A film that has been getting a lot of positive buzz for the past few months is a pretty dark and weirdly funny film by the guy who wrote “The Wrestler”. The movie is called, “Big Fan”.

Writer (and now director) Robert D. Siegel has touched on mainstream sport and the almost unhinged devotion that many fans have for their gridiron heroes.  In what may be the most inspired bit of casting to come along since….Mickey Rourke as a wrestler, Siegel has found gold in stand-up comedian, Patton Oswalt (King of Queens, the voice of Rem’y the culinary rat in “Ratatouille”).

Oswalt is entirely believable as a major-league New York Giants fanatic who gets too close to his idol and finds himself the victim of a violent assault. In a scenario that sounds  familiar to those who follow the news of athletes behaving badly. (From Plaxico’s gun to Vick’s Dog Fights, to fans getting tossed through sports bar windows), the movie goes deep into the psyche of a man who has little else to cheer for in his life.  Not since Scorsese’s ,” King of Comedy” have we seen a basement-dwelling fan so unpleasantly linked with those he worships.

Having suffered severe injuries, Oswalt’s character has the chance to “cash-in” and send his favorite player away for a very long time.  The pressures come from every direction and all reviews seem unanimous in their praise for the movie and it’s cast.

The trailer for “Big Fan” is below. It definitely looks like something we’re all going to want to see, even if some of what we see is pretty close to home.

Just a side note:  In “King of Comedy”, Robert DeNiro plays Rupert Pupkin, a man obsessed with being a late night talk show host.

In the movie, “The Fan” (1996), Robert DeNiro plays Gil Renard, a knife salesman who becomes obsessed with a star baseball player (played by Wesley Snipes).  If you’re going to see either of these two movies, the choice isn’t even close.

“King of Comedy” is a brilliant satire on fan adulation and celebrity. Jerry Lewis steals the movie.  It also has a fantastic soundtrack.