Sin #34: The Fan

Paul is a loser. He is reaching 40 and still lives with his mother, works as a booth attendant in the parking lot of a hospital and is obsessed with the New York Giants. At nights he talks to a radio station where he becomes “Paul from Staten Island”, an avid and eloquent commentator that supports his team no matter what.

When there’s a game he goes out to the parking lot of the stadium with his buddy, plugs a TV to his car battery and watches it as he hears the roars of the fans inside.

So, is Paul dangerous or merely a harmless and passionate fan?

Certainly he doesn’t come across as a violent man, not like those crazy hooligans from England that take every chance to beat fans from other teams just to prove their worth as violent offenders.

In “Green Street Hooligans” Elijah Wood’s character goes through a transformation. On America he is a naïve and decent college student recently dismissed after he took the fall for a charge of drug possession from a roommate, who happens to be the son of an important senator. Now he is in London, visiting his sister and her family when he becomes embroiled in the whole Hooligan scene. Unlike Paul, the hooligans aren’t really interested in scoring victories in the field, but more like scoring victories in the street (if violence can be deemed a victory).

“Big Fan” observes Paul without passing any judgment or offering the slightest chance of redemption for him. The movie is fascinating because the character never changes; he sticks fearlessly to his convictions (when a player beats him, he refuses to sue because that will mean that he will get expelled from the team) and even when he could get a chance to find a better job and move out from his mom’s house he refuses with ferocity.

Both movies are about sport fanaticism and unhealthy obsessions that often lead to violent and irrational behaviors. “Green Street Hooligans” is clear about its message of hate and the consequences of devoting your life to a gang; “Big Fan” is more ambiguous on its attitude towards its characters and obsessions. It doesn’t offer easy answers but doesn’t glamorize fanaticism either.

I’ve never been a sports fan (although I did love watching basketball games in the times of the glory of Jordan and the Bulls, now a faded memory) and I’ve always found it a little scary when a crowd gathers to witness a spectacle. These movies try to connect with the impulses that took them to the stadium, and precisely what makes them cheer.