Production Year: 1996 - Drama - Director: Tony Scott - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Robert De Niro, Wesley Snipes, Ellen Barkin, John Leguizamo, Benicio Del Toro, Patti D'Arbanville, Andrew J. Ferchland more
Quick-tempered Gil Renard (Robert De Niro) has an ex-wife who hates him, a son who fears him, and a job that he's about to lose. The only thing that this down-on-his-luck knife... more
The Fan [DVD] [1996]
Lurid thrillers don't get much more shameless than this movie, in which Robert De Niro ... more
plays a pathological baseball fan whose obsession is focused on a San Francisco Giants all-star outfielder (Wesley Snipes). While the newly signed baseball star is h...
The Fan [DVD] [1996]
Lurid thrillers don't get much more shameless than this movie, in which Robert De Niro ... more
plays a pathological baseball fan whose obsession is focused on a San Francisco Giants all-star outfielder (Wesley Snipes). While the newly signed baseball star is h...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon...
The Fan
THE FAN or LADY WINDERMERE'S FAN as it's otherwise known is a delightfully acted comedy of ... more
upper class manners and morals in Victorian society. Otto Preminger (THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM, BUNNY LAKE IS MISSING) directs this film version of the 1892 Oscar Wilde play.
The Fan
Gil Renard (Robert De Niro) is a big baseball fan. Separated from his wife and son, and ... more
down on his luck, Renard's love of baseball becomes an obsession and he stalks his favourite baseball celebrity, Bobby Rayburn (Wesley Snipes).When Rayburn falls into a career slump, Renard's obsession takes a deadly turn and he secretly vows to stop at nothing, including murder, to restore his idol's reputation.
Sh*t Hits The Fan Costume
Are things beginning to go wrong for you? Has the sh*t hit the fan? How do you deal with ... more
something like that? Should you lower your head and hide away in the hope it will all blow over?No. Just laugh! Always look on the bright side of life! There's no need to feel down, things can only get better!Turn your misfortune into a reason to don a ridiculous outfit with the Sh*t Hits the Fan Costume! Consisting of a fan replica with shoulder straps, this hilarious piece of fancy dress has taken the classic metaphorical saying and gives it a materialistic twist! Plastered all over the front of the fan are small fake turds! Don't worry, they might look real, but that is where the similarities end!One size fits most.
Drama - Director: Kevin Smith - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, George Carlin, Jennifer Lopez, Jason Biggs, Matt Damon
Production Year: 2002 - Drama - Director: Michael Caton-Jones - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Robert De Niro, Frances McDormand, James Franco, Eliza Dushku, William Forsythe, George Dzundza, Patti Lupone
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 1981 - Drama - Director: Franco Zeffirelli - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Brooke Shields, Martin Hewitt, Shirley Knight, Don Murray, Richard Kiley, Penelope Milford, Beatrice Straight
A review by christianfilmcritic on The Fan (DVD) August 10th, 2006
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Liked it
Story
Good
Characters / Performances
Good
Special Effects
Standard
How does it compare to similar films?
Satisfactory
Advantages:
Decent Thriller
Disadvantages:
Slight over acting
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Synopsis ***********
For Gil Renard life is slowly spiralling out of control, having lost his job as a salesman for hunting equipment and being served a restraining order by his ex-wife so that he can no longer see his young son, the only thing going for him is his love of baseball and in particular that of the giants and their new signing Bobby Rayburn. With nothing left to fill his life, his passion for baseball turns into an obsession, controlling his every move and thought, and when Rayburn is persecuted by the public and critics for having a bad season, Renard takes it upon himself to sort things out.
Having intervened in a fatal manner, Rayburn's season seems to take off, but Renard is still unhappy and his obsession with the Giants is turning into an obsession with Rayburn as he starts to stalk his every move, idolizing his new hero. But after an opportunity arises and he gets to chat to him, Renard realises that he is not the hero he thought he was and loses the plot as he decides to teach Rayburn a lesson.
