The Fan (1996) User Reviews

Not a perfect film, but I enjoyed it

[EmpressR · 7/10 · 4 August 2000]

While I agree with some of the previous comments about the lack of attention to detail and the confusing cinematography, I really did enjoy this movie. The story itself is not particularly original and the ending is weak -- but I thought the build-up of Gil's (De Niro) character to be quite effective. Although Gil was what one would typically label a loser, I couldn't help but feel for the guy. Many movies about psychos/stalkers fail to give you any insight into why he's doing all these bad things -- all you know is that he's not a nice guy. This movie did a great job of portraying how Gil's volatile personality, his obsession with the baseball and with Bobby (Snipes) in particular, and his loss of everything else that mattered to him, ultimately led him to do what he did.

De Niro makes it all worthwhile (just)

[Geofbob · 6/10 · 30 April 2001]

A flawed movie, but worth seeing for De Niro's performance as Gil Renard, an increasingly crazed fan/stalker. Also, yet again, baseball shows itself as the sport most able to provide striking visual metaphors for the ups and downs of life (though, as a Brit, I've noted some of the specific criticisms aimed at the baseball sequences in this movie by IMDb commenters from the US).

Where the movie, via the genius of De Niro, certainly succeeds is in convincingly demonstrating how easily and quickly obsessive devotion can turn to obsessive hatred, when the object of that devotion fails to meet the assumptions of the extreme fan. Certainly, there's some of Max Cady, the Cape Fear psychotic, in his portrayal; but there's also a lot of Rupert Pupkin, the confused kidnapper and would-be comic from King of Comedy - both films, of course, directed by Martin Scorsese.

Where the film fails is in being too repetitive and, consequently, a bit too long; one or two of the scenes where Gil is trying to sell his knives are superfluous; and, when Gil is at the game with his son, why does the camera have to keep cutting to the woman in the crowd - once or twice would have been sufficient. Several of the scenes also seem derivative, especially those involving Dan Butler, as Garitty the sales manager, which echo Glengarry Glen Ross. A major unconvincing aspect is that surely a $40m signing, like Bobby Raybourn (Wesley Snipes), would be surrounded by a lot more razzmatazz than simply one not-too-effective agent (John Leguizamo).

But, on the whole, one to rent or watch on TV (as I've just done) if nothing more compelling is available.

I'm as serious as a heart attack

[sol1218 · 7/10 · 6 January 2012]

***SPOILERS*** Robert De Niro is at his deranged and psychotic best as the crazed baseball fanatic or fan for short Gil Renard a man completely whacked out of his skull. It's Gil who takes matters into his own hands when his hero the just traded to the San Francisco Giants, from the Atlanta Braves, Bobby Rayburn, Wesley Snipes, gets the short end of the stick by the teams management. That's by Bobby not being able to retain his number #11 on his Giants jersey that he feels made him a,.314 lifetime hitter, his supernatural powers in both hitting and catching a baseball.

Gil has his own problems at work and at home with his job as a sport supply executive specializing in hunting knives on the line and his old lady Ellen, Patti D'Arbanville, about to get complete custody of their seven year old son Richie,Andrew J. Ferchlad. But it's baseball,not job or family, that's Gil's true love. And it's in Bobby Rayburn that Gil a former little league baseball pitcher lives out his fantasy life as a major league baseball player. That's in Gil doing in Juan Primo, Beniclo De Toro, with a hunting knife in a hotel bath-house to get Bobby's number #11 back on his Giants jersey. Bobby the 40 million dollar man, that's what the Giants higher ups were paying him, who was in a king size slump all season now, with Primo gone and his famed #11 back, started hitting up to expectations.

It's later on when Gil just happened to be around to save Bobby's eight year old son Sean, Brandon Hammond, from almost drowning in the Pacific Ocean that his high opinions about Bobby drastically changed. Invited into Bobby's beach house for a bottle of beer and a game of pool, which is the least he could do for him, Gil is disgusted in Bobby's opinion about the game of baseball! Which Bobby treats as a game and way to make big bucks, 40 million of them, not the religion that Gil feel that it is! With everything that he did to get Bobby back in the grove in both hitting and fielding, by murdering his top rival on the team Juan Primo, Gil feels that he's not being given him the credit by Bobby, who has no idea what Gil did for him, that he so rightfully deserves. And with that and outraged and dejected Gil plans to make Bobby's life both personal and professional into a living hell on earth!

