The Fan (1996)

Director:

Tony Scott

Writers (WGA):

Peter Abrahams (book)
Phoef Sutton (screenplay)

Release Date:

16 August 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport | Thriller

Tagline:

Fear strikes.

Plot:

An all star baseball player becomes the unhealthy focus of a down on his luck salesman.

Plot Keywords:

Fan | Baseball | Knife | Baseball Player | Obsession

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. Dec. 28

8:00 AM

FX

Cast

Robert De Niro	...	Gil Renard
Wesley Snipes	...	Bobby Rayburn
Ellen Barkin	...	Jewel Stern
John Leguizamo	...	Manny
Benicio Del Toro	...	Juan Primo
Patti D'Arbanville	...	Ellen Renard (as Patti D'Arbanville-Quinn)
Chris Mulkey	...	Tim
Andrew J. Ferchland	...	Richie Renard
Brandon Hammond	...	Sean Rayburn
Charles Hallahan	...	Coop
Dan Butler	...	Garrity
Kurt Fuller	...	Bernie
Michael Jace	...	Scalper
Frank Medrano	...	Leon, the Bartender
Don S. Davis	...	Stook
John Kruk	...	Lanz
Stoney Jackson	...	Zamora
Brad William Henke	...	Tjader (as Brad Henke)
Drew Snyder	...	Burrows
Edith Diaz	...	Elvira
Walter Addison	...	Detective Lewis
Wayne Duvall	...	Detective Baker
Joe Pichler	...	Sick Sean
James MacDonald	...	Sick Sean's Dad (as James G. MacDonald)
Tuesday Knight	...	Nurse
Marla Sucharetza	...	Angie
Nikki Lee	...	Dawna
Marjorie Lovett	...	Stanford Woman
Michael Andolini	...	Man Behind Gil
M.C. Gainey	...	Man Behind Man
Michael Bofshever	...	Little League Coach
Kirk Ward	...	The Giant Mascot
Eric Bruskotter	...	Catcher
Kirk D. Terry	...	Umpire
Abraham Flores	...	Umpire
Dennis Neil Henderson	...	Umpire
Aaron Neville	...	Opening Game Singer
Jerry Saslow	...	Reporter
Michael P. Byrne	...	Reporter
Bret Lewis	...	Reporter
Roger Lodge	...	Reporter
Ron Pitts	...	Reporter
Stanley DeSantis	...	Stoney
Jack Black	...	Broadcast Technician
Thomas F. Duffy	...	Figgy (as Thomas Duffy)
Don Fischer	...	Cop
Vernon Guichard II	...	Cop
Kim Robillard	...	Jefferson Sporting Goods Clerk
Keith Leon Williams	...	Stadium Offical
Chanté Moore	...	Primo Tribute Singer
Paul Herman	...	Seedy Suit Guy
Robert Louis Kempf	...	Baggage Attendant
Jesse Ibarra	...	Padres Pitcher
James Betzsold	...	Padres Catcher
Chris Fick	...	Giants Left Fielder
Ben Hines	...	Giants First Baseman
Rick Magnante	...	Giants Third Base Coach
Carl Mergenthaler	...	Bobby's Teammate
Clayton Holt	...	Bobby's Teammate
Lennox Brown	...	Bobby's Teammate
Troy A. Cephers	...	Bobby's Teammate
Freeman White	...	Bobby's Teammate
Bruce Hines	...	Umpire in End Game
Adam Druxman	...	Paparazzi
Kathy Stewart	...	Fan
Carolyn Washington	...	Fan
Nikki Hart	...	Fan
Bo Daniels	...	Fan
Randal Salguero	...	Fan
Tracy Leanne Mandac	...	Fan
Greg Tome	...	Detective Schmerg
Sonya Bertelson	...	Waitress
Brian Freifield	...	Art
Jennifer Stander	...	Store Employee
Roy Conrad	...	Shopkeeper
Richard Riehle	...	Shopkeeper
Earl Billings	...	Shopkeeper
John Carroll Lynch	...	Shopkeeper
Tim Monsion	...	Shopkeeper
Ralph Bertelle	...	Shopkeeper
Norm Compton	...	Shopkeeper
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Linda Carol	...	(uncredited)
Larry Cisewski	...	Knife Thrower (uncredited)
Kacee DeMasi	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Said Faraj	...	Parking attendant (uncredited)
Monica Martino	...	Hot Girl (uncredited)
Patti Tippo	...	Shopkeeper (uncredited)