Opinion *********
I have to admit I am a fan of sports movies, especially ones which revolve around baseball, so when, in 1996, The Fan came out starring Hollywood legend Robert de Niro and Wesley Snipes I knew it was a film I would have to see. Unlike many sports based movies where the story usually follows a predictable underdog done good scenario, The Fan uses baseball as purely the vehicle for a reasonably good thriller about a man who loses his grip on reality and allows his obsession with baseball to control his life.
● The Story
As already mentioned, The Fan is not your usual underdog scenario and is in fact a thriller which is based on one man's passion for baseball and his obsession with one of the stars of the sport. The concept of the film is very good as with the number of celebrity stalking cases which are in the news every month, the film really has a sense of realism about it. That is not to say the film does exaggerate many elements of this scenario but this is done in an attempt to make an entertaining film which will keep you enthralled from start to finish.
What I found particularly good was the speed at which the film moves from setting up the story, through to the climax which has quite a surprising twist that completely caught me out the first time I watched it and on a few times since when I had forgotten the ins and outs of the movie. After the initial set up to the story where we meet the main characters and get a brief outline to their history, the film moves quickly into the middle segment where we watch Renard struggle to cope as he loses his job and the restraining order stopping him from seeing his child. You can see a man who is really close to the edge as he focuses all his energy on his passion for baseball and in doing so putting the Giants new baseball player, Rayburn, on a pedestal as he idolises him. What follows his Renard's realisation that Rayburn was not the idol that he believed he was and this pushes him over the edge. All of these sections flow so smoothly together that before you know it you have watched the whole film and to be honest you are left wanting more.
As with any thriller, it needs to keep you enthralled and The Fan really achieves this by throwing you quite a few curve balls along the way, as you start to think you know what is going to happen and then it sends you off in another direction which although is surprising is totally believable. Even the climax which is how the film should predictably end has a very good twist which will surprise even the most knowledgeable of film fans. If I had one criticism of the story is that it focuses too strongly on just the characters of Renard and Rayburn, where if they had brought in some of the other characters to a higher degree, it would have made it an even better movie.
● Characters and Cast
The main star of the film is undoubtedly Robert de Niro as Gil Renard, who is absolutely perfect at playing the psychopathic side of the character, with many resemblances to some of his previous characters such as Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver and Max Cady in Cape Fear. Some of the best moments in the film come from De Niro using his ability to act through just his movements and facial expressions, where you watch a smiling Renard change in a split second as you the seen the anger and disappointment build up through the look in his eyes. I do have one criticism of De Niro's performance and that is occasionally he appears to over act and in some ways spoils what is a very good performance. Opposite De Niro is Wesley Snipes as Bobby Rayburn, who puts in a pretty good performance as a sports star. To be honest, the character of Rayburn is not the most demanding and on the few occasions where Snipes needed to show some emotion, he handled it reasonably well.
In supporting roles you have some reasonably big names with Ellen Barkin taking on the role of a pushy radio show host and John Leguizamo as Rayburn's manager, Manny. Also making performances are Benicio Del Toro as another baseball player who is a rival of Rayburn's. All the supporting cast put in good performances but it would have made the film more enjoyable if some of these characters had bigger parts.
● Direction
The Fan is directed by Tony Scott who with a history of directing both action movies and thrillers, had good credentials for taking the helm on this. What Scott does really well is to keep the baseball action to a minimum, keeping the emphasis of the film on the thriller side of the story. But he lets the film down by not building up the suspense of the movie but slams the plot twists in our face when we least expect them. Although this works very well, it would have been nice if there had been a bit more suspense in the film which would have helped to stop the film being predicable.
