FLETCH Turns 40
Actually 6'5", with the Afro 6'9"
“From the Desk of Jane Doe…”
Notes on a 40th Anniversary Fletch Re-watch. To be collated & expanded for an eventual feature story in the Los Angeles Times (1,000 words or less). See inverted pyramid breakdown below…
Who: Irwin M. Fletcher (Chevy Chase), L.A. Times investigative reporter assigned to drugs-on-the-beach exposé and possible murder-for-hire/body switch scam by Boyd Aviation executive Alan Stanwyk (Tim Matheson). Also goes by the aliases Ted Nugent, Harry S. Truman, Igor Stravinsky, Gordon Liddy, John Cock-tol-ston, Dr. Rosen/Dr. Rosenrosen/Dr. Rosenpenis, Arnold Babar (two B’s but not right next to each other), Don Corleone, Mr. Poon (check spelling, believe it’s Comanche Indian), and on rare occasions, Fletch F. Fletch.
Most Successful Disguise: Mr. Poon (glasses, bow tie, full nasal bandage). Most Elaborate Disguise: Rollerskating Ram Dass clone with bald cap, ZZ Top beard and hippie guru tunic. Favorite Line: For a long time, it was: “You using the whole fist, Doc?” Then it switched to the more obscure: “You’re not gonna sing for us, are you, Sammy?” Then the beloved: “It’s all ball bearings these days.” Now it’s back to: “Can I borrow your towel? My car just hit a water buffalo.”
What: A thorough reexamination of childhood favorite Fletch (released in theaters on May 31, 1985, one week after Rambo: First Blood Part II) to determine how well it holds up after 40 years, especially after having read six of the eleven Gregory Mcdonald Fletch novels as an adult. Note that PG-rated Fletch was not at all verboten in Young Jane Doe’s household ala Rambo, but strongly encouraged, watched in the theater initially and then many times, over and over again, on a ragged VHS tape at home.
Where: Provo, Spain? No. Provo, Utah.
When: This past weekend, to coincide with the film’s 40th. Also in commemoration of recently deceased “good ol’ boy” actor Joe Don Baker (R.I.P.) as corrupt chief of police Karlin, in addition to his primary heroin-and-hot-dogs distributor “Fat Sam” (George Wendt, also R.I.P.).
How: By way of a newly purchased Kino Lorber Special Edition Blu-ray (with added commentary by two fellow journalists, one who’s an obvious Fletch book/movie fan with some interesting information, the other who’s obviously just marking time with a laundry list of minutiae about minor actors in the film). Note that, curiously, neither Fletch nor Fletch Lives made the leap to DVD in Jane Doe’s late 1990s/early 2000s movie collection—a strange oversight now remedied via Amazon.
Other Details: Note that the Stephanie Mills Fletch theme “Bit by Bit” is still extremely catchy and instantly puts a smile on Jane Doe’s face. Note that Doe may also consider Harold Faltermeyer’s Fletch score better than the considerably more popular “Axel F” theme he did for Beverly Hills Cop (too controversial to include?). Note that Alan Stanwyk’s house in the film is the same house used in Steve Martin’s The Jerk and Paul Newman’s Harper (i.e., extensive noir and slapstick comedy lineage). Note that Doe still has hots for Alan Stanwyk’s wife (the wonderfully quick-witted Dana Wheeler-Nicholson), as well as Fletch’s in-cahoots newspaper assistant “Larry” (young Geena Davis, whose character name remained when changed from man to woman).
File Under Misc.: Besides Fletch’s famous Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Lakers dream, there was allegedly an excised Dodgers daydream featuring Tommy Lasorda in the original cut. Considering the vigor with which Fletch destroys Lasorda’s portrait later in the film, this might’ve been interesting to include. Note that, overall, Doe maintains the original Fletch is akin to movie Prozac, in that it can instantly turn a foul mood into a fun one, no matter what’s going on in the depressing modern world (investigate further drugs-on-beach connection here). How much of this enjoyment is the product of residual childhood nostalgia, and how much is due to the fact that few other post-2000s comedies are as well-written (props to Andrew Bergman) or as well-improvised (props to Chase and director Michael Ritchie)? A major question to consider prior to publication…
Other Pertinent (But More Easily Answered) Questions To Address:
1) Is Chase the best Fletch? Yes, though Jon Hamm wasn’t too bad in Confess, Fletch and hewed closer to the books’ version of the character (more suave, charming, fewer pratfalls, no disguises, etc.).
2) Is Fletch the best Chevy Chase movie? Absolutely, though the original Vacation comes a close second.
3) Is the sequel, Fletch Lives, really as bad as everyone says? No! There are many funny gags and one-liners, even if it’s not on par with the original (or containing a storyline deriving from any of the Mcdonald books). Also, for better or worse, The Righteous Gemstones would not exist without it (re-watch those Fletch Lives televangelist scenes if doubtful…there’s even a capuchin monkey running around at one point).
4) Is it a godsend that the Kevin Smith/Miramax Fletch sequel/prequel never got made? Yes, yes, and yes! Not even a question. Imagine how awful that would’ve been—a poorly shot, first-year-of-film-school version of Fletch with Jay and Silent Bob running around in the background. Also, the actors he was considering to play Irwin M? Ben Affleck (sorry, no), Jimmy Fallon (fuck no!), Zach Braff (seriously, do you want your wages garnishied or what?), Jason Lee (actually, not a horrible choice but…)
5) If there’s ever another movie Fletch (doubtful), who SHOULD play him?
As noted earlier, Hamm was more than capable. But sadly, Confess, Fletch did not make enough $$$ to greenlight more with him. Jason Sudeikis’ name was bandied about for a time, and though this author has never seen a full episode of Ted Lasso, he/she knows it’s popular and that Sudeikis does possess a certain handsome but smug post-SNL Chevy charm. Surprisingly, there’s one name this author has never seen attached to any version of Fletch, though he seems ideally suited for the role (both movie and book version). True, he’s already doing something similar on Apple TV’s Bad Monkey, and while it might be slightly redundant for him to play Irwin M., it also proves he’s up to the job. There’s only one thing about him that gives Jane Doe MAJOR pause…
Research Expenses: See attached receipts (numerous airline tickets, Lakers tickets, false teeth, fake Afro, bloody mary, steak sandwich and steak sandwich, Dr. Jelly Fingers proctology exam). If the Times Accounting Dept. deigns not to approve these very necessary costs, then put it on the Underhills’ tab (obviously).
—End of Notes—