The Fan (1996)

Director:

Tony Scott

Writers (WGA):

Peter Abrahams (book)
Phoef Sutton (screenplay)

Release Date:

16 August 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport | Thriller

Tagline:

Fear strikes.

Plot:

An all star baseball player becomes the unhealthy focus of a down on his luck salesman.

Plot Keywords:

Fan | Baseball | Knife | Baseball Player | Obsession

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. Dec. 7	11:30 PM	FX
Tue. Dec. 8	10:00 AM	FX

Cast

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 (as Patti D'Arbanville-Quinn)
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

Also Known As:

Der Fan (Austria) (Germany) [de]
A rajongó (Hungary) [hu]
Adepto Fanático (Portugal) [pt]
El fanático (Argentina) [es]
Fan (Poland) [pl]
Fanático (The Fan) (Spain) [es]
Fanatik (Czech Republic) [cs]
Fanatik (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Fanatik (Serbia) [sr]
Fanatikos (Greece) [el]
Le fan (France) [fr]
Le fanatique (Canada: French title) [fr]
Obozevalec (Slovenia) [sl]
The fan - Il mito (Italy) [it]
The fan - pelko iskee (Finland) [fi]
The fan - vaara uhkaa (Finland) [fi]

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language throughout and some intense violence.

Runtime:

116 min | Finland:112 min | Spain:114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS (8 channels) | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | USA:R (certificate #34336) | Canada:A (Ontario) | Singapore:PG (cut) | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:M18 | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Anaheim, California, USA

Company:

Mandalay Entertainment

Trivia:

Robert De Niro took the Yankees bobblehead doll as a souvenir; the production company paid collector Anne Wells, who loaned it to the show, $400 for the doll.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Bobby Rayburn and Juan Primo collide at the beginning, Primo, who was in left field, runs in from right field.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Gil Renard: [voiceover] Excited and anxious I await my dream / To escape, applaud, and embrace my team.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Werewolf (#10.4)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

A HOT TIME IN THE OLD TOWN TONIGHT

Flashy treatment can only take this material so far...

Robert De Niro as yet another crack-pot: this time, he's a baseball-obsessed knife salesman fixated on Wesley Snipes, the new $40 million pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. Based on the book by Peter Abrahams, the picture begins as a kinetic exercise of two diverse characters whose lives eventually cross, but the screenplay is so flimsy that it degenerates too soon into psycho-drama clichés, replete with gaping story holes and a manic finale. Director Tony Scott's flashy treatment helps it along for just over an hour before the bottom falls out. Solid acting by both De Niro and Snipes is a definite plus; Patti D'Arbanville-Quinn also scores in a terrific bit playing De Niro's ex-wife. ** from ****