The Fan 1996

Gil Renard, Robert De Niro, is a troubled baseball fan whose devotion to the San Francisco Giants runs so deep that a blockbuster contract for his favorite player, Bobby Rayburn Wesley Snipes, becomes the talk of his world. His ex-wife Ellen Renard Ellen Barkin obtains a restraining order to shield herself and their son after Gil leaves his son to attend a sales meeting, only to learn that he was at a baseball game instead. Gil loses his job as a knife salesman after he insults a prospective customer, a stumble that leaves him adrift and more fixated on the ballplayer.

As Rayburn climbs back into form, Gil’s obsession spirals. A chest injury and public jeers fuel the tension in the stands, while Rayburn finds himself in an open conflict with teammate Juan Primo over who should wear jersey number 11, a dispute that erupts into a physical confrontation. In a tense hotel sauna confrontation, Gil confronts Primo in a bid to persuade him to relinquish the number; Primo shows his shoulder branded with 11 and refuses, leading to a deadly struggle in which Gil fatally stabs Primo. The act haunts Gil, yet Rayburn’s performance improves, convincing him that his own actions somehow benefited the team.

Gil believes Rayburn has grown distant from the fans, so he drives to his beach house and saves his son Sean from drowning. He persuades Rayburn to join him for a friendly game of catch on the beach. Rayburn admits that he stopped caring about the game after Primo’s death, feeling there are more important things in life, and he bluntly tells Gil that he has lost respect for the fickle crowd—when he shines, they adore him, and when he falters, they boo. Enraged, Gil nearly hits Rayburn with a fastball and, in a dramatic moment, strips away his jacket to reveal Rayburn’s own uniform beneath, asking if he’s happy that Primo is gone.

The mood worsens when Rayburn discovers that Gil has kidnapped Sean and left a piece of branded flesh from Primo’s shoulder in the freezer. Disillusioned by Rayburn’s perceived disrespect toward the fans, Gil tumbles deeper into mania, treating Sean as if he were his own son and spiraling toward a violent confrontation. He seeks out an old friend, Coop, a catcher from his past, hoping for help in keeping Sean safe. Coop attempts to help Sean escape but Gil murders him with a baseball bat and then drags Sean to a baseball field, hiding him there.

Gil makes one demand: Rayburn must hit a home run in the upcoming game and dedicate it to Gil, or Sean will be killed. With the police on high alert, Gil slips into Candlestick Park amid a thunderstorm and positions himself for tragedy. Rayburn, torn between duty and fear, steps up to the plate and drives the ball deep into the outfield, trying for an inside-the-park home run. He is called out, though he clearly appears safe, and a heated argument erupts with the umpire—who turns out to be Gil in disguise.

Rayburn knocks Gil to the ground as police and Giants players flood the field. Gil refuses to back down and stabs another player, Lanz, who tries to tackle him, and then lunges at Rayburn with the knife. As Rayburn pleads for Sean, Gil nonchalantly reveals that Sean is elsewhere, telling him he cares “just a little bit” about the game. Gil is shot dead by the police just as he lunges again. Sean is found at a Little League field nicknamed the Stadium in the Sky, a place that hints at Gil’s long-held obsession. The police uncover dozens of newspaper clippings and a wall covered with images of Gil’s past glory, including a photo of him as a Little League champion.