Directed by
Tony Scott

Writing credits (WGA)
Peter Abrahams		(book)
Phoef Sutton		(screenplay)

Produced by
Wendy Finerman	....	producer
Margaret French-Issac	....	co-producer
Greg Mooradian	....	associate producer
Barrie M. Osborne	....	executive producer
James W. Skotchdopole	....	executive producer
Bill Unger	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Hans Zimmer

Cinematography by
Dariusz Wolski		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Claire Simpson
Christian Wagner

Casting by
Ellen Lewis

Production Design by
Ida Random

Art Direction by
Mayne Berke
Adam Lustig

Set Decoration by
Claire Jenora Bowin		(as Claire Bowin)

Costume Design by
Daniel Orlandi
Rita Ryack

Makeup Department
David P. Barton	....	special makeup effects artist
Lana Chirco	....	hair stylist
Stephen Elsbree	....	hair stylist
Ilona Herman	....	hair stylist
Ilona Herman	....	makeup artist
Ron Scott	....	key hair stylist
Shaun Smith	....	special makeup effects supervisor: KYP Inc.
Richard Snell	....	key makeup artist
Laini Thompson	....	makeup artist: Mr. Snipes
Ellen Wong	....	makeup artist
Natalie Wood	....	makeup artist
Kevin Yagher	....	makeup effects creator
Mark C. Yagher	....	makeup effects

Production Management
Chantal Feghali	....	post-production supervisor
Paul A. Levin	....	post-production supervisor
Roger Joseph Pugliese	....	unit production manager
Zane Weiner	....	production supervisor: preparation only
James A. Westman	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Adam Druxman	....	second second assistant director
Phil Dupont	....	additional second second assistant director
James W. Skotchdopole	....	first assistant director
Sharon Swab	....	dga trainee
John Wildermuth Jr.	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Mike Blaze	....	property master
Rick Chavez	....	assistant property master
Stan Cockerell	....	assistant property master
Dennis DeWaay	....	construction coordinator (as Dennis DeWay)
Tim Donelan	....	lead man
Beverli Eagan	....	set designer
Steven E. Fegley	....	construction foreman (as Steven Fegley)
Will Grant	....	set dresser
Randy Gunter	....	assistant property master
John Hinkle	....	stand-by painter
Scott W. Leslie	....	set dresser
Oscar Mazzola	....	art department assistant
Tom Reta	....	assistant art director
Shana Sigmond	....	buyer
Ken Abraham	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Jennifer A. Davis	....	art director: additional photography (uncredited)
Gaylene West	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Slamm Andrews	....	sound recording assistant
Patrick Bietz	....	sound editor
Scott Burrow	....	supervising foley editor
William C. Carruth	....	supervising adr editor
David B. Cohn	....	sound effects editor
Virginia Cook-McGowan	....	sound effects editor
Samuel C. Crutcher	....	sound effects editor
Carlos Delarios	....	additional sound re-recording mixer
Greg Dillon	....	sound effects editor
Nerses Gezalyan	....	foley mixer
Thomas Giordano	....	sound technician: re-shoots
Jeff Gomillion	....	adr mixer
Gary A. Hecker	....	foley artist
Robert G. Henderson	....	supervising sound editor
David M. Horton	....	sound effects editor
Adam Johnston	....	sound effects editor
Roxanne Jones	....	sound effects editor
William B. Kaplan	....	production sound mixer
Rick Kline	....	sound re-recording mixer
William L. Manger	....	sound effects editor (as Bill Manger)
Steve Maslow	....	additional sound re-recording mixer
Peggy Names	....	sound utility
Bob O'Brien	....	foley editor
Kevin O'Connell	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Phillips	....	sound effects editor
Charleen Richards	....	adr mixer
Greg P. Russell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Earl Sampson	....	boom operator
Rodney Sharpp	....	assistant sound effects editor
Gregg Silk	....	second engineer
Scott A. Tinsley	....	sound effects editor
Brooke H. Ward	....	sound effects supervisor
Lynne Warr	....	assistant adr editor
Gregory H. Watkins	....	additional sound re-recording mixer
Jeffrey Wilhoit	....	foley artist