***SPOILERS*** The movie "The Fan" is really a one man show with Robert De Niro at center stage doing his thing, being off the wall crazy, that he and only he can do best. Not only is De Niro or Gil Renard completely out of his mind but also omnipresent, like some kind of Deity, in seeming to be everywhere and everyplace at the same time. Gil's craziness goes so far as kidnapping Bobby's son Sean and even going farther in murdering his little league hero, his battery mate, Coop, Charles Hallahan, when he himself realized just how crazy Gil his one time best friend really was.

The ending of the movie was a bit too much to take with Gil going all out to get Bobby to publicly acknowledge what he did for him in front of a sold out crowd at Candlestick Park and on top of all that hit a home run for him! If not Bobby's son Sean would become history. The film fell apart with Candlestick Park being hit by hurricane force winds with a tropical downpour added in yet the game that should have been called because of rain is still allowed to go on. Only to have Gil make his grand appearance, you'll never guess as who, out of nowhere and mess up Bobby's home run that he hit for him! Still the film is worth watching for Roert De Niro incredible but very natural,for him, performance. A so out of control and psychotic performance That even tops De Niro's own crazed and deranged interpretation of a homicidal lunatic gone wild in "Cape Fear" some six years earlier.

"A Simple Thank You Would Have Been Nice"

[cocaine_rodeo · 26 September 2001]

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

Similar to king of comedy

[ga41 · 6/10 · 19 October 2004]

Is it just me or does this film share so many of the aspects that the King of Comedy made over ten years earlier? Both of De Niros characters are losers who have a dream, both are unlucky in love, both have short tempers when pushed, both have obvious disorders within their mind and both are obsessive 'fans' of bobby rayburn and jerry langford, respectively. Stalking and kidnapping occurs in each film by De Niro, of his respective hero but neither hero actually gets hurt. Though in the King of comedy he is funnier and probably a nicer guy!

This could've been a great film. And "I'm as serious as a F**king heart attack!"

[asifahsankhan · 7/10 · 5 January 2017]

Any other actor might have kept us guessing about where the plot was heading... but we were straight out lucky to have the greatest actor on the planet (that's Robert De Niro) playing the role of Gil Renard, a baseball freak fixated on centre fielder Bobby Rayburn (Wesley Snipes), who has traded up from Milwaukee to the San Francisco Giants with a wow $40 million contract. For De Niro, maybe, it was just another film role, just another character and yet another, brilliant performance, which would go unnoticed... The term "method acting" is synonymous with Robert De Niro.

With De Niro, there's no mystery. He flashes that sicko grin from his seat in Candlestick Park, and we duck. He learns he's about to lose his job selling knives (!), and we know it won't be long until the stabbing starts. That's the problem. You sit down to watch The Fan and wonder how De Niro is going to come up with something new after firing on presidential candidate Leonard Harris in Taxi Driver, kidnapping TV star Jerry Lewis in The King of Comedy, torturing lawyer Nick Nolte in Cape Fear and abusing stepson Leonardo DiCaprio in This Boy's Life, to name just a few of the victims De Niro has memorably stalked.

Up till this point, "The Fan" is badly rated because of Tony Scott's miss-direction, not crappy performances by the cast or anything like a bad plot line. It shows signs of finding fresh life in a stale formula even Jim Carrey couldn't sell with The Cable Guy. De Niro is so persuasive and moving that you wish the film would let him develop the character and dodge the slasher stuff. It's not to be. The Fan rides with De Niro, (and no one else, okay maybe the kids were fine as well) substituting crass exploitation for insight.

Perhaps the late great director's brother, Ridley Scott could find gravity in this story; Tony Scott goes for the gore and the box- office gold. He strands his MVP, who is too skilled an actor to let himself get typed. De Niro will never be a typecast. A nut. One more flick like The Fan and he may discover he's created his own Frankenstein monster.

De Niro is someone we knew from the moment we saw him for the first time on screen: How god damn good he really was...and still is... and can be. The film roles doesn't matter, seriously.

What Bill Clinton Is To fries and a Big Mac, Robert De Niro is to psychos and mobsters. He can't get enough of them. De Niro eats those suckers for breakfast. Maybe he should change his diet after The Fan, (which he did actually). Because sometime you just need to skip your breakfast, you know, just to get your appetite ready for a bigger meal, for lunch.

A pumped-up, pin-headed thriller from slick-trick director, the late Tony Scott, this could've been a great film. And "I'm as serious as a F**king heart attack!"

