Spence Olchin of “King of Queens” is a New Yorker who is approaching middle-aged, works as a subway token collector, lives with his mother and is obsessed with science fiction. Paul Aufiero of “Big Fan” is a New Yorker who is approaching middle-aged, works as a parking deck attendant, lives with his mother and is obsessed with the New York Giants. It seems Patton Oswalt, who plays both roles, has painted himself into a bit of a corner. Luckily for Oswalt, the formula works -- in a big way.
Oswalt and director Robert D. Siegel have stumbled onto an interesting premise with “Big Fan,” one of the stars of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival: what choice does hero worship allow you to make after your hero assaults you? In his directorial debut, Siegel -- the screenwriter for the critically acclaimed “The Wrestler” -- takes a no-holds-barred look at what happens when the fantasy world created by the biggest sports fan out there crosses into -- and helps to destroy -- that fan’s real world.
While he’s trapped in his workaday “box” in a parking deck, Aufiero whiles away the hours by writing out scripts to read aloud during the Sports Dogg radio show, where he’s created the persona “Paul from Staten Island.” Like the “Clones” who call into “The Jungle” on the Jim Rome Show, Paul is able to hide behind this pseudonym, transferring himself from a meek loser with no confidence into a trash-talking, stat-spewing hyper-fan every night -- even if he’s sometimes reduced to a whisper so as not to wake his cranky mother. In this role, he nurtures an ongoing, back-and-forth, give-and-take battle with his on-air arch-nemesis, “Philadelphia Phil,” mouthpiece of the hated Philadelphia Eagles.
As we follow Paul during his everyday routines, we see that the Giants essentially represent the extent of his life. Here, Siegel seems to purposely effect very slow pacing, hammering home the point that Paul has nothing beyond Sundays. He and his buddy Sal (Kevin Corrigan), who is “Paul from Staten Island’s” biggest fan, get all geared up in G-Men attire, get out to games at 10:30 in the morning ... then have to rig up a way to listen to the games on the radio in Paul’s beater from the Meadowlands parking lot because they don’t have tickets. The scenes of Paul and Sal awkwardly dancing, hugging and cursing the refs as they listen to the radio is alternately hilarious and pitiful.
One day, by happenstance, Paul and Sal happen to see their idol, Giants defensive end Quantrell Bishop, at a gas station. Not sure what to do, they follow Bishop and his entourage first to a stop at a crackhouse on the wrong side of the tracks, then to an upscale strip club ($9 for a Bud Light). Paul finally musters up the courage to walk up to QB’s table and introduce himself; flustered, he lets it slip that he followed Bishop all the way from the alleged drug stop. Paranoid, Bishop launches into a rampage, attacking Paul with kicks and punches that send Paul into a semi-coma.
Paul wakes up three days later in the hospital with a concussion, only to learn that Bishop has been suspended for kicking the shit out of him. Torn between the destruction of the image he had of Bishop and his loyalty to the Giants, Paul elects to refuse to help the investigation. In perhaps the film’s most poignant moment, we are witness to Paul’s internal conflict when he has to slowly put on Bishop’s jersey again—figuratively donning the skin and adopting the name of the man who inflicted so much physical and emotional damage on him.
When his brother, a crackpot lawyer, files a $77 million lawsuit against Bishop without Paul’s knowledge, a hysterical scene ensues where Paul confront his brother as he’s taking a dump. Eventually, “Philadelphia Phil” connects the dots, learning that Paul Aufiero and “Paul from Staten Island” are one and the same, and after he calls Paul out on the air, Paul calls into the show to say it’s all a misunderstanding and he’s dropping the lawsuit. However, his mother interrupts the phone call, chastising Paul for speaking too loudly when she has to wake up early in the morning. When Paul curses her out on air, he’s kicked off the line, literally and figuratively severing the connection Paul has with his “safe place” on the radio, where he can be the faceless, confident man he’s always wanted to be.
Enraged, ridiculed and shamed, Paul goes undercover to find “Philadelphia Phil,” who is perfectly played by Michael Rappaport. At the risk of giving away the ending, let’s just say that Siegel finds his chops with the penultimate scene, creating a hyper-intense atmosphere where the tension builds and builds into a crescendo. The entire scene serves as a tremendous depiction not only of the incredibly obnoxious Iggles fan base, but of the passion and hatred that permeates the entire Giants-Eagles rivalry.
If you have a close affiliation with any sports team, this independent drama encroaches on must-watch territory. “Big Fan” is an ode to the elevation of sports as a major part of existence for so many, and Oswalt does a stellar job of capturing the desperation and obsession that defines so many who place love of team before self. Critics have called his performance “fearless” and “terrific,” and Oswalt was tabbed as a “Breakthrough Actor” by the Gotham Independent Film Awards. Sure, he’s sad and pathetic as “Paul from Staten Island,” but he’s also driven, which seems to make him almost honorable in our eyes, in some strange, undefined way. By adopting such a relatable, Average Joe, everyman persona, Oswalt succeeds in earning our respect through pity -- while carrying a movie.
Doug Heffernan would be proud … even though he is a Jets fan.
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