Special Effects by
Joe Chenier	....	special effects
Corey Pritchett	....	special effects
Joe D. Ramsey	....	special effects supervisor
Andrew Sebok	....	special effects
Larry M. Shorts	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Scott Milne	....	title artist
Dwight Raymond	....	visual effects editor

Stunts
Bob Arnold	....	stunts
Marlon Braccia	....	stunt driver
Mike Cameron	....	stunts
R.J. Chambers	....	stunts
Craig Davis	....	stunts
Danial Donai	....	stunts
Richard Epper	....	stunts
Kane Hodder	....	stunts
Scott Hubbell	....	utility stunts
Mister Jones	....	stunts (as Leslie Jones)
Mark Lonsdale	....	stunts
Billy D. Lucas	....	stunts
John Lucasey	....	stunts
Joe Manuella	....	stunts
Johnny Martin	....	stunts
Don McGovern	....	stunts
Eddie Perez	....	stunt double
Eddie Perez	....	stunts
Charlie Picerni	....	stunts
Chuck Picerni Jr.	....	stunt coordinator
Steve Picerni	....	stunt coordinator
John Polce	....	stunts
John Rottger	....	stunts
Carlton Lee Russell	....	stunts
Tierre Turner	....	stunts
Gene Williams	....	stunts
John Cenatiempo	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael Adler	....	electrician
John-Paul Beeghly	....	second assistant camera (as J.P. Beeghly)
Eric Blum	....	electrician: San Francisco
Phillip V. Caruso	....	special photographer
Linda R. Chen	....	still photographer
Kelly Clear	....	rigging electrician
Alan Colbert	....	lighting technician
John T. Connor	....	assistant camera: "b" camera
John T. Connor	....	first assistant camera
David Emmerichs	....	camera operator
Thomas Gibson	....	best boy grip
Thomas Giordano	....	video assist operator
Tom Giordano	....	video assist operator
Anthony Hall	....	best boy rigging gaffer
Gilbert Johnson	....	electrician
Lawrence Karman	....	camera operator
Dan Kerns	....	rigging gaffer
Hilary Klym	....	key rigging grip
Ron Kunecke	....	night light operator
Brett Mabry	....	electrician
Ed Maloney	....	best boy electric (as Eddy Maloney)
Mark Meyers	....	dolly grip
Claudio Miranda	....	chief lighting technician
Daniel Moder	....	camera loader (as Dan Moder)
Reggie Newkirk	....	first assistant camera
David B. Nowell	....	helicopter camera operator
J. Michael Popovich	....	key grip
Peter Rand	....	video assist operator
Thomas J. Ruffner	....	dolly grip
Martin Schaer	....	camera operator
Nick Shuster	....	second assistant camera
John Skotchdopole	....	first assistant camera
James Sweet	....	key rigging grip
Anthony Van Dyk	....	set lighting technician
Jeff Vine	....	second assistant camera
Richard Brooks Burton	....	aerial assistant camera (uncredited)
Daniel Mindel	....	additional photographer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Lisa S. Beasley	....	extras casting
Brennan Dufresne	....	casting assistant
Nancy Dunbar	....	extras casting
Gail Goldberg	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dan Bronson	....	costume supervisor
Bob Moore Jr.	....	costumer (as Bob Moore)
Maggie Morgan	....	assistant costume designer
Elaine Ramires	....	key costumer
Mary Elizabeth Still	....	costumer (as Mary Still)