"Baseball Is Better Than Life, Because It's Fair..."

[jhclues · 9/10 · 3 April 2001]

It may be true that everyone during their lifetime has fifteen minutes of fame, even if in most cases it only lasts about a minute and a half. And if that minute and a half comes early in life, how far into adulthood can you carry it with you, and when does a healthy memory become an obsession that finally blurs the line between reality and fantasy? `The Fan,' directed by Tony Scott and starring Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes, is an intense and disturbing motion picture that examines that moment and the effects it can have on the lives of those either directly or indirectly involved. Here, the focus is on one Gil Renard (De Niro), a knife salesman in San Francisco and a die-hard Giants fan who is pumped about the acquisition during the off-season of superstar centerfielder Bobby Rayburn (Snipes), whom he believes will bring a pennant to the team. Once a player himself-- a pitcher-- Renard's life has since been on a downhill slide. Divorced, he has a young, little league aged son, Richie (Andrew J. Ferchland), with whom he has an unsettling relationship, and at work, his sales have been so poor his job is on the line. An angry, disturbed individual, Renard has reached a pivotal point in his life; for inspiration, he continually returns to the philosophies of the catcher from his playing days, Coop (Charles Hallahan), whom he considers one of the finest athletes he ever knew. And as his life continues to deteriorate, his obsessions begin to add further to the imbalance of his perceptions of reality, which finally lead him past a point of no return.

Scott's film, of course, has less to do with baseball than it does with how the game itself actually relates to life and the things that really matter. As Rayburn says at one point, `We're not curing cancer here.' But to those to whom life has been reduced to that minute and a half to which they still cling, the game can be everything. And it is just that unhealthy obsession that Scott examines in this film, that comparatively insignificant moment that in the obsessive mind becomes an episode of monumental importance that finally distorts any semblance of reality the individual may have left. What's truly frightening is that upon close scrutiny, in Renard there is much with which many viewers will be able to relate in one way or another: The anger, the frustration and perhaps the inability to let go of that minute and a half, even when it threatens to become more than just a pleasant memory, but an unhealthy lifeline to another place and another time that, in reality, may never have existed in the first place. It's like a search for self-esteem by the has-been-who-never-was, who can neither realize nor accept it's elusiveness. As Renard says to Richie, `Baseball is better than life, because it's fair. You hit a sacrifice fly and it doesn't count against your average.' An ideal that has forever eluded Renard; in his life, he's never been able to `give himself up for the team' and get anything in return for it.

As Renard, De Niro gives an explosive performance that at first glance may seem to have a bit of Travis Bickle and Max Cady in it-- which in fact it does-- though upon closer inspection, Renard is a unique character. Those with a disturbed mind may have traits in common, as these characters De Niro has portrayed certainly do; but De Niro has successfully given each of them an individual personality, and when viewed side by side, the differences are readily apparent. Bickle may be a sociopath, Cady a cold blooded killer; but Renard is a man who was just never able to get a handle on his life and has allowed his obsessions to dictate the choices he has made along the way. De Niro is simply a master of his craft, with the ability to make his characters so real that a performance like this one is often overlooked; this is Oscar worthy work for which he never received the acclaim he was due. His Renard is so like someone you would run into in your everyday life that in retrospect, it's scary. But it's the kind of performance we've come to expect from De Niro, and as usual, he does not disappoint.

Wesley Snipes, as well, gives a solid performance as Rayburn that is one of his best ever, which is not surprising when you consider with whom he was working. If you study De Niro's films, you may discover a common thread running through them with regard to his co-stars. De Niro has the ability to make those with whom he is working better; and it's something that stays with them forever after. Consider Christopher Walken and Meryl Streep before `The Deer Hunter,' or Ed Harris before `Jacknife.' Certainly they were exceptional talents before, but they have arguably been better since. And Snipes is no exception. Nor is Benicio Del Toro (Recipient of the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for `Traffic'), who gives a memorable turn here as Rayburn's rival outfielder, Juan Primo.

The supporting cast includes Patti D'Arbanville (Ellen),Ellen Barkin (Jewel), John Leguizamo (Manny), Chris Mulkey (Tim), Dan Butler (Garrity) and Brandon Hammond (Sean). A thought provoking thriller that gives some real insight into the cause and effect of the psyche of human nature, `The Fan' is like an open wound that may hit too close to home for some. And to dismiss this as just a `baseball' movie or another `action' flick would be a mistake, for there is much more here than meets the eye. In the end, those who pay attention will ultimately reap the rewards it proffers. I rate this one 9/10.