Summary ***********
Since The Fans release back in 1996, it has taken a battering from many Hollywood critics who have panned it for Robert de Niro's over acting. For me, this is not such a huge problem as it is not in every scene and in general the film is highly entertaining and enthralling. The fact that although the film has a baseball theme to it, it rarely dwells upon it, makes it, in my opinion, very good, although I would not have been overly disappointed if there had been more baseball scenes. Yes there maybe some problems with the acting but these in general are very good and the plot to the film is pretty strong with very few flaws. Probably the best part of the film are the numerous twists which really do take you by surprise and in general Scott has done a good job of keeping the film at a very good pace.
Some people may be put off by the fact the film is set in the world of baseball and think that this will be an action movie, but as already mentioned this is a good thriller which only uses the world of baseball as a vehicle for the drama. I would recommend this to anyone enjoys a good thriller, but would warn De Niro fans that it is not one of his greatest performances.
Price & Availability *************************
Amazon: £6.97
Technical Details **********************
Certificate: 15 Duration: 116 mins Year of Release: 1996 Genre: Drama, Drama, Sport, Thriller
Director(s): Tony Scott Producer(s): Wendy Finerman Writer(s): Peter Abrahams (book), Phoef Sutton (screen play)
Cast: Robert De Niro, Wesley Snipes, Ellen Barkin, John Leguizamo, Benicio Del Toro, Patti D'Arbanville, Chris Mulkey, Andrew J. Ferchland, Brandon Hammond, Charles Hallahan, Don S. Davis, Brad William Henke
Advantages: Well acted. Tense Drama Disadvantages: Baseball setting might put some people off
...thinking whether I had watched the same movie, as I thought it was very well put together.
The only negative thing I could say about the movie is that it is set against the world of baseball, which I know will not be everyones favourite setting for a film.
However, I think that the baseball setting is irrelivant in one way,as it could just as well have been set in the world of any major sport.
The high profile sports setting is necessary in that ... ...and a particular player.
The film stars Robert De Niro as the Fan(Gil Renard) and Wesley Snipes as the baseball Player who is the baseball equivalent of a David Beckham or a Michael Owen.
De Niro is a salesman whose life is quickly spiralling out of control. The only constant thing in his life is his love for the local big league baseball team.As events seem to conspire against him, De Niro becomes ever more obsessed with his team and their recent ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Helps you fall asleep Disadvantages: Not an original or particulary good film
Right from the opening credits this film looks promising: a scrapbook of film clippings flicker beneath the atonal recitation of a poem about baseball. The effect is truly eerie. After that, there's not an original moment in this film. Based on Peter Abrahams' book, The Fan chronicles the mental breakdown of a blue-collar chump obsessed with a baseball star. In this particular spin on the psycho fan theme, Robert DeNiro plays Gil Renard, a washed-up ... ...is baseball. His team is the Giants and his hero is Bobby Rayburn, a hotshot hitter played by Wesley Snipes. Incidentally, Rayburn is given a son by the script, perhaps so we can draw parallels to Gil, but more likely so that there's somebody to kidnap later on.
Gil gets fired for being a "perfectionist" rather than a businessman, and DeNiro goes goofy. At about this point, The Fan sprawls completely out of control, grabbing from pretty much every ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: NONE Disadvantages: First crappy movie for these two
...he has a friendship with the famous ball player and feels that he is ignoring him, so he sets out to damage him, his family and his reputation as one of the most sought after baseball players in America.
In the end, Gil plants a bomb somewhere in the baseball arena and time is running out to find it.
Tommy Lee Jones and Wesley Snipes are great actors, and this movie is somewhat disappointing, for them as well as their ‘fans’.
It’s ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: it's got DeNiro in it Disadvantages: DeNiro's performance and everything else is awful
...idol (played by Wesley Snipes). The performances are workmanlike, the anyone could have written the plot and it’s editted like a pop video not a film. The only reason I watched this film was because it had Robert DeNiro in it, I had already read the reviews so I have only myself to blame. Don’t make the same mistake! ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: Original, entertaining and very funny. Disadvantages: Way too short !!!
