Overview
A film school newbie gets tangled in a hilarious crime caper involving a quirky mobster and endangered species.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- warm
- self aware
- lazy sunday
- comedy night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the clever original premise, Matthew Broderick's charm, Marlon Brando's relaxed self-parody, and the film's sweet humor.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Carmine Sabatini deliberately caricatures Marlon Brando's Godfather persona while the plot turns mafia conventions into screwball comedy.
The endangered-species caper and elite fine-dining scheme are presented through unusually civilized, deadpan interactions.
Film student Clark Kellogg is recruited as an errand boy after arriving in New York and losing his belongings.
Clark studies film, and the comedy includes self-aware barbs about film analysis alongside its Godfather parody.
Films like The Freshman, and why
Mickey Blue Eyes
shared screwball crime parody, self-aware humor, and charismatic criminal figures
Analyze This
shared mafia spoofing, fish-out-of-water comedy, and warm comic tone
The Wrong Guy
shared satirical gangster premise, absurd criminal situations, and playful genre subversion
Bowfinger
shared film-industry self-awareness, affectionate parody, and brisk ensemble comedy
Movie Details
- Director
- Andrew Bergman
- Release Date
- 1990-07-20
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (320)
Cast
- Marlon Brando
- Matthew Broderick
- Bruno Kirby
- Penelope Ann Miller
- Frank Whaley
- Jon Polito
- Kenneth Welsh
- Richard Gant
- Jefferson Mappin
- Maximilian Schell
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Freshman about?
- A young film student is pulled into a charmingly absurd New York crime caper by a gangster who is unmistakably a playful echo of Don Corleone.
- What is The Freshman like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Freshman as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Freshman violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Freshman.
- What did critics think of The Freshman?
- Critics broadly praised the clever original premise, Matthew Broderick's charm, Marlon Brando's relaxed self-parody, and the film's sweet humor.
- Which films are like The Freshman?
- Films with a similar feel include Mickey Blue Eyes, Analyze This, The Wrong Guy, and Bowfinger.
- How long is The Freshman?
- The Freshman runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Freshman?
- In United States, The Freshman streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel.
