esco@ssc-vax.UUCP (Michael Esco) (05/24/85)
Anybody that reads and goes to the movies knows the old cliche "The book was better." Well, in the case of "Fletch," the cliche is an understatement. The book, by Gregory McDonald, was one the most amusing I've read in I don't know how long. There were plot complications and memorable characters by the score. To McDonald's credit, he not only successfully juggles these, he manages to tie them up into a pretty package at the end. The movie, starring Chevy Chase, is more than a disapointment. It's almost criminal. I expected them to clean up some of Fletch's sleazy attributes and simplify the plot, but there is no excuse for the wholesale hacking they did. It's as though they devised characters and lines for a cast selected before the story was chosen, and the script was modified slightly to resemble the book. I came out of the theater feeling that Chevy Chase, who I've often liked before, has become some sort of male Pia Zadora. If the previews for "Fletch" tickled your fancy, go read the book. The only thing the movie will do is reveal the major part of the surprise ending and ruin the book for you. Michael Esco Boeing Aerospace