Colorado Rockies: The forgotten horrible movie with ties to the Rockies

By Aaron Hurt | Apr 1, 2020

1996 WESLEY SNIPES AND ROBERT DENIRO STAR IN THE MOVIE "THE FAN" /

We are approximately three weeks into a world without baseball and, like most Colorado Rockies fans, I have already had my fill of Netflix.

I have binged on the bizarre world that is “Tiger King” and knocked out the third season of “Ozark” in a matter of days. However, that hasn’t filled the enormous void I have for Colorado Rockies baseball.

So, in an attempt to ease my Colorado Rockies craving, I decided to take a deep dive into my lexicon of movies and watch the only film that has ties to the Rockies … and, boy, that was a mistake. I am talking about the 1996 box office flop, “The Fan.”

It has been over a decade since I last watched “The Fan” (I am one of the few pathetic souls on this planet who actually owns this film) and, sadly, time has not made it any better. Even the star-studded cast of Robert De Niro, Wesley Snipes, Benicio Del Toro, and John Leguizamo could not save this blunder of a flick.

Here is a quick synopsis of the movie: De Niro is a down on his luck knives salesman whose favorite team, the San Francisco Giants, signs his favorite player, Snipes, to a lucrative contract.

More from Colorado Rockies News

Snipes begins the season in a slump due to an injury, but De Niro believes friction between Snipes and a fellow teammate (Del Toro) is the cause. De Niro takes matters into his own hands and murders Del Toro.

Jump ahead, Snipes breaks out of his slump and, when De Niro confronts him about it, he says Del Toro’s death was not a factor in his newfound success. This enrages De Niro and leads to him kidnapping Snipes’ son.

Fast forward, the film concludes with a ridiculous monsoon rainstorm game as De Niro is gunned down after sneaking onto the field as an umpire and attempts to “pitch” a knife from the mound at Snipes as he is batting. Trust me, it is as bad as it sounds.

Among the countless number of horrendous flaws and plot twists throughout the film, there are two redeeming qualities. The first is a cameo by former MLB player (and now TV personality) John Kruk as one of Snipes’ teammates. The second is the tie to the Rockies.

The Rockies are prominently featured as the Giants’ opponent in most of the badly choreographed game action scenes. Also, many of the exterior shots of the crowds were taken from actual games played in the bright, shiny, and newly constructed Coors Field.

Next. When the Rockies made Giants pitchers look foolish in real life. dark

For the majority of you who are stuck at home and have two hours to waste, “The Fan” is streaming on Amazon Prime. Don’t say I didn’t warn you that it is bad … but at least there is some faux-Rockies baseball included.

Home/Colorado Rockies News