The Fan (1996)

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

Director:

Tony Scott

Writers:

Peter Abrahams (book), Phoef Sutton (screenplay)

Stars:

Robert De Niro, Wesley Snipes, Ellen Barkin

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Three-times MVP baseball player Bobby Rayburn joins the San Francisco 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.

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Plot Keywords:

baseball | fan | salesman | knife | obsession | 

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Taglines:

All baseball fans have a favorite player. This one has a favorite target.

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Genres:

Drama | Sport | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language throughout and some intense violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

16 August 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fanatik

Filming Locations:

Indoor Pool, Biltmore Hotel - 506 S. Grand Avenue, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

JPY 320,462,900 (Japan) (15 November 1996)

Gross:

JPY 488,949,200 (Japan) (29 November 1996)

Company Credits

Production Co:

TriStar Pictures, Mandalay Entertainment, Scott Free Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS (8 channels) Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Wesley Snipes had previously played a fictional big league ballplayer in the first Major League movie.

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Goofs

At the beginning of Juan Primo's musical montage, the announcer introduces him as "Number 11, the right fielder, Juan Primo." But it was established earlier in the film that Primo played left field.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

References Schindler's List (1993)

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Soundtracks

"TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME"
Written by Jack Norworth & Albert von Tilzer
Published by Broadway Music Corporation/Bienstock Publishing Co./Redwood Music Ltd.

User Reviews

"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