Movie fans love to exaggerate. I don't know why, but it's certainly in their nature. How many times have you heard someone refer to a movie as "the worst movie ever made" when it clearly isn't? In a similar sense, film lovers will often talk about the "movie that changed their life". How often does this really happen? For me, there are two movies which came close. Halloween was the first film which made me realize that the director is really behind the camera pulling the strings. Evil Dead taught me that the camera can go anywhere. These films taught me a lot about what movies can be, but they didn't actually change my life. However, there is one movie which meets this criteria. I had been a smart-ass all my life, but it was Fletch which helped me to hone my craft, and I still love this movie to this day.

Fletch tells the story of investigative reporter Irwin M. Fletcher (Chevy Chase), who is known to his friends as "Fletch". As the film opens, Fletch has been posing as a junkie while looking into drug trafficking on the beaches of Los Angeles. He's approached by Alan Stanwyk (Tim Matheson) who offers Fletch a sum of money to murder him. Stanwyk explains that he's dying and that he wants to bypass the suffering and make sure that his wife, Gail (Dana Wheeler-Nicholson), gets the insurance money. Fletch begins to investigate Stanwyk and learns that there are many holes in the man's story. As Fletch digs deeper, he become close to Gail. Meanwhile, his editor, Frank (Richard Libertini), demands work on the drug/beach story. Fletch's digging in both stories brings him closer to the truth, but closer to danger as well.

Fletch is based on a novel by Gregory McDonald, which I have not read. While I'm sure that the book has some humorous moments and themes, I would be willing to bet that it focuses more on the plot and mystery. With Fletch, the movie certainly delivers with a coherent and cohesive mystery/intrigue story, but the movie is worth watching and will always be remembered for the comedy.

For some reason, Chevy Chase has fallen out of favor with the whole world, but in the 80s, he was one of the funniest actors working in film. Caddyshack and National Lampoon's Vacation solidified Chase as a comedic movie start, but, for me, it was Fletch which really showcased his talents. Chase had a knack for two things, being a condescending wise-ass and being a clumsy goofball. In Fletch, he's able to bring both of these talents to the table. As an investigative reporter, Fletch is fearless and no matter what is happening, he's always cocky and confident, lest he blow his cover. But, as played by Chase, he's also an oaf who is constantly running into things. This combination creates a character who is both admirable and funny.

Chase's natural talents are simply a boost to Andrew Bergman's script. While Chase provides some great physical comedy to the film (there's something about him hitting the car with the tennis racquet which gets me every time), it's the dialogue which one really takes away from the film. I can't tell you how many lines from Fletch have become part of my daily vernacular. Today, I can't stop myself from saying things like "As far as you know." and "Excuse you?" in everyday conversation. Even more obscure lines like, "You aren't going to sing, are you, Sammy?" and "Ah, this (fill in the blank). I love the shape.", slip out from time-to-time. When one watches Fletch for the first time, it's the big things, such as Fletch's day-dream about playing for the Lakers, which stand out, but subsequent viewings reveal the hilarious throw-away lines.

Fletch is that rare film which we don't see nearly enough of: it's intelligent and clever, while still being laugh out loud funny. There's plenty of goofy, slapstick humor to impress the masses, while a smaller crowd will enjoy the subtlety of Chase's performance and the very sly dialogue.