A great idea that didn't quite work

[tastyhotdogs · 6/10 · 19 February 2006]

Sports and Robert DeNiro together. I was in heaven...until I saw the movie It seemed like a great idea, but it just didn't quite work. A bit of a combination of an ordinary, if not over-necessarily creepy storyline, and an ordinary script. The movie revolves around Robert DeNiro's character, Gil, an over obsessed sports fan who decides he wants to play an active role in the career of Bobby (Wesley Snipes), in a performance that will be mentioned in the same sentence as "Passenger 57". Gil cracks when problems with his family and job explode, causing him to focus all his energies in Bobby. How far will Gil go to get what he wants? See it to find out.

Pretty disappointed with this movie, although it features one of my favourite scenes ever when Gil and Bobby have a little game of baseball near the end.

surprise! it doesn't suck

[AskewNerd · 6 December 2004]

I had every expectation of this film being terrible and mearly a paycheck for De Niro. But, it was great. Snipes and Del Toro are fantastic. De Niro is scary as hell as well. There was not one explosion in the entire film. That was great. Short, to the point fight scenes. That's all you need in a suspense thriller. It was much smarter than expected. The plot never made you feel sorry for De Niro. The idea of him being a sad stoned cold man was there. But, not dwelled upon. The focus was on his obsession with the game of baseball and that became more important. Snipes had his entire sideline story that eventually involved De Niro. But, the two stories themselves were great. Benicio Del Toro is sneaky as hell and you never understand his true personality until he is offed. It makes you look at him completely different when he was not around.

Entertaining!

[brandon_lee420 · 7/10 · 14 January 2010]

The Fan has combined both baseball and a thriller together to make everyone happy. It is slow at the beginning but it gets interesting as the story develops more and more as we look at the life of a famous player and a knife salesman who will later become involved in a life risking dilemma. Robert De Niro teams up with director Tony Scott and Wesley Snipes to make one good thriller. Even though The Fan can't compare with the likes of Tony Scott's previous films, True Romance and Top Gun, it is a still a promising thriller with some pretty big flaws. It is not a masterpiece and nor will it ever be but will be remembered as a movie that tried but could not reach the finish line. The critics were very harsh on this film but that's what they are born to do, criticize on every single piece of work. Five point six is too low for a film like the fan, a six point two would have been more like it. The end is clichéd and ruins the whole point of the film. The movie is predictable yet entertains you a little bit to stop you from taking the disc out. If you are a thriller lover then this movie is no disappointment because it will entertain you. The violence is limited and that's is a good thing but language is high.

(MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS!!!)Number one fan Gil Renard whose obsession is focused on a San Francisco Giants all-star outfielder Booby Rayburn. While the newly signed baseball star is having trouble getting his favorite uniform number from a competitive teammate Juan Primo, Gil is having career troubles at the knife company that his father founded, and people can bet that his proximity to high-quality stainless-steel blades will be a factor in the suspenseful plot. Gil confronts Primo in a sauna and explains to the ballplayer that he believes Rayburn's decline in play is directly the result of Primo's competitiveness, since Rayburn took over Primo's spot at center field, but did not let him use his lucky number of 11 on his jersey. When Primo brushes off the fan's concerns, Gil proceeds to murder the left fielder with one of his makeshift knives!

Wesley Snipes finally gives a exceptional performance and he plays his sport role, Bobby Rayburne, very well and he shows emotion along with many other good feelings. The Fan is not so great that you would rather watch this than Kill Bill because you are a complete retard (No Offense). Robert De Niro plays the die-hard baseball fan who will do anything to impress his favorite baseball player, Bobby Rayburne (Wesley Snipes, and which results in him turning into something sinister and evil. Benicio Del Toro is almost unrecognizable in this film but after catching his face a few times, I finally realized that Benicio Del Toro looks like crap in this film. Jack Black also makes a two-second appearance in this film as the radio station guy. He looks normal and fat, usual. I got this in a triple film-pack which contained Money Train and Unstoppable, so I brought it because it was a good deal. This film deserves a view at least once. It is enjoyable, entertaining, fun, clichéd and flawed but even though it is all that, you will have a good time. 7/10.

Not great, but worth watching for DeNiro alone...

