Chevy Chase is normally associated with the Caddyshack, Fletch and Vacation series meaning that his one-shot movies mostly fall by the wayside. Films like Spies Like Us, Nothing But Trouble and Funny Farm have went largely unseen since the advent of DVD in 1997. Neither of these movies have received widescreen releases and have been out of print for years. I was beginning to wonder what Warner had against giving them definitive releases until I discovered an HD master of Funny Farm on the PlayStation Network.

I saw it only once, when I was about 9, and remembered very little. If you're a fan of Clark Griswold then Andy Farmer isn't too far removed. Andy is a sports journalist who retires from the big city to the Redbud, Vermont hoping to enjoy and idyllic, peaceful life and finally write the great, American novel (The Big Heist). When he gets there he and his wife discover that almost everyone and everything is weirder than the last. There are giant snakes in their pond, a dead body buried in their garden, a Sheriff who can't drive, a crazy mailman and a town who basically hate them. And top of all this Andy has severe writer's block while his wife manages to churn out a successful children's novel without really trying.

With careful, measured direction from George Roy Hill (Butch Cassidy, The Sting) Funny Farm, based on a novel by Jay Cronley, manages to be a little classier than Chase's usual fare. This makes the lack of a home video version even more puzzling. It has never been released on DVD in the UK, and the 1989 VHS is long gone. If you have access to the PlayStation Network then go for it. I have a funny feeling that Funny Farm and Spies Like Us will probably be released as a Warner Blu Ray Double Feature in the near future, but nothing has been announced so far.

Don't let the mistreatment of this film put you off, it lives up to it's title and is the perfect vehicle for Chevy Chase and his goofy humour.

Writer Andy (Chevy Chase) and wife Elizabeth Farmer move to the country Redbud, Vermont. At first, they see the little problems as quaint. Their movers have a harrowing time finding their house. However, the weird locals and unending problems overwhelm them. Elizabeth doesn't like Andy's manuscript and writes a children's book of her own. It all falls apart as the couple decides to get divorced and sell their home. They offer the locals money to fool prospective buyers.

It has a couple of good chuckles but the movie is more quirky than funny. Chevy's air of superiority gets into the way sometimes. He's not always lovable. This is not that bad either. I had a couple of chuckles but it's not enough.

The 1988 movie "Funny Farm" is definitely a Chevy Chase classic, and it is also an archetypical movie of what you would expect from Chevy Chase in that period of time, for better or worse.

I will say that the storyline is good. Sure, it is predictable and generic even, but it works out well enough, given the fact that this is a comedy, and also because of the actors and actresses starring in the movie. But the storyline offers more than just ordinary comedy; as there are also elements of romance and drama to it.

"Funny Farm" is a fun and enjoyable movie, and if you enjoyed the comedies of the late 1980s then you should also be right at home watching "Funny Farm" from writers Jay Cronley and Jeffrey Boam. And director George Roy Hill definitely brought the storyline to life on the screen in an entertaining manner.

This movie has the talents of the likes of Chevy Chase and Madolyn Smith Osborne on the cast list. Both of which you should be familiar with if you have been watching movies in the late 1980s.

I think "Funny Farm" is a wonderful addition to Chevy Chase's career, and it is the type of movie that you can watch more than once.

My rating of "Funny Farm" is a six out of ten stars.