Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Saturday Night’

Written by Zeke Perez Jr.

Kim Matula, Emily Fairn, Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Senott, and Matt Wood as Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, Lorne Michaels, Rosie Shuster, and John Belushi in Jason Reitman’s SATURDAY NIGHT. (Photo Courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment.)

​Live! From a theater near you! It’s Saturday Night!!!
 
As the 50th season of Saturday Night Live hits airwaves this Fall, the tumultuous first night in the show’s history is explored in Saturday Night, a thrilling new biographical film co-written by Gil Kenan and Jason Reitman, and directed by Jason Reitman, it takes us on the roller-coaster ride that was the hour and a half leading up to the on-air debut of the program in a chaotic, “everything that can go wrong, will go wrong” saga. Lorne Michaels doesn’t have the trust of the network leads who are threatening to pull the plug on his new idea, the set is seeing constant technical difficulties spring up, and cast members are unsure of the product, fighting with each other, or inebriated (and, in some cases, a combo of some of the three). It all comes together in a feverish countdown to airtime.
 
SNL is such a cultural staple now that it’s hard to imagine it as an experimental, counter-culture product without a place on television. But one of the movie's successes is its ability to transport us to the time and place before that was true. The costuming, set design, and lighting all nail the 70s look. Further, a slew of celebrities from the era are depicted with spot-on impressions for Milton Berle, Billy Crystal, George Carlin, Andy Kaufman, Jim Henson, and BIlly Preston cementing the movie in that era. J.K. Simmons’ portrayal of Berle, in particular, paints the picture of the old guard reluctant to give up the comedy scene to Lorne Michaels’ and his new idea for a program. While the audience knows how that head-to-head turns out and what the fate of SNL will be, Saturday Night masterfully manufactures tension.
 
The stress builds thanks to the pairing of its frantic pace and its static location: much of the film is shot in constantly-moving POV single shot takes, that chase the action around, yet are all contained within the SNL set and the broader Rockefeller Center. It also tries to replicate the events of the show’s first night in pseudo real-time, beginning with a title card showing the time: 10:00 p.m. on October 11, 1975. Only 90 minutes stand between the show and its first time live on television. These title cards pop up sporadically throughout the runtime, slowly ticking away the minutes. That slow crawl to airtime is juxtaposed with hurried scenes that constantly barrel forward. The conflict in those scenes feel like hundreds of small explosions happening simultaneously, only broken up to pause for a handful of slower, poignant scenes scattered in.
 
Beyond the captivating anxiety of the story, the film does so well because of its cast. Rather than relying on the star power of just one or two actors, it excels because of the many talents of an amazing ensemble cast. Every actor is truly a scene-stealer. While the action bounces around frequently and no one character gets an overwhelming amount of screentime, each one capitalizes on their minutes. It’s a tall task to portray an infamous legendary performer, but each of the actors holds their own, nailing the voice and mannerisms of their subject. The hair and makeup department also deserves praise for delivering on the look of each.

---

Gabriel LaBelle anchors the movie as a young, ambitious, and relentless Lorne Michaels, coming off as both charming and unflappable. Rachel Sennott plays Rosie Shuster, a writer and showrunner, and Michaels’ wife, who delivers a calm presence in spite of the chaos of the SNL cast. Cory Michael Smith delivers as a quick, cocky, and witty Chevy Chase. Ella Hunt gives us Gilda Radner’s comedic ease and heart. Fresh off of an Emmy win, Lamorne Morris plays original cast member Garrett Morris, dishing out some of the best and funniest line deliveries. Other original cast members are brought to life by Dylan O’Brien (Dan Aykroyd), Emily Fairn (Laraine Newman), Kim Matula (Jane Curtin), and Matt Wood (John Belushi). Nicholas Braun does double-duty as both Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson, popping in for comic relief and some of the film’s best running gags. Like the aforementioned J.K. Simmons, Willem Dafoe plays a commanding bit part of David Tebet, a network executive running low on patience for all of the issues surrounding SNL’s debut. This long list still leaves out so many other tremendous performances that added fun, magnetism, and depth to the story.
 
As evidenced by the size of the cast alone, Saturday Night fits a ton into its tight runtime. It does so in a way that gives each of the original “Not Ready for Prime Time Players” their own moment to shine. It tells a hectic yet still balanced story and does a wonderful job painting a picture of that first night. It does feel as though certain events were exaggerated to heighten drama, including villainizing Johnny Carson as someone hoping for the downfall of SNL on a phone call during opening night or insinuating that “Weekend Update” duties were dramatically handed off from Michaels to Chase mere minutes before 11:30. Additionally, it feels like the story may have pulled its punches in how it handled some people or outcomes in order to close with a storybook finish and a neat bow on top. All that said, this semi-biographical, semi-fictionalized tale makes for an extremely fun watch.
 
Saturday Night is fun and wholly captivating. It packs mile-a-minute witty dialogue into fast-paced action shots that keep the audience ping-ponging through a relentless 90 minutes. For those of us that have grown up watching Saturday Night Live, it’s also a nostalgic treat, peeking behind the curtain at the performers, sets, and jokes that are etched into American pop culture. 50 seasons later, Saturday Night finally brings the TV screen to the silver screen and gives flowers to those who have made us laugh for generations.

---