[Sammy_Sam_Sam · 7/10 · 6 September 2006]

I watched this film again yesterday for what is probably the fourth or fifth time. Firstly, it's not a great film, so if you demand 9/10 from a movie then this isn't for you. Also, although baseball is a very interesting sport to some, the great majority (particularly outside the US) just don't get it and are not interested in the sport. This undoubtedly will have an affect on some viewers' enjoyment of the film, although you could apply the psychology of it to any sport; it's just that a lot of people would need it to be based on a sport that they enjoy. Fair enough...

Bad bits: The part that Ellen Barkin plays is totally pointless and the film would be better without her. There are a few characters that are slightly annoying because they're playing into steretypes. The way the lead characters drive around in huge SUV's seems to be spot-on though and quite believable, although you have to question just how much Robert DeNiro's character is earning and why he lives in such a dump whilst owning such an expensive vehicle (although it does happen I know). There are a few bits that are difficult to believe, like the ending (it just seems to go a bit too far). But then to me, that's kind of the whole point of this film...

Good bits: It's fun! The ridiculous poem at the beginning sets the scene brilliantly - this is about someone who really cares about something. That doesn't make them an intelligent person, he isn't meant to be; hence the poem is a bad one.

Not every film needs to be ultra realistic. Like for example, why does the boss have a car door sat by the desk? Nobody would ever hold a sales meeting like that! My boss has never so much as spilt his tea or dropped a biscuit in such meetings. If you want this scene in ultra realistic format, watch Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glenross.

Why don't the police catch De Niro sooner? I don't want to go into details but at the end of the film, you can't help but think that real police procedure might be different (although not being a cop, I couldn't say that with authority). But who cares?! DeNiro is fantastic, fans like him DO exist and this sort of event has taken place before. Plus the music is brilliant, it has some great lines, they don't waste time with a pointless love interest and the film is short and to the point...

If you can accept films with a pinch of salt then you will enjoy this movie. The rating doesn't do it justice and I've seen so many films that are much worse with higher ratings. People who rate it 1/10 just because they don't like baseball should be stopped from reviewing. I don't like baseball, but I love movies!

Too much flash from Tony Scott

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 7 November 2013]

Gil Renard (Robert De Niro) is a failing knife salesman, a SF Giants fanatic, a divorced father of a boy, and a very angry guy. Bobby Rayburn (Wesley Snipes) is a new sign to the ball club, and the hope for savior. Both men's lives go downhill.

Director Tony Scott has made a movie filled with flash and sizzle. It doesn't accentuate as much as distract. When there is a master thespian like Robert De Niro, all the extra fireworks just take the focus away from the real show. And Wesley Snipes isn't likable enough. A less stereotypical selfish black athlete may help. His scenes with his agent Manny (John Leguizamo) are annoying and tiresome. This could have been a creepy character study like the iconic 'Taxi Driver'. But it never allows De Niro any peace and quiet to do his work properly.

More than just a heartless exercise in sports obsession.

[livinitup2589 · 7/10 · 22 August 2006]

Watching The Fan, it's difficult,at times,to see beneath its in-your-face presentation and realize what the film is actually about. Since the beginning of the century, America's been obsessed with sports. Just as much as the sports being played, people adore the athletes who play them. I've seen people who literally dedicate every breathing moment of their life to their favorite sports star. Gil Renard, the man at the center of The Fan, is this kind of guy, and then some.

On the surface, the movie can be seen as a two-dimensional thriller about a psychotic baseball nut. You could also say that for every motive this guy has for doing what he does, none of them seem to justify his actions. This kind of bleak criticism seems unfair though, since after taking into context the film's parallel telling of middle class suffering against the fame and fortune of a life in the spotlight, the film begins to transform into a sad story of a man down on his luck.

The film begins with an unusual but effective sequence that has Robert De Niro voicing a poem over a montage of stock baseball footage. With this, we're brought into the down-sliding life of Gil Renard. His career as a knife salesman is nearly coming to an end, his ex-wife is on the verge of taking his son away from him, and he has an appointment scheduled during the San Francisco Giants season opener. But Gil has one thing going for him: center field superstar Bobby Rayburn (Wesley Snipes) has signed a $40 million contract with the Giants. Gil is ecstatic, but as his luck on the field stacks high, his personal life goes tragically downhill.

Soon Gil begins to replace life itself with a fantastic obsession with Rayburn's performance on the field. And when the superstar enters a slump and loses his $40 million worth, Gil takes it upon himself to get his favorite player hitting again, whatever it takes.

