Saturday Night Live has become such a cultural institution that it can be easy to forget what a scrappy, unpolished show it was in its earliest days. As a refresher for those who remember the first season and an introduction for those not around in 1975, Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night offers a glimpse at the backstage madness that would go on to transform not just television, but also the world of comedy at large.
Producer Lorne Michaels (The Fabelmans' Gabriel LaBelle) is putting on a live sketch comedy show in 90 minutes. No one is ready. Not stoned host George Carlin (Matthew Rhys). Not the cast and crew. Not even Michaels himself. An NBC page (Finn Wolfhard) stands outside 30 Rock, desperately trying to give away tickets to the show. The only reason they have the airtime is because the network is in a contract dispute with Johnny Carson and needs something to fill the slot. Producer Dick Ebersol (Cooper Hoffman) suggests they air the tape from dress rehearsal and try again next week. Michaels implicitly knows that would be the kiss of death.
A great deal of SNL lore factors into the movie. Acerbic writer Michael O’Donoghue (Tommy Dewey) fights with the network’s censor. Star John Belushi (Matt Wood) goes MIA the day of the premiere. A young comedian named Billy Crystal (Nicholas Podany) is cut from the show. Personal dramas from the “Not Ready for Prime Time Players” are incorporated, as well, such as Julliard-trained singer Garrett Morris (Lamorne Morris) wondering how he's supposed to fit in. Reitman and co-writer Gil Kenan understandably have to fictionalize a few stray elements for dramatic purposes, yet they manage to work in an astonishing number of true tales.
Part of the movie’s success lies in its casting. LaBelle is perfect as Lorne Michaels, as is Rachel Sennott as writer Rosie Shuster, a prominent behind-the-scenes creative force on SNL. The actors playing the stars do an exceptional job capturing their essences. Cory Michael Smith nails Chevy Chase’s smartass attitude, Dylan O’Brien faithfully recreates Dan Aykroyd’s wonkish personality, and Ella Hunt conveys Gilda Radner’s lovable enthusiasm. Wood has what may be the toughest job, given Belushi’s distinct expressiveness. He pulls it off, even doing a credible one-eyebrow raise during a key scene. The ensemble cast, which also includes J.K. Simmons as Milton Berle and Nicholas Braun as both Jim Henson and Andy Kaufman, helps make the story feel authentic.
Reitman pulls off something very special with Saturday Night - he’s made a movie that feels chaotic. Scenes have foreground action, while the background contains people milling about, working, and practically bumping into each other. The director often uses longer Steadicam shots to heighten the effect. From beginning to end, you can sense the panic in the air as the debut episode continually teeters on the brink of disaster. The movie is a masterpiece of staging.
It's extremely funny, too. Certain lines of dialogue – such as the one O'Donoghue gives to the censor when she demands changes in the script – earn huge laughs. As someone for whom those early years of SNL were hugely influential, I absolutely adored Saturday Night. My sole complaint is the complete erasure of season one cast member George Coe, who inexplicably doesn't even merit a mention. Otherwise, this is a fast-paced, hugely entertaining piece of TV history.
out of four
Saturday Night is rated R for language throughout, sexual references, drug use, and brief graphic nudity. The running time is 1 hour and 49 minutes.
© 2024 Mike McGranaghan