... Background Information
"Robot Chicken - Star Wars Episode 2" is another one-off special episode of the popular Robot Chicken Series which was originally aired on Cartoon Network during the Adult Swim season (in 2008)
The episode was directed by Seth Green and features 22 minutes of original sketches related to the Star Wars Saga. It was released on DVD in July 2009.
Robot Chicken - Star Wars Episode 2
"Robot Chicken - Star Wars Episode 2" (like the original Robot Chicken - Star Wars is simply "COMEDY GENIUS" !!! Seth Green and the creative team behind this DVD have once again carefully selected many of the best characters, storylines and moments from the Star Wars movies and added a touch of Robot Chicken style originality to create another feast of fan fuelled fun that any fan of the Force will enjoy...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: The episodes relatie to a single subject - time travel Disadvantages: A bit heavy on the Next Generation stories
...is Yesterday shows what could be done in 1960's TV. The stories are simpler and there is a lot more acting, less action than in later episodes on the DVD's. The next TOS episode The City on the Edge of Forever is undoubtedly one of Trek fans favourites, mainly due to the fact the problems caused and what Kirk has to overcome with the death of Edith Keeler, played by a very young Joan Collins. I find it truly amazing with what she has been in over the years.
The Next Gen episodes show's how far Trek had come in the late 80's/ early 90's with a new crew and new stories and of course, better special effects. Cause and Effect being my personal favourite as the crew start to realise they are caught in a temporal loop by predicting the order of a pack of playing cards with a serious case of deja vu. There are two good two part stories as well...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Lots of footage, Features some amazing shots bowls and catches Disadvantages: A lot of black and white footage
...failing to reach an average of 100 after being bowled for a duck in his last test, made me feel extremely sympathetic for such a talented cricketer and an ambassador to the sport.
It was wonderful to see how friendly some opponents were to each other both on and off the field. As an England fan, some of the ashes footage was painful to watch however, seeing Mike Gatting captaining that ashes side of '81 really brought a smaile to my face. I was astounded at the ability of players who were playing before I was born and how I wished that I could have watched them play live.
My personal opinion of this DVD is that it is a must have for cricket fans of all ages. I feel that no other cricketing DVD compiles such a wide variaty of footage into one DVD. I fully recommend purchasing this item for yourself or any cricket fan you know. I am sure...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Plot: When baseball celebrity Bobby Rayburn falls into a career slump, Gil Renard's obsession with baseball takes a sinister turn as he secretly vows to restore his idol's reputation - whatever the cost...
Release details
DVD Region: DVD
Studio(s): ENTERTAINMENT IN VIDEO; CINRAM LOGISTICS
Quick-tempered Gil Renard (Robert De Niro) has an ex-wife who hates him, a son who fears him, and a job that he's about to lose. The only thing that this down-on-his-luck knife salesman can count on is baseball. He's a loyal, die hard fan, specifically when it comes to his favorite player, Bobby Rayburn (Wesley Snipes). Renard has followed Rayburn's career since day one and is thrilled that his hero has just signed with his hometown team, the San Francisco Giants. When Rayburn hits a slump, his number one fan decides to help him by any means necessary. But when Rayburn discovers the lengths to which his admirer has gone to "help" him and begins to fear Renard, the disturbed fan becomes disillusioned with his hero and focuses his aggression toward Rayburn and his family. De Niro is creepy and menacing as the obsessed Renard, a psychotic stalker who ingratiates himself with his victim. Directed by Tony Scott (TOP GUN, CRIMSON TIDE), the film is based on the novel by Peter Abrahams.
Technical information
Aspect Ratio: 2.35 Wide Screen
Sound: Dolby Pro Logic
Dubbing Sound: Dolby Pro Logic English
Professional reviews
Review: "...The latest piece of De Niro psycho-delia....[His] performance is scary, funny, even touching..." -- Rating: B (Entertainment Weekly, pp.100-1, 23/08/1996)
"...THE FAN is real, and the characters are very real..." (Sight and Sound, p.43-4, 01/12/1996)
![The Fan [DVD] [1996]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78530975.jpg)
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