Part gangster film, part romantic comedy, and mostly a madcap misadventure, Writer/Director (Honeymoon In Vegas) Andrew Bergman creates one of the all time best farcical comedies, in his 1990 classic The Freshman. Marlon Brando parodies arguably his most memorable role as Don Vito Corleone in the Godfather, with a restrained brilliance in this quirky, off-beat satire.

The film begins innocently enough, as an unsuspecting young man, Clark Kellogg, (Matthew Broderick) arrives in the Big Apple to attend film school, and winds up falling prey to a con man, Victor Ray, (Bruno Kirby) who literally takes him for a ride, when he offers him a cut rate on taxi service, and makes off with his luggage and money. Kellogg is left with nothing but his damaged pride and varsity jacket.

The next day, Kellogg runs into a different sort of con artist, his film professor, Arthur Fleeber, (Paul Benedict) who demands that he buy $700 worth of books written by Fleeber himself, in order to pass the course. While pondering his options, Kellogg peers out the window and spots Victor Ray, runs him down, and demands his money back. Of course, Ray has squandered it on a losing racehorse, but offers Kellogg a chance at a lucrative job.

Ray gives Kellogg an address in Little Italy, that is the hangout of his uncle, Carmine Sabatini (Marlon Brando) whom he refers to as an Importer. Kellogg is immediately stricken by Sabatini's resemblance to The Godfather, and when Sabatini makes him a dubious offer to earn $1,000 dollars a week picking up and delivering merchandise, Kellogg is understandably hesitant. All hesitation subsides, however, when Sabatini crushes a fist full of nuts in his bare hand.

The plot thickens when Kellogg arrives at Sabatini's mansion and is introduced to his alluring daughter Tina, (Penelope Ann Miller) who escorts him into the sitting room, where he sees a portrait of the Mona Lisa hanging above the fireplace. Tina explains that this is the original, and the one hanging in the Louvre is a copy, a testament her father's influence, as she flips a switch, and the soothing sounds of Nat King Cole's Mona Lisa flood the room.

Kellogg, and his roommate Steve, (Frank Whaley) are taken by surprise when they find that the cargo they are to deliver, happens to be a giant lizard, know as the Komodo Dragaon, a rare endangered species, to be served at Sabatini's gourmet club at $350,000 a plate. Soon, the flustered Kellogg is being pursued by the FBI, promised to Sabatini's daughter in marriage, and fully initiated into the Mafia family.

What Andrew Bergman achieves so effectively in this film, is an incredible sense of the snowball effect of the outrageous circumstances in which the naive Clark Kellogg finds himself in such a brief period of time. At one point, Kellogg realizes how ludicrous it all is, as he proclaims, "There is a certain freedom that comes with being screwed. You know things just can't get any worse."

As ridiculous as the plot becomes, at times, the humor is so sophisticated that it never loses the audience. Rather than resorting to pure slapstick, Bergman stages screwball scenes such as Kellogg and Steve chasing the Komodo Dragon through a frenzied mall, finally trapping him a children's wading pool. In the final scenes, Sabatini's gourmet club is hosted by none other than the former Emcee of the Miss America Pageant, Burt Parks, singing the tune to "Here she comes, Miss America" as the Komodo Dragon is paraded by in all it's splendor.

Marlon Brando delivers an outstanding performance in subtly turning his menacing Don Corleone parody into a comedic character. Bruno Kirby (Good Morning Vietnam) and Penelope Ann Miller (Kindergarten Cop) add deliciously exaggerated performances. Matthew Broderick does an excellent job as well, portraying the only character in the film with any sense of normalcy.

Although the ending may seem a bit anti-climactic, considering all of earlier high jinx in the film, it was never meant to be taken seriously anyway. The Freshman is at it's best, when Marlon Brando's commanding presence steals each and every scene. You can almost here the Godfather theme exuding from his presence, if you can stop chuckling long enough to listen.




Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older