Movie Details
| Title: | Fletch | |
| Director: | Michael Ritchie | |
| Year: | 1985 | |
| Genre: | Comedy | |
| Times Seen: | 1 | |
| Last Seen: | 10.29.24 |
Other Movies Seen By This Director (3)
- The Bad News Bears
- Fletch Lives
- Prime Cut
| Date Viewed | Venue | Note |
| 10.29.24 | Internet | I've been reading the Fletch books which put me in mind to re-watch this and the sequel. I'd forgotten most of the plot of this movie which served me well reading the book but I was curious how they managed to end it considering the end of the book factors heavily in the drugs on the beach storyline (which in the book is totally separate from the Alan Stanwyck story). It's a pretty clever ending in the book that I think gets pretty clunky in the movie as a result of their adaptation choices but I have to say that, for the most part, I think this is a great adaptation. Many side characters are cut for clarity, the character of Fletch himself is softened, particularly his pulpy "male nymphomania" and how he's sleeping with a 15-year-old junkie on the beach. It's not too much of a leap to make Stanwyck more simplified antagonistic by connecting him to the drugs story, and they cut the locations down to just California and Utah. The strength of the character still comes through and is perfectly suited to Chevy Chase's talents to so strongly define the character that even though I hadn't seen this movie for at least 20 years (probably more like 30), I still pictured him in my head as I read the books. I'd also forgotten about the main theme, which I think is almost as iconic as the Beverly Hills Cop theme in the pantheon of 80s synth score melodies. The original songs made for the film are just as terrible as the theme is good though, coloring all over this film in permanent neon mid-80s marker and dating it forever. It's a bit of a shame this this film didn't win an invisible lottery to wind up avoiding some of the more dated elements of filmmaking at the time like still frames of Chevy over the end credits and these garbage songs blasting at full volume during an otherwise competent car chase. So it's not exactly timeless but it's still a good example of Chevy at the top of his game, a good pulp mystery book adapted well into a funny romp through LA. It's a fun time. |
