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The Freshman

Play trailer Poster for The Freshman PG Released Jul 20, 1990 1h 42m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
94% Tomatometer 52 Reviews 61% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Clark Kellogg (Matthew Broderick) is robbed moments after arriving in New York, so when he sees his mugger several days later, he confronts him. The man promises to return his property and get him a job with his uncle, Carmine Sabatini (Marlon Brando), who turns out to be a Mafia boss. As Clark continues his shady work for Carmine, he discovers an elaborate underworld that has caught the attention of the authorities. As things come to a head, not everything is what it seems.
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The Freshman

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Critics Consensus

Buoyed by the charm of Matthew Broderick in the title role and Marlon Brando as a caricature of his Godfather persona, The Freshman benefits from solid casting, a clever premise, and sweet humor.

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Critics Reviews

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John Hartl Seattle Times Andrew Bergman's The Freshman is a charmed comedy, the kind of seemingly effortless movie in which everything falls neatly into place, as if ordained by nature. Rated: 3.5/4 Aug 1, 2013 Full Review Desmond Ryan Philadelphia Inquirer Brando does a wonderful sendup of Corleone that manages to play off the Don's entrenched place in pop culture. But The Freshman is no copycat comedy. Rated: 3/4 Aug 1, 2013 Full Review Jay Boyar Orlando Sentinel Though writer-director Andrew Bergman sets up potentially funny situations, the payoffs aren't nearly as clever as they need to be. Many situations don't pay off at all. Rated: 3/5 Aug 1, 2013 Full Review Terry Francis Southern Voice (Atlanta) The process of our watching the film is happy acquiescence. Rated: 3.5/4 May 9, 2023 Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) The nicest surprise of the summer. [Full review in Spanish] Nov 16, 2022 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Where else in the universe can one catch Bert Parks offering covers of both "Tequila" and "Maggie's Farm"? Rated: 3/4 Jan 16, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Bruce N The Freshman is a sweet, quirky, slightly screwball comedy that benefits from Marlon Brando's self-parody of his Don Corleone character from The Godfather. Matthew Broderick is charming as the befuddled film student who gets pulled into an errand for an apparent mob boss that involves transporting an endangered lizard, and gets smitten with his daughter (Penelope Ann Miller). The supporting cast are great, including Bruno Kirby, Paul Benedict, Jon Polito, and a hilarious cameo by Bert Parks, singing "Tequila" and Dylan's "Maggie's Farm" at a posh party. It's an underrated gem and if you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/05/24 Full Review William S Hello world! Permit me to discuss how, Cyber Genie Hack Pro team assisted me in getting my forgotten crypto wallet access back. Losing access to my wallet was traumatizing and heartbreaking to my household because it was a joint wallet where I and my partner decided to save for the future instead of using all these ridiculous financial banks in the USA controlled by the Matrix.  Our precious crypto savings were on the verge of vanishing before our very before. If there is one thing I am forever grateful for in 2024 is my encounter with Cyber Genie's team. These guys didn't even let me explain my task fully, how they delved into getting solutions for me to access my crypto wallet back still wows me and my partner. There's no better way to start the new year than with the best tech team ensuring my family's data are safe on the internet. If you have any important query related to crypto funds recovery, don't hesitate to find them on:  WEB:  (https ://) cy bergeniehackpro (.) xyz/W/A:  +'1'2'5'2'5'1'2'0'3'9'1'TELLEGRAM: "cyb ergeniehackpro" Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/18/24 Full Review Rami A In a lighter way, the movie itself is reminiscent of The Godfather. In a role that is essentially that of Don Vito Corleone with a loose screw, Marlon Brando made a hilarious comeback to the big screen. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/24 Full Review Steve D Broderick can't pull it off. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 09/09/23 Full Review Edward G Easily one of the funniest movies of all time. Must see for anyone who is a fan of the movies, great writing and noticing "extras" Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/13/23 Full Review gregory a Saw this film when it first came out and really liked it. Watched it again 30+ years later and now LOVE it. I believe the fact that Brando was reprising one of his most famous role, and doing it in a comedy, along with lots of good cameos distracted me from how great a film this is. Enjoyable on so many levels. And the scene of Brando visiting Brodrick in his college dorm room is one of the best understated performances ever. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Clark Kellogg (Matthew Broderick) is robbed moments after arriving in New York, so when he sees his mugger several days later, he confronts him. The man promises to return his property and get him a job with his uncle, Carmine Sabatini (Marlon Brando), who turns out to be a Mafia boss. As Clark continues his shady work for Carmine, he discovers an elaborate underworld that has caught the attention of the authorities. As things come to a head, not everything is what it seems.
Director
Andrew Bergman
Producer
Mike Lobell
Screenwriter
Andrew Bergman
Production Co
TriStar Pictures
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 20, 1990, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
May 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$20.7M
Runtime
1h 42m
Sound Mix
Surround, Stereo, Dolby
Aspect Ratio
35mm
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