The Fan (1996)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

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:

Baseball | Fan | Murder | Salesman | Baseball Player

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

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:

Cal Ripken, Jr., who served as a consultant on the film, recalled in Sports Illustrated having lunch with Robert De Niro with De Niro asking him about the Red Sox fans. Ripken also said it was a little creepy meeting De Niro at first since when he did, the method actor was listening to an audio tape of Robert John Bardo, who stalked and later murdered actress Rebecca Schaefer.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: The San Francisco Giants' number 11 is retired (Carl Hubbell). Undoubtedly the producers chose this number as to not offend the owner of a number that is still in regular use.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

References Doctor Dolittle (1967)

Soundtrack:

DID YOU MEAN WHAT YOU SAID

"A Simple Thank You Would Have Been Nice"

This 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