Most movie fans were completely unaware of the existence of Andrew Bergman’s “The Freshman” when, in the summer of 1989, its star, Marlon Brando, decided to put the project on their radar via a series of disparaging comments in Toronto’s Globe and Mail. “It’s horrible,” the legendary actor said. “It’s going to be a bust, but after this I’m retiring. I’m so sick of it. This photo, with the exception of the Canadian crew, was an extremely unpleasant experience. I wish I hadn’t ended up with a stinker.” At least he had nice things to say about the Canadian crew!
That’s when we learned that “The Freshman” was a comedy in which Brando would do a parody of his character Don Vito Corleone from Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather.” Although Bergman was a well-respected comedy screenwriter thanks to classics like “Blazing Saddles,” “The In-Laws” and “Fletch,” his first directorial effort, the deeply underrated “So Fine,” had performed poorly at the box office. Maybe his instincts were wrong here. After all, choosing Brando to spoof his most famous performance felt like the kind of move that would wear out his welcome in a jiffy.
Brando later apologized for his remarks, but the damage was done. “The Freshman,” which was scheduled for release on July 20, 1990, smelled bad. His fortune rested in the hands of film critics, who couldn’t help but turn up to screenings with Brando’s complaints echoing in their heads. So it was a surprise to moviegoers when the reviews were generally positive. And no one was a bigger fan of Bergman’s offbeat concoction than the late Roger Ebert.
Brando’s Don Corleone riff in The Freshman was an offer Ebert couldn’t refuse
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the two most important critical voices nationally belonged to Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel. In fact, it wasn’t their voice that mattered as much as their thumbs, which, when pointed upwards (on their syndicated television show), could boost a film’s box office prospects. “The Freshman” received an enthusiastic thumbs-up, but if you wanted to get the full picture of how Ebert really felt about a film, you had to read his review in the Chicago Sun-Times.
In his three-and-a-half star review, Ebert praised the revival of Brando’s Don Corleone, marveling that “he does it with such wit and discipline and seriousness that it’s not a scam and it’s not a low blow, it’s a brilliant comic masterpiece.” He goes on to praise Bergman’s “unconventional” storytelling, which throws protagonist Matthew Broderick, playing a freshman at NYU’s film school, into a side gig to compete for a special package for Brando. When that package turns out to be a Komodo dragon, we know we’re in for some inspired silliness.
Ebert notes that the other actors (including Penelope Ann Miller and the late Bruno Kirby) seem to be in awe of Brando, but also observes that that’s why Bergman must have cast him. He also compliments the bizarre flourishes that Brando sprinkles throughout the film, such as old-school TV personality Bert Parks regaling a room full of diners with a rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Maggie’s Farm.” He wisely leaves out Parks’ other big figure, as it would spoil the importance of the Komodo dragon in the plot.
“The Freshman” is a true comedy gem, which you can currently watch for free on Tubi. I couldn’t agree more with Ebert on this point.
