Saturday Night Live – SNL to fans – is a TV institution in the US. And although it’s taken a while, streaming and (especially) social media have seen the show gain traction in Australia too. Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night takes us back to where it all began – the very first episode of the show on 11 October 1975.
If you’ve ever watched an episode of SNL, you’ll know it’s a slick but rather chaotic mix of sketch comedy, satire and music. And Saturday Night follows a similar pattern. From the film’s opening outside the iconic 30 Rockefeller Plaza building, to the uttering of its now-famous catch-phrase, Saturday Night is basically a microcosm of the show itself. And like the show, while it can be shaggy, scrappy and even tough going at times, it’s worth it for the moments of brilliance.
The film’s structure is basically to follow producer and showrunner Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) in (almost) real time for the 90 minutes before the first episode of SNL goes to air. Along the way he has to deal with confused technical staff, feuding actors, manic writers, and bemused network suits. Among his biggest headaches are a cranky John Belushi (Matt Wood), a grating Chevy Chase (Cory Michael Smith), and a lost Garrett Morris (Lamorne Morris). He also contend with a “complicated” relationship with his wife – and head writer – Rosie Schuler (Rachel Sennott). But his biggest challenge comes in the form of studio executive Dave Tebet (Willem Dafoe). While seemingly supportive at first, Tebet soon makes it clear that the network isn’t convinced by Michaels’ idea for a “high concept” sketch comedy show. And even worse, they would be very happy if it failed completely.
The fact this year marks SNL’s 50th season will provide a big hint that the show doesn’t fail. So rather than a “will they” movie, Saturday Night becomes a “how will they” movie. The film’s main idea is that the original SNL cast and creators were geniuses whose undeniable talents stuck it to the Man. The truth is probably more nuanced than that, although it’s almost certainly part of it.
Reitman uses the first hour or so to present a kaleidoscope of characters. Inevitably, some are more interesting than others. He also references some of the more problematic aspects of SNL – the misogyny and racism. But these references are rather fleeting, and do little more than scratch the surface. That’s a bit of a shame really, because digging a bit deeper could have added more depth to the characters beyond just the “genius” angle.
But Reitman and co-writer Gil Kenan pull off something quite remarkable by the time the credit roll. They take a story that’s seemingly spiralling out of control and bring it in for a pinpoint landing. They somehow manage to either gather in or cut off all the loose threads to end up with something that, for me at least, felt complete and satisfying.
Production designer Jess Gonchor (Little Women) does fine work in bringing the look and feel of the 1970s to life. DOP Eric Steelberg (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) assists with some vibrant cinematography, though I personally could have done with fewer tracking shots. But a big part of the film is the absolutely outstanding score from Oscar winner Jon Batiste (Soul) – surely a contender for soundtrack of the year. Batiste incidentally also appears as SNL musical director Billy Preston.
In the cavalcade of faces and voices, a few stand out. Gabrielle LaBelle (The Fabelmans) as Michaels however isn’t one of them. He’s more of an audience surrogate; a means of connecting with the other characters. However, Cory Michael Smith (Transatlantic – TV) is fantastic as the grating but oddly charming Chevy Chase. Willem Dafoe (Kinds of Kindness) brings an air of menace to Tebet, while Lamorne Morris (Unstable – TV) is excellent as the confused Garrett Morris. Although her character is underwritten, Rachel Sennott (Bottoms) is great as Rosie; while J. K. Simmons (Spider-Man: No Way Home) gets to cut loose as a rather unhinged Milton Berle.
Without wanting to state the obvious, I think SNL fans will relate to Saturday Night more strongly than others. It can be a demanding watch at times, but it’s worth staying with because of the bravura final act.
David Edwards
Other reviews you might enjoy:
David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television