Editorial Department
Monica Anderson	....	assistant editor
Vernel Bakewell	....	apprentice editor
Matthew Booth	....	assistant editor
Fred Fouquet	....	editor: opening title sequence
Mo Henry	....	negative cutter
Ladd Lanford	....	assistant editor
Sheila MacDowell	....	assistant editor
Janet Ogletree	....	first assistant editor: lightworks
Olivia Patton	....	apprentice editor
Bob Putynkowski	....	color timer
Dwight Raymond	....	first assistant editor (as H. Dwight Raymond IV)
Paul M. Wagner	....	assistant editor (as Paul Wagner)
Leigh Davis	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Cecilia Hyoun	....	lightworks assistant (uncredited)
Benjamin Rapoport	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Ryeland Allison	....	musician
Sharon Boyle	....	music supervisor
Sandy DeCrescent	....	music contractor
Bruce Fowler	....	orchestrator
Harry Gregson-Williams	....	conductor
Alan Meyerson	....	score mixer
Jeff Rona	....	composer: additional music
Angie Rubin	....	additional music editor
Adam Milo Smalley	....	music editor
Steven L. Smith	....	music preparation
Marc Streitenfeld	....	assistant composer
John Van Tongeren	....	musician: keyboards and synthesiser

Transportation Department
Howard Bachrach	....	transportation captain
Vic Cuccia	....	picture car captain
Steve Duncan	....	transportation coordinator
Dennis Sean Fahey	....	driver: Mr. Scott
Craig Lietzke	....	driver
David Pappas	....	transportation captain: San Francisco
Jerry Sidwell	....	driver

Other crew
Jennifer Amerine	....	assistant: Bill Unger
Tammy Apana	....	assistant accountant
Lynn Asma	....	assistant: Mr. Zimmer
Christopher Aubin	....	first assistant accountant
David P. Barton	....	puppeteer
Vanessa Bendetti	....	researcher
Ralph Bertelle	....	production secretary
Jennifer Blair	....	assistant production coordinator
Denise Blasor	....	voice-over artist
Judith M. Brown	....	studio teacher
Justin Caine Burnett	....	assistant: Mr. Zimmer (as Justin Burnett)
Alison Cannon	....	production accountant
Robin Chambers	....	assistant: Robert De Niro
Bundy Chanock	....	set medic
Sue Chipperton	....	animal trainer
Larry Cisewski	....	knife consultant
Kyle Cooper	....	title designer
Ivana Crvelin	....	executive assistant: Wendy Finerman
Jennifer A. Giancola	....	production assistant (as Jennifer Giancola)
Dori Greenberg	....	production assistant
Dan Harvey	....	physical trainer
Jerry Heiss	....	assistant: Tony Scott
Ida Lee Henderson	....	production accountant
William E. Hughes	....	baseball trainer (as William Hughes)
Meredith Humbracht	....	assistant: Barrie Osborne
Margo Hunt	....	assistant production coordinator
Ric Ice	....	technical advisor
Carl Jackson	....	technical advisor
Ryan R. Johnson	....	intern
Scott Jolgen	....	production assistant
Michael Klesic	....	assistant location manager
Matthew Kohnen	....	office production assistant
Jordana Kronen	....	assistant location manager
Lt. John Lane	....	stalking consultant
Susanne Lariviere	....	payroll accountant
Tendaji Lathan	....	production assistant
Ernest H. Lauterio	....	craft service (as Ernie Lauterio)
David R. Lawson	....	medic
Adam Leichtman	....	assistant: Robert De Niro
Ellen Lent	....	location manager (as Ellen Winchell)
Ed Lipscomb	....	assistant location manager
Emily McGovern	....	production assistant
Bob Miller	....	technical advisor
Joseph Kelly Padovich	....	mechanic
Elaine Patarini	....	assistant location manager
Jeremy Pevar	....	cut-out production assistant
Janice Polley	....	location manager
Alan D. Purwin	....	helicopter pilot
David Rielly	....	office production assistant
Cal Ripken	....	baseball consultant (as Calvin E. Ripken, Jr.)
Carrie Seeley	....	assistant: Wesley Snipes
Nanette Siegert	....	production coordinator
J.T. Steele	....	extras coordinator
Spooky Stevens	....	unit publicist
Monica Strater	....	production assistant
Tony Swatton	....	knife maker
Martin Tillman	....	featured cello player
P.R. Tooke	....	script supervisor
Tim Tortora	....	assistant accountant
Peter Toumasis	....	assistant to director
Jeff Trachtman	....	key set production assistant
Jaimie Trueblood	....	cut-out production assistant
Marshall Vernet	....	location consultant
James Wells	....	technical advisor
Garson Yu	....	title designer
Andrea Zuckerman	....	production assistant
Danny Del Toro	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Curran G. Engel	....	set production assistant (uncredited)
David Halver	....	location assistant (uncredited)
Paul Kruhm	....	location services: EastWest Locations (uncredited)
Thomas J. O'Connor	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Michael Phillips	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Danny Rivera	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Dawn M. Severdia	....	cost estimator (uncredited)
Jim Wright	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Mandalay Entertainment
• Scott Free Productions
• TriStar Pictures

