Day 032 || Fletch

Fletch, 1985
Dir. Michael Ritchie

"Can I borrow your towel for a second? My car just hit a water buffalo."

Fletch is an 80's comedy vehicle for the often hilarious, and daftly underutilized, Chevy Chase (well, nowadays anyways). It's the story of a newspaper writer, Irwin Fletcher, Fletch for short, who stumbles upon an odd plot involving drugs, the police, and rich, eccentric socialites. It's not necessarily one of the most original plots, but for it's time, the fast paced humor, and Chevy Chase's performance as the titular character are more than enough to make up for any short comings.

I'm not too familiar with Chevy Chase's film career, and I've really only seen him in the National Lampoon Vacation films. Otherwise I couldn't tell you a single film he was in. I figured I might start off my Chase education with one of his classics, and probably most memorable role, Fletch. After an awkward start, where we're thrown into one of Fletch's cases, the movie either found its legs, or I got into the groove of it all. And once in that groove, I had a blast watching Fletch's fast retorts and quick wits, all leading to some really classic quotes and one liners. Many of which could stand up to several of the great 80's comedies.

I really enjoyed Fletch, and I thought it was great fun. It was hilarious, tightly paced, and well written and acted. As it stands, it's probably my favorite Chevy Chase film, and now I'm eager to delve into his filmography to find more gems like this. I'm definitely looking forward to catching the sequels, because Fletch is one of those characters that is greater than the film he's in. He's iconic and it's a shame Fletch isn't as culturally relevant anymore, as it's a film that easily stands toe-to-toe with Ghostbusters, Stripes, Caddyshack, and is hands down superior in every way over Animal House.

4 out of 5