Fresh (1994)

Death and violence anger a 12-year-old drug courier, who puts his employer's against each other.

Director:

Boaz Yakin

Writer:

Boaz Yakin

Stars:

Sean Nelson, Giancarlo Esposito, Samuel L. Jackson

4 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sean Nelson	...	Fresh
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Esteban
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Sam
N'Bushe Wright	...	Nichole
Ron Brice	...	Corky
Jean-Claude La Marre	...	Jake (as Jean LaMarre)
José Zúñiga	...	Lt. Perez
Luis Lantigua	...	Chuckie
Yul Vazquez	...	Chillie
Cheryl Freeman	...	Aunt Frances
Anthony Thomas	...	Red
Curtis McClarin	...	Darryl (as Curtis L. McClarin)
Charles Malik Whitfield	...	Smokey
Víctor González	...	Herbie
Guillermo Díaz	...	Spike

Storyline

Fresh (Sean Nelson) is a 12-year-old drug dealer who finds himself trapped in a web of poverty, corruption and racial tension in Brooklyn, New York. When his drug-addict sister Nichole (N'Bushe Wright) starts sleeping with local drug lord Esteban (Giancarlo Esposito), Fresh calls upon the skills he learned playing chess with his alcoholic father and speed-chess champion Sam (Samuel L. Jackson) and devises a complex strategy that will free both himself and his sister.

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Plot Keywords:

drugs | dead girl | urban setting | african american | drug dealing | 

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Taglines:

In a world where criminals make the rules an innocent boy is out to beat them at their own game.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for intense, realistic depiction of urban violence, and for drug content, pervasive language, and some sexuality

Details

Country:

USA France

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 September 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kint az utcán

Filming Locations:

Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,500,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$8,094,616 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lumière Pictures, Miramax

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Lawrence Bender plays the character "Long Haired Yuppie Scum" in this film, whom he would later play in Pulp Fiction (1994) and Four Rooms (1995), both written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, implying that this film does takes place in the same universe as all of Tarantino's films, and most of Robert Rodriguez's films.

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Goofs

When Fresh is seen playing chess with his Sam, Sam moves the chess pieces with one hand while hitting the clock with the other. This is illegal in speed chess.

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Quotes

Corky: [to Fresh] Only reason you ain't the man is you still too goddamn little, but, when you get bigger, you gonna be the man.

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Connections

References The Terminator (1984)

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Soundtracks

Ah-Vah
Written by Aida Periera
Published by Full Keel Music Co. (ASCAP)
Performed by Tito Punete Orchestra
Courtesy of GNP Crescendo Records Co., Inc.

User Reviews

can you say authenticity??

Fresh was a very unique movie, the opening montage was great and the dialogue was so realistic to the point where li'l kids in the ghetto are talkin' about bein' rich and Scarsdale, NY which really impressed me 'cause Scarsdale is a rich neighborhood. Sean Nelson in a great role as Fresh the young drug dealer who's livin' in a home with 10-11 other relatives and has to move crack in order to survive. N'Bushe Wright shows up in her most depressing role as Fresh's under-confident sister - you really feel sorry for her in this as well as a few others. Giancarlo Esposito is cool to watch as Esteban, A drug dealer that looks out for Fresh and the other top-tier performance comes in the form of Ron Brice as Corky the other drug dealer who is ruthless and demands that you do what you have to while he's looking and not behind his back. We already know Samuel L. Jackson would give a good performance that's no surprise at all.

Good story about the ghetto life and the drug game from the eyes of those around it. The ending in this epitomizes the saying "every man for himself"

another gunshot in the air for the ghetto genre 10/10