Distributors

• AMLF (1997) (France) (theatrical)
• Astro Distribution (1997) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (USA) (laserdisc)
• RCV Film Distribution (Belgium)
• RCV Film Distribution (Luxembourg)
• RCV Film Distribution (Netherlands)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE)
• Starlight (1996) (Germany) (VHS)
• TriPictures (Spain)
• Vitória Filmes (Portugal)

Special Effects

• Kevin Yagher Productions (make-up effects)

Other Companies

• Cast of Thousands  extras casting
• Cinema Research  end credits
• Cinema Research  opticals
• Home on the Range  catering
• Imaginary Forces  main titles
• Jo Anne Kane Music Services  music preparation
• MFX  main title design and compositing
• MFX  visual effects
• Movie Movers  cast trailers
• Movie Movers  production trailers
• Sony Pictures Studios  sound re-recording
• Studio Animal Services  animals provided by
• TVT Soundtrax  soundtrack

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language throughout and some intense violence.

Runtime:

116 min | Finland:112 min | Spain:114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS (8 channels) | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | USA:R (certificate #34336) | Canada:A (Ontario) | Singapore:PG (cut) | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:M18 | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Anaheim, California, USA

Company:

Mandalay Entertainment

Trivia:

Former San Francisco Giant Mike Sadek served as a body-double for Robert De Niro in scenes where he was throwing a baseball.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): At the beginning of Juan Primo's musical montage, the announcer introduces him as "Number 11, the right fielder, Juan Primo." But it was established earlier in the film that Primo played left field.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Gil Renard: [voiceover] Excited and anxious I await my dream / To escape, applaud, and embrace my team.

Movie Connections:

References The Untouchables (1987)

Soundtrack:

HOT KNIVES

"Baseball Is Better Than Life, Because It's Fair..."

