Chevy Chase Shines in Fletch

Chevy Chase, one of the many "Not Ready for Primetime" players who went to the big screen, is in a new movie called "Fletch." This movie plays to his strength of improvising. He must play a dozen different characters and each is more hilarious than the last. Chase plays "Fletch," the title role, a reporter for a Los Angeles newspaper. He writes under the byline Jane Doe in order to protect his identity. Fletch writes investigative pieces about the seamier side of life in LA. He's currently investigating the drug trade at the beach and goes undercover as a bum. While hanging out at the beach, a well-dressed and clearly wealthy man named Alan Stanwyck approaches Fletch and makes him a proposal. Stanwyck claims to be a dying man and wants Fletch to shoot him so his wife can receive the insurance money. He will pay Fletch $50,000 to do the job and disappear. He's intrigued and agrees to do it. Naturally his investigative instinct takes over and he checks out Stanwyck's story. We realize there is more to the story than meets the eye. During the course of the investigation, Fletch gets into situations and talks his way out of trouble. This is classic Chevy Chase. He plays Dr. Rosenpenis, an LA Laker, Harry S. Truman, and Igor Stravinski among others. His harried boss is close to the brink of a nervous breakdown as Fletch's antics cause him trouble. But in the end, Fletch delivers a hell of a story about Stanwyck, a corrupt cop and the drug trade. Chase is at his best getting into and out of trouble in his usual "charming" manner. The plot is intricate enough to make it interesting and believable. You find yourself rooting for Fletch to uncover the truth and expose the bad guys. "Fletch" is well worth seeing. I hope Chase can find more roles like these.