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Fletch
1985
Loosely based on the book by Gregory McDonald, director Michael Ritchie's FLETCH is a laugh-out-loud comedy that features a classic performance by Chevy Chase, who stars as Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher, a crack investigative journalist who goes undercover for a story about possible connections between the L.A. police department and .. Read more
| Starring | Chevy Chase, Tim Matheson, Joe Don Baker, Richard Libertini |
|---|---|
| Director | Michael Ritchie |
| Genres | Comedy |
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Fletch
Loosely based on the book by Gregory McDonald, director Michael Ritchie's FLETCH is a laugh-out-loud comedy that features a classic performance by Chevy Chase, who stars as Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher, a crack investigative journalist who goes undercover for a story about possible connections between the L.A. police department and the local drug trade. He gets derailed when a Santa Monica businessman, Alan Stanwyk (Tim Matheson), mistakes him for a homeless man and offers him $50,000 to commit a murder. The man claims to have terminal bone cancer but can't commit suicide if he wants his family to collect on his insurance policy, so he wants Fletch to do his dirty work. Fletch pretends to accept the offer and finds that it leads him deeper into the heart of his own investigation. Working from a crackling script by Andrew Bergman, Chase relishes every line of dialogue written for his goofy, master-of-disguise character, making FLETCH one of the most influential and oft-quoted comedies of the 1980s.
| Starring | Chevy Chase, Tim Matheson, Joe Don Baker, Richard Libertini |
|---|---|
| Director | Michael Ritchie |
| Studio | 4 FRONT VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 34 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Collections | 100 Eighties Greats |
| Genres | Comedy |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Subtitles | DVD: Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish |
| Released | DVD: 02 Feb 2004 Production year: 1985 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (4)
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Chevy Chase, one of the original Saturday Night Live team and the embodiment of laid-back Los Angeles 1980s humour, stars in the first of two outings as the investigative reporter with a sideline in disguises and witty repartee. Seized from Malibu beach (where he is disguised as a beach bum) by a millionaire who orders his own murder, Chase stumbles and bumbles through a corkscrew plot that fits his comic frame like a bespoke suit. Sleek, glossy and often very funny indeed, it also features Joe Don Baker, M Emmet Walsh and Geena Davis. The inventive script is by Andrew Bergman, who cut his teeth as a co-writer on Blazing Saddles and went on to direct The Freshman and Honeymoon in Vegas.
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Two fairly routine plots (who is the Mr Big in the drug supply chain and Lady from Shanghai's 'I want you to murder me... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
Light-hearted fun, but not as great as it could have been
Saturday Night Live vehicles are a funny old bag. They can be pretty terrible a lot of the time (see virtually any other Chevy Chase film) but, very occasionally, something like 'Wayne's World' will pop out. 'Fletch' is definitely better than average, but it's not quite got the appeal of Wayne.
Part of the problem is the character - Fletch is an investigative reporter with lots of sassy one-liners and the ability to talk rings round anyone. This is great fun, of course, particularly when he is given a hilariously thorough medical examination (don't ask), but it becomes clear halfway through that the comic possibilities are far from limitless.
The movie also suffers from a typically 80s thriller plotline: a rich businessman, dying from cancer, has employed Fletch to assassinate him. Rolled up in all of this is a drug-smuggling operation, a corrupt police force and insurance fraud. Intriguing stuff, sure, but it does mean that 'Fletch' errs often on the side of tense villain-chasing rather than out-and-out comedy.
But it IS funny, which is what matters at heart, and is guaranteed to raise more than a few belly laughs. Just don't expect anything more! -
Most recent members' review
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4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
chevey chase at his best
one of the best comedys to come out of the 80's. this film certainly shows chevey chase at his wise cracking best. its an interesting story about an undercover reporter trying to crack a drug ring. if you like slick wise cracking early 80's comedys then i would recomend this film. it has all the things that can make a good movie, pretty ladys, car chases, comedy and a cool sound track from the man that brought you the sound track to beverly hills cop harold faltermyer.
check it out its worth a watch. -
News and features
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Chevy Chase could return to Fletch role
- 10 Oct 2009
Comedy legend Chevy Chase has hinted he's set to return to the big screen in one of his most famous movie roles - playing Fletch in a forthcoming sequel. Chase played the womanising journalist in two movies in the 1980s, based on the books of author Gregory McDonald. Studio bosses have been trying to take McDonald's novel Fletch Won to the big screen for more than a decade with a number of directors including Kevin Smith linked to the film, and several actors including John Cusack, Zach Braff, Read more
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