History Film / TheFan

* AwardBaitSong: The film's closing ballad, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHZig3Fqc6I "Letting Go"]], performed by Terence Trent D'Arby, which stands out in a soundtrack dominated by classic rock (Music/TheRollingStones, Santana, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels) and modern rock (Music/NineInchNails).

* KnifeNut: Gil. Interestingly enough, most of the reason he's a knife nut is because it was the way he made a living -- he was a knife salesman for a company founded and formerly owned by his father until he pushed his anger too far with a customer.

* TakingYouWithMe: During the climax, [[spoiler:Gil attempts this against Bobby, having seen his plans all but ruined. He considers ending his own life in an attempt to break Bobby (via refusing to give up his son's location), then attempts to [[KnifeNut throw the knife at him]], under the guise of showing him "my best pitch". The cops gun him down before he can throw the knife]].

* TakingYouWithMe: During the climax, [[spoiler:Gil attempts this against Bobby, having seen his plans all but ruined. He considers ending his own life in an attempt to break Bobby (via refusing to give up his son's location), then attempts to [[KnifeNut throw the knife at him]], under the guise of showing him "my best pitch". The cops gun him down before he can throw the knife.

* FanHater: Bobby Rayburn doesn't likes his fans, considering them idiots in private. This backfires big time on him when loony (and criminally malevolent) fan Gil finds out. {{Invoked}}

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Many have suggested that Bobby Rayburn is an Expy of a real-life Bay Area native who happened to be playing for the hometown Giants at the time of the film – future home run king Barry Bonds. This is lampshaded in the scene where Gil, after finally meeting Bobby, feigns ignorance of baseball and guesses that the man whose son he just saved from drowning ''is'' Barry Bonds.

* ParentalNeglect: Gil is this way toward his young son, Richie. Despite Richie not being as obsessed over baseball as his dad is, Gil insists on taking him along to opening day, where he promptly leaves him by himself, panicked and afraid, so he can chase after the big-money client he was supposed to meet in the first place. Clearly, EVERYTHING comes behind baseball when it comes to Gil's priorities, even his own child.

* WentToTheGreatXInTheSky: When Bobby asks Gil at the climax, while they're surrounded by cops, where is his son, Gil (who is suffering a VillainousBreakdown) snarks "I don't know. He may be in that great ballpark in the sky." [[spoiler:Thankfully he didn't truly killed the kid and it was really more of a SarcasticConfession -- the cops check the ballpark where Gil played little leagues and find the kid restrained there.]]

** MLB superstar John Kruk as one of Bobby Rayburn's Giants teammates, ([[spoiler:who Gil stabs to death during the climax.]])

** MLB superstar John Kruk as one of Bobby Rayburn's Giants teammates.

* WentToTheGreatXInTheSky: When Bobby asks Gil at the climax, while they're surrounded by cops, where is his son, Gil (who is suffering a VillainousBreakdown) snarks "I don't know. He may be in that great ballpark in the sky." [[spoiler:Thankfully he didn't truly killed the kid and it was really more of a SarcasticConfession -- the cops check the ballpark where Gil played little leagues and find the kid restrained there.]]

* {{Expy}}: Many have suggested that Bobby Rayburn is an Expy of a real-life Bay Area native who happened to be playing for the hometown Giants at the time of the film – future home run king Barry Bonds. This is lampshaded in the scene where Gil, after finally meeting Bobby, feigns ignorance of baseball and guesses that the man whose son he just saved from drowning ''is'' Barry Bonds.

* KnifeNut: Gil. Interestingly enough, most of the reason he's a knife nut is because it was the way he made a living -- he was a knife salesman until he pushed his anger too far with a customer.

* HairTriggerTemper: Demonstrated early in the film even when he isn't raising his voice. Unhappy that a potential client has shown no interest in the knives Gil is selling (to say little of the adult film he inexplicably played to try to get the guy interested), Gil starts cussing him out.

* VillainProtagonist: Gil Renard is a classic example of this trope. Initially depicted as a flawed human being who happens to love his home team too much, Gil soon descends into all-out insanity as he loses his job and shows how far he's willing to go to endear himself to Bobby. This includes [[spoiler:brutally murdering Bobby's similarly-cocky teammate, Juan Primo, so Bobby can get to use his usual number, and eventually reaching the point where he kidnaps Bobby's young son after feeling betrayed at his negative attitude toward fans.]]

* FanHater: Bobby Rayburn doesn't likes his fans, considering them idiots in private. This backfires big time on him when loony (and criminally malevolent) fan Gil finds out.

* LoonyFan: Gil.

* AwardBaitSong: The film's closing ballad, "Letting Go," performed by Terence Trent D'Arby, which stands out in a soundtrack dominated by classic rock (Music/TheRollingStones, Santana, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels) and modern rock (Music/NineInchNails).

* {{Expy}}: Many have suggested that Bobby Rayburn is an Expy of a real-life San Francisco kid who happened to be playing for the hometown Giants at the time of the film – future home run king Barry Bonds. This is lampshaded in the scene where Gil, after finally meeting Bobby, feigns ignorance of baseball and guesses that the man whose son he just saved from drowning ''is'' Barry Bonds.

* BlatantLies: At the start of the movie, Bobby says that he's grateful for the support of the fans. In reality, he sees them as obsessive geeks whom he owes nothing to.

* {{Expy}}: Many have suggested that Bobby Rayburn is an Expy of a real-life San Francisco kid who happened to be playing for the hometown Giants at the time of the film – future home run king Barry Bonds.

* AwardBaitSong: The film's closing ballad, "Letting Go," performed by Terence Trent D'Arby.