For Tony Scott, The Fan marks his first foray into character study, but is only an addition to thrillers on his filmography. Scott isn't exactly the first director I'd expect to take over a project like this, not because he isn't capable of doing a thriller with depth, but because his direction is often too action oriented to devote an audience's attention to the characters. Here though, his style and hyper-kinetic visuals never detract from the story. If anything, Scott puts an interesting spin on things that make them more effective than they would without him.

De Niro is used to playing this kind of character by now. Since the seventies, he's played psychotic stalkers to the point of perfection. As Gil, his obsessiveness toward Rayburn feels more out of desperation than of pure lunacy, thus separating his performance here from the likes of Max Cady in Cape Fear. Snipes, on the other end, hadn't accomplished quite as big a reputation in his role as the Giants slugger, but he puts in a believable performance and looks like he can swing a bat like the real pros.

As opposite ends of the social pipeline, De Niro's blue collar salesman and Snipes' pampered center fielder, and the differences in their lifestyles are what The Fan is actually about. As Gil's life slides down a long slope, Rayburn is treated like a star throughout. Even if his average isn't what the fans want to see. Rayburn's life will never hit as low a point as Renard's. Beyond its thriller like exterior, The Fan is a commentary on sports obsession.

Bogged down by a poor storyline.

[RueMorgue · 4/10 · 2 June 2000]

It never ceases to amaze me how you can take an excellent actor, and put him to waste in a film such as this. Robert De Niro is one of the best Hollywood stars of all time, but even he couldn't save this movie. In fact, his character is much the same as the one he played in Cape Fear, which was actually pretty good, but I can't stand it when actors do the same schtick over more than one movie. I believe it gets old, and that is the case here.

There's nothing surprising in this movie, but then, the story has been told a million times before. Wesley Snipes is your typical baseball player, and his conceit shows through in his characterization. De Niro plays the obsessed fan, but his role in this film is less than entertaining.

However, because De Niro is IN this film, that makes it a draw if you are a fan (no pun intended) who sees everything he does no matter how bad. But to see De Niro at his best, see "Midnight Run", "Goodfellas", or "Cop Land", or even go way back and check out "Taxi Driver" or "Godfather II". Don't waste your time with this drivel.

My Rating: 3/10

De Niro preformace saves the day

[mga-65088 · 7/10 · 14 July 2019]

A Weak Script With a solid preformace by Wesley Snipes but directing a drama with the 90's action style wasn't a good idea the only thing that makes this movie watchable is De Niro amazing preformace which became the main aspect of the movie and steal your attention from the first minute in the movie it's always good to see De Niro on the screen

It could have been better....

[guyinnanaimo · 4/10 · 15 November 2006]

DeNiro is a master...one of my favourites. And I love GOOD sports movies {not into baseball so much, but hey, its sports movies, right?. I was expecting MUCH more for this movie. It seems to start out well: DeNiro is what I expected, Snipes {whom I don't really like} is very good as the spoiled star. Barkin's role, to me, was OK. She's a good actress, but seemed out of place in this role. To me, they always seemed to rush the scenes, and then it drags a bit in places. It just seemed tio me to be so uneven! Considering the cast and the plot, it could have been so much better. I rated it a '4', and I was being generous ~ I'm a tough one with numbers!

It's Just A Game

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 29 November 2008]

Although The Fan has a baseball setting with the late Candlestick Park in San Francisco, it's not a baseball story. It's the dual story of a fan obsessed with baseball and his favorite player and that same player and his performance anxiety living up to the huge amount of money the Giants are paying him.

The title role is played by Robert DeNiro and a lot of his character is taken from what Michael Douglas had earlier did in Falling Down. DeNiro is the son of the founder of the company he works for, but dad having passed away long ago, the company is in different hands. DeNiro is not cutting it as a salesman of hunting knives (no pun intended) and he's having problems with his former wife Patty D'Arbanville-Quinn over visitation with his son.

At the same time multi-million dollar acquisition Wesley Snipes is having problems living up to the hype and he's looking like a big old bust. Especially next to new Giant sensation Benicio DelToro who is carrying the team with what looks like a Most Valuable Player season. Snipes is only doing well on one front, his relationship with his young son.

As his life falls apart DeNiro starts fixating on his favorite player and what he can do to help motivate him. After that this film gets truly bizarre.

