Big Fan
I don’t know if it’s even in theaters anymore; probably not. It opened small, and under the radar. But, Big Fan was tremendously great. Robert Siegel, who wrote The Wrestler, wrote and directed this. He’s a really good writer, and he deeply understands his characters. Here they are much like the beautiful losers who populated The Wrestler, and he does not condescend to this portion of America that has fallen off the radar. He, or his location person, also deeply understands Staten Island, as some of the locations they used were beyond perfect, and every Staten Islander would get why they were picked. (I should know; I lived there from age three till college.)
Patton Oswalt stars, and he’s tremendous. An incredibly funny comic, which proves again my long-held belief that the best comics also make the best actors. Any fan of his should see this.
But don’t expect a laugh riot. It is a very dark, very uncomfortable film. And Siegel proved himself a master of “show, don’t tell.” There’s one scene I can’t tell too much about without ruining it. It takes place in a rest stop bathroom, is all I’ll say. And it references a classic film without blatantly doing so in a way that brings seven levels of tension to its own story. Really, this is a fantastic film, especially if you’re a sports fan, or know someone who is. And not just a casual fan, but a hardcore one. It’s no surprise to me that no one has seen this, and very few will. But it’s so worth it.