The Freshman: Is This a WILDLY Subtle Sci-Fi Parody?

Okay, hear me out, guys. I just rewatched "The Freshman" (because Brando as Sabatini is pure gold), and something struck me. It's a comedy, obviously, but what if there's a layer to it? I'm thinking maybe, just maybe, the writers were playing with our expectations of reality in a more sci-fi-ish way than we realize. Like, Matthew Broderick's character, Clark, is this ridiculously naive film student, right? He's a blank slate, practically a walking trope. What if he's literally experiencing a hyperreality construct, a world designed to parody gangster films, and that's why everything is so heightened and absurd. Think about it: The endangered Komodo dragon smuggling plot? The gourmet club that EATS endangered species? It's so over-the-top, it's almost unbelievable. And Brando's performance... he's doing Brando doing Corleone, but dialed up to eleven. It's almost too perfect. Maybe the entire world is shaped to reflect Clark's perception of Italian mafia movies, filtered through his film school naivety. He's the only one who truly finds the Brando/Sabatini character to be as believable as he is. It's like he's stuck in a film. I'm not saying it's definitely sci-fi, but wouldn't it be awesome if the writers secretly slipped in a commentary about manufactured realities and the power of film to shape our perceptions? Maybe I'm just spending too much time thinking about worldbuilding (guilty!), but I think there are some winks and nods there. The whole idea of the Komodo dragon being a 'rare delicacy' is straight up Brazil (1985). Someone on the production team had to have seen the connection, right? Has anyone else considered anything like this, or am I completely off my rocker? Also, the lack of clear direction is interesting. Was the director afraid of the subject matter? Or are they simply uncredited? Plus, what if Clark's transformation throughout the film is him becoming AWARE of the artificiality? Like, he starts as this innocent kid and ends up complicit in the whole charade. By the end, he's 'in on the joke.' He's accepted the hyperreality as his reality. Food for thought, right? Next time you're watching that Komodo dragon get paraded around, try to consider this!