The Fan

The Fan is a 1996 American sports psychological thriller film directed by Tony Scott, and starring Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes, based on the 1995 novel by Peter Abrahams. The film received generally negative reviews from critics and was a box office flop. Over time, the direction, the performances and the soundtrack were praised. Plot Gil Renard is a troubled baseball fan whose favorite team, the San Francisco Giants, have just signed a $40 million contract with his favorite player, Bobby Rayburn. His ex-wife Ellen obtains a restraining order to keep him away from herself and their son after Gil left his son to attend a sales meeting, but finds his client is at a baseball game. Gil is fired from his job as a knife salesman when he insults a prospective customer. Gil begins obsessing over Rayburn. When Rayburn suffers a chest injury that causes fans to be upset by his underperformance, Gil antagonizes fans that jeer him. Rayburn has also been in an open conflict with teammate Juan Primo due to both men wanting to keep jersey number 11, and neither wanting to give it up, due to their long histories and connections to the number. Rayburn was instead given number 33, which makes him harshly protested it. This culminates in a fight in the restroom of a bar. Gil, thinking that Primo is to blame for Rayburn's performance, confronts him in a hotel sauna in an attempt to persuade him to let Rayburn have the number. Primo reveals his shoulder, branded with the number 11, and says that it is his number. This eventually leads to a struggle, and Gil fatally stabs Primo in the groin. Although Rayburn is suspected of the murder, his performance improves, and Gil believes that what he did benefited Rayburn and the team. After feeling guilty about Primo's death, Rayburn starts playing well again.