Review of The Freshman (1990) by Adam H — 05 Oct 2010

Andrew Bergman is a writer/director who specializes in comedy. He has made quite a career for himself, but I?ve always felt that most of his films underachieved. The Freshman is no exception. The premise is interesting enough; a smart college student gets mixed up in the world of organized crime due to a crazy series of events. It seems like a set up for a Marx brothers picture. Considering that the film stars the great Marlon Brando as a caricature of Vito Corleone and Matthew Broderick only a couple years removed from his star-making turn in Ferris Bueller?s Day Off, the potential for a great movie was there. However, the promising set up goes to waste due to Bergman?s overall lack of direction. He lets the film drag on for an hour and forty-five minutes at a sluggish pace. The plot meanders and grows more and more ridiculous until it grinds to a halt in a very unsatisfying climax.

The biggest selling point The Freshman has to offer is Marlon Brando, and he does not disappoint. Granted, he is trapped in a mediocre movie, but he plays the role of Carmine Sabitini with dignity and earnestness. Even though the role is technically a spoof of Vito Corleone, Brando does not take any cheap shots. He is true to the integrity of the character in spite of the ludicrous plot. Of course it can be argued that Brando cheapened the integrity of Vito Corleone by even agreeing to take on this role, but I?m sure he had his reasons. Besides, it was a way for Brando to make fun of himself during the twilight of his career and it was one of his best performances during that period.

This film has resonated strongly with film critics. Even after twenty years the film still maintains a small, but devoted following. This can most likely be attributed to the fact that Clark Kellog is a film student who essentially gets to live out a mafia movie fantasy. He is a lover of the movies and he gets to work for the Godfather. It is such an interesting premise that it is a shame that the execution is so poor. Bergman clearly has affection for his characters as he tries to flesh them out with interesting back stories to give them more depth, but he lacks the skills to write fully fleshed out characters.

Andrew Bergman writes and directs comedies. He is perhaps best known for cowriting Blazing Saddles and Fletch. And what made those movies so funny was their pacing. The comedic timing was right on in those films. In The Freshman, Bergman tries to tone down the jokes and sight gags for a more subdued story. However, the end result is a muddled mess. The film goes through periods where there are many comedic elements one after another, and then periods where there is no comedy at all. It is completely uneven. I think Bergman probably felt sentimental about the project and wrote Clark Kellog somewhat biographically. There is a tenderness in which the script treats his development. However, the ridiculous plot about eating endangered species overpowers and buries the coming of age story that could have been. It?s buried in cliché villains like the bumbling federal agents. It?s buried in out of place slapstick sight gags about an escaped lizard. The Freshman is a film that could have been great. All of the pieces were in place for an excellent comedy to come to fruition, but unfortunately Andrew Bergman lacks the vision and ability to deliver.