the award for NOISIEST motion picture goes to...
posted on 17 Jun 2006I won't use much time and energy on this user comment, other then letting of some steam on the one aspect that ruins this movie as a whole: the soundtrack.I do not know wether it's composer Hans Zimmer's fault (even masters can have a moment where they show a total lack of common sense) or director Tony Scott. This truly has to be the best example ever presented to a wide audience, of a cool movie that is clubbed to death by it's soundtrack. And I'm not kidding. There is about ten minutes of total silence in the movie, other than that it is jam packed with non-stop songs from the Rolling Stones and Nine Inch Nails, not that one or two matters, but through the whole movie!?!? As if the talent of Hans Zimmer doesn't cut it!If you weren't dumb when you sit down to watch this movie you sure will be after it's over, your brain beaten to a bloody pulp by the loudspeakers!Guard your ears...
De Niro steals the show!
posted on 22 Jul 2009The Worst Baseball Movie of All-Time? I don't know how anyone can say this with a straight face if they have also seen Major League.It's true that the ending of this film is pretty bad, but when a film can do so much right for the first two hours that certainly makes it worthwhile, because the first two hours were truly entertaining. De Niro stole the show, he had to because this move was about "The Fan", but each character was played well.Most of the criticisms I've seen are a case of people being way too picky. Wrong uniforms, wrong stadiums...I didn't even notice stuff like this and I am a baseball fan too. The film got a lot of the much more important stuff right, which is good performances from the actors and good, no great, character development and insight into these characters.The film took us into deep the mind of the obsessed fan (De Niro) and that obsession grows in a logical fashion as the movie progresses. It was very easy to believe De Niro's obsession with Rayburn and the game of baseball, and the rationale for it, because of his unstable and violent nature which is often shown in his personal life. When things in the baseball world weren't going as he wanted them, it's not surprising to see him take action. His passion and intensity were on the front burner all movie long and made his character truly believeable and consistent.The film takes us into the baseball player culture in the lockeroom, and into the workings of player and agent (which is what I really found interesting), as well as player and radio station personality. This is where the film truly excelled: the inner workings of the mind and the baseball player culture were believable and exceptionally well done. Nothing was made silly or outrageous, like in the aforementioned dud "Major League". Well, except for the ending perhaps, which is where this film loses 2 points.8/10My first De Niro movie, definitely not my last.