Remember when Chevy Chase was funny?
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Remember when Chevy Chase was funny?
Okay, so that might be a little mean, but when was the last time Mr. Chase had a hit comedy? In the first season of "Saturday Night Live", Chase made his name as the resident pratfall man and Weekend Update correspondent. Later, he'd star in some of the classic comedies of the 1980's, "Caddyshack", "National Lampoon's Vacation", "Three Amigos", and, of course, "Fletch." After such big hits, Chase would pump out stinkers like "Nothing But Trouble" and "Memoirs of an Invisible Man." A failed talk show would make Chase the butt of many jokes, rather than the teller. But, why dwell on all those bad memories when we still have "Fletch."
Based on a hit series of novels by Gregory McDonald, Chase steps into the role of investigative reporter Irwin Fletcher. Armed only with his wit, both quick and dry, Fletch tackles a variety of mysteries for his "Jane Doe" column. Here, Fletch poses as a beach bum in order to dig deeper into L.A.'s drug trade. While undercover, he's propositioned by the wealthy Alan Stanwyk (Tim Matheson of "Animal House" fame). Stanwyk is apparently dying of bone cancer and offers Fletch $50,000 to kill him. That way Fletch would be saving Stanwyk from a painful death and his family will still be able to collect on a handsome insurance settlement. Fletch accepts the proposal and begins to dig deeper into Stanwyk's background.
At the same time, Fletch is under the gun from his put-upon editor Frank Walker (Richard Libertini) who wants his story turned in and by crooked police chief Jerry Karlin (Joe Don Baker) to wants the story scrapped. Also, making appearances in the film are Geena Davis, in one of her earliest roles, as Fletch's assistant Larry, who provides him with info and back scratches. M. Emmet Walsh has a short, but memorable scene, as a doctor. Plus, George Wendt from "Cheers", Kenneth Mars, and the beautiful Dana Wheeler-Nicholson as Stanwyk's wife Gail.
It's a great supporting cast and everyone pulls off their roles with an underplayed manner, despite the wacky characters that inhabit this world. Having plenty of straight men works extremely well for Chase and his liberal usage of improv. Many of the film's most funniest and quotable lines were said on the fly by the talented comedian.
"Using the whole fist, Doc?"
"Can I borrow your towel for a sec? My car just hit a water buffalo."
"It's all ball bearings nowadays."
"I'll have a Bloody Mary, a steak sandwich, and...a steak sandwich."
"Just get me a glass of hot fat and bring me the head of Alfredo Garcia while you're out there.
The wisecracks and one-liners are just the tip of the iceberg, before you get to the numerous disguises and phony identities Fletch employs. There's Don Corleone, Harry S. Truman, Igor Stravinsky, Arnold Babar, Mr. Poon, Dr. Rosenpenis, Ted Nugent, Gordon Liddy (complete with $0.49 false teeth from a novelty store), and, my personal favorite, John Cocktoastin.
"Fletch" has a definite film noir flavor to it, replete with seedy characters, a gorgeous dame, and a hero up to his neck in trouble. Yet, the film tackles that darker genre with a far more light-hearted approach. Fletch licks his lips and dives right into a pair of juicy mysteries full of twists and turns. And like any great detective story, he finds that both plot threads are inexplicably tied together.
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[release]20418[/release]