We all love baseball. If not, why are you here? But, we've all met that one person who takes things right to, or past, the edge. That person who really puts the "fanatical" in the term "fan." Many of our green and gold neighbors can attest to this. In the 1996 movie, "The Fan," we see this concept taken to extremes. I've been meaning to watch this one for quite a while, but it's been hard to find. It has less-than-stellar reviews, but let's give it a look anyway.
 

"The Fan" centers around De Niro's character, Gil Renard. At first, he seems like a typical middle-aged dude who's facing some tough breaks, but as the movie develops, you'll discover that it's a bit darker than that. He's kind of like Jimmy Fallon in "Fever Pitch," without the innocent idiocy. Renard loves the Giants and he's obsessed with their new free agent signing, Bobby Rayburn (played by Wesley Snipes). When things start to spiral downward in his personal and professional life, Renard takes it out on Rayburn and his son. There's one scene where he confronts one of Rayburn's teammates who will not give up his number to the star that is the tipping point. Extra creepy points for taking place in a sauna. Nobody wants to be confronted there.
 

I really didn't know what to expect from this movie, but honestly, I enjoyed it. De Niro was convincing as a deranged dude. Snipes was better than his norm. John Leguizamo was quitely great as Snipe's PR man. I was considerably creepier than I expected and in a good way. It wasn't boring or cookie-cutter. One thing it was, and is, is screamingly 1990's. From the editing to the music, this is a '90's flick all the way. The closest comparison I can think of is "The Last Boyscout." It has a very similar vibe. 

Will "The Fan" go down in the pantheon of great baseball flicks? No. Not at all. But, that being said, it's worth a watch. It's more of a drama/thriller than a baseall movie, but it still counts. Give it a look. 

Run Time: 1 hr 56 min

Scorecard: A hustle double. 

Best line: 

• [the ball park witnesses the bad collision between Bobby Rayburn and Juan Primo]
• Gil Renard: [Gil tells his son as both players are slow to get up] Center field makes the calls. Fundamental of baseball. Center field makes the calls. Pay attention!
• Sports Reporter: [the sports reporter announces] Well, a scary moment on day one. Boy, I'll tell ya. Rayburn's slow getting up, and Primo's still slow getting up. Forty million dollars laying out there in center field, Steve. Hope the Giants have comprehensive collision coverage. (This give anyone flashbacks?)