Fletch is a reasonably entertaining thriller parody. The eighth novel, fletch won which was basically a prequel novel, was the basis for that last warner bros. Fletch is a 1974 mystery novel by gregory mcdonald, the first in a series featuring the character irwin maurice fletcher. With comedy classics like christmas vacation, european vacation, and caddyshack under his belt, the 1985 film fletch often takes a backseat when remembering chevy chases greatest film roles. Chevy chase added a classic comic hero to the film landscape with fletch, one of his few truly popular star vehicles in a famously misguided postsaturday night live career. According to a story in the hollywood reporter the film rights to the fletch novels, which were the basis for the chevy chase movies, have moved from warner bros. Whether it will be used as a basis for the film at relativity is unknown. Contains downloads, commentary, fletch information and script, photographs, and related links. Fletch is a 1985 american actioncomedy directed by michael ritchie and written by andrew bergman and is loosely based on gregory mcdonalds popular fletch novels. Fletch remake starring jason sudeikis moves forward.
After a few mishaps writing questionable headlines and creatively worded obituaries, managing editor frank jaffe appoints fletch to the society pages, where hes assigned to cover a generous yet surprising donation to an art. Jason sudeikis to star in fletch won hollywood reporter. Add video add image fletch is a 1985 comedy film about an investigative newspaper reporter. As well as trying to gather drugsmuggling evidence against the lapd for a longoverdue newspaper story, a rich and apparently terminally ill stranger also offers fletch a large payoff to kill him. I have read the original fletch novel, and while very good, the movie does add an energy to the lines that is hard to get from the book. It stars chevy chase, tim matheson, dana wheelernicholson, geena davis and joe don baker. Fletch won, featuring fletch as a wetbehindthe ears journalist, reminded me just how much the films were less about gregory mcdonalds character and more about chevy chase being, well, chevy chase. It is based on an earlier book in the series and chronicles fletch on his first case. Fletcher chevy chase, who writes under the name of jane doe. Anonymous contents steve golin and michael sugar are producing along with david list. Fletch fletch mysteries, book 1 fletch mysteries, 1 gregory mcdonald on. Larry davis, he begins investigating stanwyk instead of completing his drug. Fletch is not the first movie that chase has undercut with his mannerisms, but it is the best onesince foul play, anyway.
Just some background so you can calibrate your tastes to mine. Find out where fletch is streaming, if fletch is on netflix, and get news and updates, on decider. It was inevitable, then, that a sequel would make an appearance. His managing editor s got him pegged for the society pages, but the kind of society fletch gets involved with is anything but polite. Chevy chase stars in the film as irwin fletch fletcher, an investigative reporter. After a few mishaps writing questionable headlines and creatively worded obituaries, managing editor frank jaffe appoints fletch to the. Selected credits nonexhaustive directed by bill lawrence former produced by david list former screenwriter bill lawrence former kevin smith former steve pink former cast ben affleck. It has since developed a cult following and was followed by. A millionaire businessman named alan stanwyk approaches fletch to hire fletch to murder him. Fletch dashes for the nearest door, and runs through it just as the dog slams into it. Fletch won is the eighth book in the fletch series of mysterycomedy novels written by gregory mcdonald, and was published in 1985. Personally, i found the films rather stupid and nowhere near as good as the book. Fletch is a 1985 comic actionthriller spy film directed by michael ritchie and written by andrew bergman and is loosely based on gregory mcdonalds popular fletch novels.
Ive long been a fan of the fletch movies not to mention chevy chase, but it was only recently i discovered that these were based on a series of novels by gregory mcdonald. As seems to be the standard for these new attempts at fletch films, it will be an origin story for the character, possibly based on mcdonalds eighth book, fletch won, which explored his first. Though the original fletch was drubbed by critics, it proved a major success for star chevy chase. Named by chase himself as one of his favorite roles of all time, fletch is a fun film to quote. Warner brothers picked up the rights to the gregory mcdonald mystery novels in 2011, and as late as last year attached jason sudeikis to star in fletch won, a film described by the hollywood reporter as a gritty action comedy with heart and more tonally in line with mcdonalds novels than the chevy chase movies. Fletch fletcher, who is offered a large sum of money to kill a millionaire who supposedly has a terminal cancer prognosis. I suppose if youre not a fan of chase, or didnt know who he was, you might not be impressed with this outing. During the first scene in the newsroom, as irwin fletch fletcher and frank walker walk through the office, we see a map of long island, new york on the wall in the background. Fletch was so great when i saw it, i loved the film, and it was quite popular. Since 2011, a reboot and origin story, titled fletch won, has been kicking around in development.
