Taglines: An innocent kid. An experienced mobster. This could be the start of a beautiful friendship.
The Freshman movie storyline. Clark Kellogg (Matthew Broderick) leaves his mother (Pamela Payton-Wright) and environmental activist stepfather Dwight (Kenneth Welsh) in Vermont to go to New York University (NYU) to study film. After arriving at Grand Central Terminal, he is approached by Victor Ray (Bruno Kirby), who at first offers to carry Clark’s bags, then offers a ride. As soon as Clark steps out of the car, Victor drives off with Clark’s luggage still in the trunk.
Clark tells his instructor at NYU, Professor Fleeber (Paul Benedict), who uses books he has written as required study, about losing his belongings. Clark notices Victor walking by and gives chase. Victor vows to give his luggage back in return for a favor. Clark is introduced to Victor’s uncle, Carmine Sabatini (Marlon Brando). In a running gag, Clark mentions how much Carmine looks, sounds and acts like The Godfather—though no one will tell Carmine this to his face. Victor explains that Brando’s character in The Godfather, Vito Corleone, was based on Carmine.
Carmine offers Clark the opportunity to make a lot of money just for running small errands. The first is to pick up a Komodo dragon from JFK Airport and transport it to a specific address. Clark enlists the help of his roommate Steve Bushak (Frank Whaley) to pick up the animal and deliver it to Larry London (Maximilian Schell) and his assistant, Edward (BD Wong).
Clark is also introduced to Carmine’s daughter, Tina (Penelope Ann Miller), who takes an immediate shine to him. Tina talks as if the two are soon to be married. A distracted Clark tries to pay attention in Fleeber’s film class (where the professor shows clips of The Godfather Part II) but he is soon being chased by two agents of the Department of Justice.
Upon being caught, Clark is told that Carmine—also known as “Jimmy The Toucan”—is not only a Mafia figure, he runs the Fabulous Gourmet Club. It is an illicit and nomadic establishment, never holding its festivities in the same place twice, where for enormous prices endangered animals are served as the main course, specially prepared by Larry London. Clark is told that “for the privilege of eating the very last of a species”, a million dollars is charged.
The Freshman is a 1990 American crime comedy film starring Marlon Brando and Matthew Broderick, in which Brando parodies his portrayal of Vito Corleone in The Godfather. It is written and directed by Andrew Bergman. The plot revolves around a young New York film student’s entanglement into an illicit business of offering exotic and endangered animals as specialty food items, including his being tasked with delivering a Komodo dragon for this purpose.
The Freshman (1990)
Directed by: Andrew Bergman
Starring: Marlon Brando, Matthew Broderick, Bruno Kirby, Penelope Ann Miller, Frank Whaley, Jon Polito, Paul Benedict, Richard Gant, Pamela Payton-Wright
Screenplay by: Andrew Bergman
Production Design by: Ken Adam
Cinematography by: William A. Fraker
Film Editing by: Barry Malkin
Costume Design by: Julie Weiss
Set Decoration by: Gordon Sim
Art Direction by: Alicia Keywan
Music by: sic by David Newman
Distributed by: TriStar Pictures
Release Date: July 20, 1990
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