But DeNiro who probably has more disturbed characters under his creative belt than any other actor around today keeps it all real. He's matched by Wesley Snipes who plays a Barry Bonds like superstar who gets a good life lesson by the end of the film.

In fact Snipes realizes it before the film ends. As he quite realistically says, it's just a game, it's not like we're out there discovering a cure for cancer. The problem is that there are too many out there, fans like DeNiro in sports and in show business who get way too caught up in it.

Look also for nice performances by Ellen Barkin who has a sports phone-in show and John Leguizamo as Snipes's agent and the wisest guy he has around him.

Not a bad film

[mm-39 · 6/10 · 1 August 2002]

Wesly 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

De Niro's best acting in years

[MOscarbradley · 5/10 · 12 March 2006]

As psychopathic baseball fan Gil Renard, Robert De Niro does his best acting in years. Of course, he's had plenty of practice in the past, whether it's Travis Bickle in "Taxi Driver" or Max Cady in "Cape Fear" De Niro has specialized in dangerously off-the-wall roles and Renard is up there with the best of them. He lifts what is otherwise a conventional thriller, flashily directed by Tony Scott, into something memorable and relegates everyone else on screen into third base, in particular Ellen Barkin, the only female of note in the cast and even then used perfunctorily. What De Niro does here may not in great acting in any strict definition of the term, but by God it is still something to behold.

The sharpest guy in town

[Rusty89 · 21 December 2001]

Gil 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

brilliant performance

[s-l-jackson · 7/10 · 13 June 2002]

sorry 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

wasted talent

[VinylSound · 3/10 · 6 December 2002]

So sad to see the talents of Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes go to waste. Anything for a buck I guess. The theme is plausible enough, but the editing of the film makes jumps in logic that just can't be. We see De Niro as a driven hot headed knife salesman, as a stalker, as a baseball has been and a derelict dad. How much worse can he be? Wesley Snipes is a mythic baseball player, loving father, superstitious superstar and must endure the fan wrath of a new city. Guess what happens? Duh. And to top it all off, it's boring. Even to a huge baseball fan like myself. Go to a bad restaurant instead and get food poisoning, you'll feel better about the time you spent.

Major League meets Taxi Driver in a great suspense thriller.

[cougar47 · 7/10 · 3 May 1999]

This 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.

Seen It All Before

[Theo Robertson · 4/10 · 13 September 2004]

In THE FAN Robert De Niro plays Gil Renard . Or is it Travis Bickle ? or Rupert Pupkin ? Or Max Cady ? You see the problem with this type of role is that De Niro has played very very similar characters in TAXI DRIVER , THE KING OF COMEDY and CAPE FEAR and unfortunately the characters were better developed and had better scripts . I found it slightly difficult to believe that Renard would have started out as a frustrated obsessive sports fan into being an out and out psycho

The character arc isn't the only problem with this script - It also lacks a character focus ( A problem I had with THE UNTOUCHABLES where De Niro should have been superb but ended up slightly flat ) , for several stretches of the movie I kept thinking that Bobby Rayburn was the main character then the story switches back to Renard . It also seems to have disappointed a lot of sports fans who seem to think this should have concentrated a bit more on baseball . I'm not sure if this was meant to appeal to baseball fans originally but again there are elements which hint it might have if the producers had made up their minds has to who and what the story should focus upon

I will admit I was entertained by THE FAN ( Especially by the soundtrack ) but it is a very flawed film and it should be remembered that by the mid 1990s characters being stalked by nutters as in SINGLE WHITE FEMALE , UNLAWFUL ENTRY etc had run out of steam a long time ago

Can you take your love for baseball too seriously?

[michaelRokeefe · 7/10 · 19 July 2002]

Tony Scott directs a thriller sports flick that should attract even the non-sports fan. And some say baseball is a dead sport...boring...too damn slow. Well perk up! On the outside he appears to be a disgruntled salesman(Robert De Niro) while on the inside he is a psychotic San Francisco Giants fan. Along comes a new slugger(Wesley Snipes)and designated savior from the doldrums. Our salesman harbors a murderous obsession when the hard hitting all star falls into the worst slump in his career and the Giants are feared to crumble along with him. De Niro is terror personified. Snipes seems very natural as the ballplayer. Other notables in the cast are: the still attractive Ellen Barkin, John Leguizamo, Benicio Del Toro and Patti D'Arbanville. You are a free agent...so enjoy. Violence and very strong language is to be expected and you get your moneys worth.