Fletch chevy chase poses as a patient in order to question stanwyks doctor, even dropping his shorts to sustain the ruse. A prequel, fletch won, has been in talks for over two decades. Fletch, the eager and inventive new reporter for the newstribune, is having a hard time finding his place at the newspaper. Fletch is a 1985 american neonoir comedy thriller film directed by michael ritchie and written by andrew bergman and is based on gregory mcdonald s popular fletch novels. Fletch won takes us back to the start of fletchs newspaper career and clearly develops a character thats rooted more in a seatofthepants can. Universal has collected two previously released discs the 2007 jane doe edition of fletch and the barebones 2003 edition of fletch lives into a new twodisc bargain package titled the fletch collection.
The film stars chevy chase, tim matheson, dana wheelernicholson, geena davis and joe don baker. Fletch is a 1985 comedy film about a wisecracking investigative newspaper reporter, irwin m. Kevin smith director of such popular films as clerks 1994, chasing amy 1997, and dogma 1999 purchased the rights to all of the fletch books and is currently in preproduction on fletch won due to begin shooting in 2004. The story is set before the first seven books in the series, and follows the early days of the title characters journalism career. Accepted director steve pink will direct the film starring, get this, joshua jackson as fletch a role made famous by chevy chase. You can watch the new documentary white boy and then the film about the true story, white boy. His problem as an actor is that he perfected a personal style on saturday night live all those many years ago, and has never been able to work outside of it. Jason sudeikis gives fletch update, says film may still happen. Fletch won is the eighth book in the series, but its a prequel to the original fletch.
Fletch the fletch mysteries book 1 and millions of other books are available for. Fletcher is a vietnam veteran trying to become a sports reporter, but hes been stuck writing obituaries and headlines for his newspaper. About genre comedy summary based on gregory mcdonalds mysterycomedy literary series about sarcastic investigative reporter i. These notsoclever disguises are put to use when fletch becomes involved in the films smart but continually selfmocking twopart mystery. Along with his colleague larry, he begins investigating stanwyk instead of completing his drug expose, much to the anger of his authoritarian editor frank. Fletch bolts and the dog flies into the file cabinet, knocking it over, scattering all the files over the floor. Vacation and fletch, was perfect to play a bumbling invisible man. That and floating around from department to department trying to figure where he fits in. Tim matheson, dana wheelernicholson, geena davis and joe don baker appear in supporting roles. Fletch won as a fledgling reporter, fletch is doing more flailing than anything else.
Jason sudeikis in talks to star as fletch in fletch won exclusive. The film was based on the popular gregory mcdonald novels, the screenplay was written by andrew bergman and it was directed by michael ritchie in the 1970s, burt reynolds and mick jagger were considered to portray fletch on the big screen. Both short films were based upon sketch comedy works created and performed by awkward silence, which andrea is a founding member of, along with dan abramovici and geoff hendry. Everything you need to know about fletch won movie. I just finished reading fletch won by gregory mcdonald. Chase dresses up in numerous disguises, and the one that he was the roller skating guru i didnt even realize it was him. Snl alumni jason sudeikis gives the character made famous by chevy chase in fletch 1985 and fletch lives 1989 a gritty origins story in this warner bros. The scene was filmed at newsdays melville, long island office. Fletch won had already been in the works for a decade when it landed at warner bros. Find movie and film cast and crew information for fletch won 2016 on allmovie. Fletch becomes suspicious when he discovers the man. Chevy chase and the other cast suit their roles perfectly and the various disguises provides the films most.
And you might be surprised to learn that most of the classic fletch quotes from the film werent even in. While working on a drug expose, fletch attracts the attention of a strange businessman tim matheson who wants to be killed so his wife will inherit more insurance. Oct 31, 2011 a tribute to fletch, the greatest movie ever made. But one film that wont be getting a hollywood dustoff anytime soon is fletch, the iconic 1985 comedy in which chevy chase, as the titular wisecracking reporter, unravels complex crimes with. Fletch fletcher is a newspaper reporter being offered a large sum to off a cancerous millionaire, but is on the run, risking his job and finding clues when its clear the man is healthy. Warner brothers picked up the rights to the gregory mcdonald mystery novels in 2011, and as late as last year attached jason sudeikis to star in fletch won, a film described by the hollywood reporter as a gritty action comedy with heart and more tonally in line. Surprisingly, fletch lives didnt come out until 1989a full five years after the original. Fletch is a 1985 american neonoir comedy thriller film directed by michael ritchie and written by andrew bergman and is based on gregory mcdonalds popular fletch novels. Fletch fared well from critics and performed well at the box office. The 1985 comedy fletch was a major hit and the start of a franchise that hollywood studios are still looking to reboot today in hopes of capturing the original films success. Fletch won is the first of these ive read, and it doesnt disappoint. Fletch films was founded in 2010 by andrea fletcher, when she decided to take her savings and produce two short films altarcations and shaky grounds.