Big Fan

patton oswalt impresses

in big fan, patton oswalt plays (quite convincingly) paul aufierio, a 30 something man whose only real passions in life are the new york football giants, and calling in a local sports radio show to talk smack on the air. along with his friend sal, played by one of my favorites kevin corrigan, they devote all their time to cheering for their favorite football team. paul is a pathetic loser to most, but he doesn't see himself that way. he lives with his mother still, doesn't own a car, and has a shitty job as a parking attendant on staton island. he doesn't want a life like his brother, who is a seedy lawyer that dumped his wife for his mistress. things change drastically for paul when he and sal follow their favorite giants player to a strip club, and he gets his ass kicked by his hero. now he doesn't want to press charges, because this will hurt his team! the film is mostly a drama, even though the material is often humorous. paul is a great character. he is a total loser, we hear people like him on the radio every day, but 'big fan' gives him depth. paul goes so far for his passion on the radio and for the giants that he takes some drastic measures towards the end of the film. the only problems i had with the film were the unresolved conflicts in the story. i really like how true to football fans this movie is. they don't do the typical hollywood bullshit, the filmmakers know their stuff and the details are spot on. overall it is worth a look.