2009 AFI Dallas Film Festival - Big Fan

(USA, 2009, 102 mins)
HDCam
Texas Premiere
Directed By: Robert Siegel

For legions of people, sports teams are religion, and their favorite players are their idols. This notion sparks the hilarious premise of Big Fan, the directing debut from Robert Siegel.

Paul Aufiero, the self-described “world's biggest New York Giants fan” and his best friend, Sal, spot star Giants linebacker Quantrell Bishop at a gas station in Staten Island. They follow his SUV to Manhattan to a strip club, where they muster up the courage to talk to their hero. What starts out as a dream come true turns into a nightmarish confrontation, and Paul is sent down a path that will test his devotion to the extreme.

Patton Oswalt is perfectly cast as Paul, infusing him with a humanity that renders him empathetic instead of pathetic. Siegel has an innate understanding of—and reverence for—his characters but finds humor in every scene by perfectly capturing the details of their world.

Information from the festival's website