It may be true that everyone during their lifetime has fifteen minutes of fame, even if in most cases it only lasts about a minute and a half. And if that minute and a half comes early in life, how far into adulthood can you carry it with you, and when does a healthy memory become an obsession that finally blurs the line between reality and fantasy? `The Fan,' directed by Tony Scott and starring Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes, is an intense and disturbing motion picture that examines that moment and the effects it can have on the lives of those either directly or indirectly involved. Here, the focus is on one Gil Renard (De Niro), a knife salesman in San Francisco and a die-hard Giants fan who is pumped about the acquisition during the off-season of superstar centerfielder Bobby Rayburn (Snipes), whom he believes will bring a pennant to the team. Once a player himself-- a pitcher-- Renard's life has since been on a downhill slide. Divorced, he has a young, little league aged son, Richie (Andrew J. Ferchland), with whom he has an unsettling relationship, and at work, his sales have been so poor his job is on the line. An angry, disturbed individual, Renard has reached a pivotal point in his life; for inspiration, he continually returns to the philosophies of the catcher from his playing days, Coop (Charles Hallahan), whom he considers one of the finest athletes he ever knew. And as his life continues to deteriorate, his obsessions begin to add further to the imbalance of his perceptions of reality, which finally lead him past a point of no return.

Scott's film, of course, has less to do with baseball than it does with how the game itself actually relates to life and the things that really matter. As Rayburn says at one point, `We're not curing cancer here.' But to those to whom life has been reduced to that minute and a half to which they still cling, the game can be everything. And it is just that unhealthy obsession that Scott examines in this film, that comparatively insignificant moment that in the obsessive mind becomes an episode of monumental importance that finally distorts any semblance of reality the individual may have left. What's truly frightening is that upon close scrutiny, in Renard there is much with which many viewers will be able to relate in one way or another: The anger, the frustration and perhaps the inability to let go of that minute and a half, even when it threatens to become more than just a pleasant memory, but an unhealthy lifeline to another place and another time that, in reality, may never have existed in the first place. It's like a search for self-esteem by the has-been-who-never-was, who can neither realize nor accept it's elusiveness. As Renard says to Richie, `Baseball is better than life, because it's fair. You hit a sacrifice fly and it doesn't count against your average.' An ideal that has forever eluded Renard; in his life, he's never been able to `give himself up for the team' and get anything in return for it.

As Renard, De Niro gives an explosive performance that at first glance may seem to have a bit of Travis Bickle and Max Cady in it-- which in fact it does-- though upon closer inspection, Renard is a unique character. Those with a disturbed mind may have traits in common, as these characters De Niro has portrayed certainly do; but De Niro has successfully given each of them an individual personality, and when viewed side by side, the differences are readily apparent. Bickle may be a sociopath, Cady a cold blooded killer; but Renard is a man who was just never able to get a handle on his life and has allowed his obsessions to dictate the choices he has made along the way. De Niro is simply a master of his craft, with the ability to make his characters so real that a performance like this one is often overlooked; this is Oscar worthy work for which he never received the acclaim he was due. His Renard is so like someone you would run into in your everyday life that in retrospect, it's scary. But it's the kind of performance we've come to expect from De Niro, and as usual, he does not disappoint.

Wesley Snipes, as well, gives a solid performance as Rayburn that is one of his best ever, which is not surprising when you consider with whom he was working. If you study De Niro's films, you may discover a common thread running through them with regard to his co-stars. De Niro has the ability to make those with whom he is working better; and it's something that stays with them forever after. Consider Christopher Walken and Meryl Streep before `The Deer Hunter,' or Ed Harris before `Jacknife.' Certainly they were exceptional talents before, but they have arguably been better since. And Snipes is no exception. Nor is Benicio Del Toro (Recipient of the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for `Traffic'), who gives a memorable turn here as Rayburn's rival outfielder, Juan Primo.

The supporting cast includes Patti D'Arbanville (Ellen),Ellen Barkin (Jewel), John Leguizamo (Manny), Chris Mulkey (Tim), Dan Butler (Garrity) and Brandon Hammond (Sean). A thought provoking thriller that gives some real insight into the cause and effect of the psyche of human nature, `The Fan' is like an open wound that may hit too close to home for some. And to dismiss this as just a `baseball' movie or another `action' flick would be a mistake, for there is much more here than meets the eye. In the end, those who pay attention will ultimately reap the rewards it proffers. I rate this one 9/10.