Saturday Night (2024)

"Saturday Night" stars Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Dylan O'Brien, Emily Fairn, Matt Wood, Lamorne Morris, Kim Matula, Finn Wolfhard, Nicholas Braun, Cooper Hoffman, Andrew Barth Feldman, Kaia Gerber, Tommy Dewey, Willem Dafoe, Matthew Rhys, and J. K. Simmons.  Released on September 27, 2024, the film chronicles the preparation for the premiere of Saturday Night.

The film was directed by Jason Reitman, who also directed films such as "Juno", "Up in the Air", "Tully", and "Ghostbusters: Afterlife".  Many shows have experienced behind-the-scenes drama, either before or during their run, which can either improve their productions or lead to infamous cancellations due to the stress and pressure they leave behind. This particular behind-the-scenes dilemma was so intense that it almost prevented an iconic sketch comedy series from going on air.  The one I'm referring to is Saturday Night Live, a late-night comedy series that's responsible for launching the careers of many memorable comedians and stars.  Its humor and memorable sketches made it one of the most popular late-night shows in the world, but it came close to not having that future due to its infamous preparation for its first episode.  This night is the topic of the latest comedy from Jason Reitman following his departure from the Ghostbusters franchise.  Considering my appreciation of some of his works, this is something I shouldn't pass up.  With that said, let's see if this is a chaotic Saturday night worth remembering.

The story occurs on October 11th, 1975, when a troupe of comedians and writers prepare for the first broadcast of the late-night sketch comedy series Saturday Night.  The show's creator, Lorne Michaels (LaBelle), gathers several up-and-coming comedians to perform in the broadcast, including Chevy Chase (Smith), Dan Aykroyd (O'Brien), and George Carlin (Rhys).  What seemed to be an easygoing preparation turned into a chaotic nightmare when they encountered several mishaps behind the scenes, including technical difficulties and the comedians acting hastily on set.  In the span of 90 minutes before showtime, Lorne and his team must learn to come together or face instant cancellation.

I'm one of the few people who hasn't seen a single episode of Saturday Night Live.  While I have seen numerous clips of the late-night show and heard of its high and low points, I never found the urge to watch any of its episodes in its entirety.  Despite that, I admire the show for elevating the careers of well-known celebrities I grew up watching, like Dan Aykroyd, Jim Henson, and Chevy Chase.  That admiration got me interested in Jason Reitman's cinematic reflection of the sketch variety show's first broadcast, whose behind-the-scenes drama almost derailed its path of success.  Another reason was my recent fondness for movies and shows depicting the industry's fundamentals in a parodic or insightful light.  This film appears to represent that in a way that mixes comedy with stressful drama, but the real question is whether it makes for a good movie.

Regarding its story, "Saturday Night" depicts the events that transpired in a single night.  It is a racing-against-the-clock drama involving Lorne Michaels' attempt to help the cast and crew resolve their issues before showtime.  Notably, the people involved have no idea what Michaels' show is even about, and the writers are struggling with getting past the censorship due to censor specialist Joan Carbunkle (Catherine Curtin).  It's the type of film whose thrills are emphasized by the weight of its build-up and drama rather than the violence.  However, I would also call "Saturday Night" an underdog story set within the television industry, depicting Lorne's quest to defy the conventional standards of what we usually see on television, giving birth to the classic variety series we know and love.  It reflects the television industry's skepticism of something too ambitious for the medium, emphasizing the network executive David Tebet's (Dafoe) consideration in airing a rerun of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.  If that's the case, "Saturday Night" had a solid approach to this commentary and even the elements that made the auspicious late-night show one of a kind.  However, regarding its execution, the film fell short of delivering the proper script and finesse of the variety series to accompany its frenetic and thematic materials.  

"Saturday Night" can be a bit nuts with some of the interactions, the rehearsals, and the technical problems that could've derailed the process. While I found some of those moments humorously enjoyable, the rest struggled to keep the chaotic momentum going for its remaining runtime.  I don't usually see Jason Reitman as a director who pushes over the limits of the comedy aspect.  Instead, he's more restrained in his approach to some of the humor bits that would've been more disorderly if placed in different hands.  That's not to say Reitman's the wrong choice to direct "Saturday Night".  He delivered a solidly crafted and enjoyable trip down memory lane through its nostalgic appeal and Eric Steelberg's stellar cinematography that captures the grainy, old-school feel of the 1970s.  It's that Reitman didn't provide much else in his vision to elevate what could've been a heart-pounding and emotionally draining experience.  As for the screenplay by Reitman and Gil Kenan, it's undoubtedly constrained due to its limited locations and having it set in one night, but in regards to its themes, humor, and characters, it also didn't pack as much of a comical punch as the show's random sketches.  I enjoyed a few instances of humor, but they were not enough to overshadow the rest, which was mildly tedious.

Despite the comedy periodically falling flat, the film took advantage of its massive ensemble to maintain its interest in the topic.  I'm serious.  This film has a crap ton of actors performing as the comedians we grew up with and even the crew involved in NBC's Saturday Night, and they're unsurprisingly the glue that held this project together.  Following his breakthrough performance in Steven Spielberg's recent masterpiece, "The Fabelmans", Gabriel LaBelle tackles another biographical role in the form of Lorne Michaels, the creator who made the show possible.  I thought he was fantastic in "The Fabelmans", so it makes me glad that LaBelle is getting more work because of that.  While I wouldn't say it's an award-worthy performance, I can say that LaBelle's engaging portrayal of a stressed-out creator was enough to keep an eye on his acting career.  Rachel Sennott and Cory Michael Smith were also satisfactory as Rosie Shuster, the show's writer, and Chevy Chase, respectively.  The cast's portrayals of celebrities like Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi did wonders in matching their authenticity and comical patterns, but it was also the costume designs that did the heavy lifting in making the actors look almost identical to the people they're playing.  If anything, this could be another worthy contender for the "Best Costume Design" awards race.

Overall, "Saturday Night" is a nostalgic and enjoyable outlook of the first Saturday Night Live broadcast that periodically lacked the messy and chaotic essence of the famous sketch comedy show.  Regarding the technical aspects, the film is elevated by Jason Reitman's restraint yet diverting vision and Eric Steelberg's old-school cinematography without a single technical difficulty.  The ensemble cast also did a great job immersing themselves into the celebrities of yesteryear, adding to the movie's enjoyability.  However, its inconsistent tension and average screenplay prevent the film from being a night worth remembering.  But, for what it's worth, this origin story made me appreciate Saturday Night Live and how far it has come since its first broadcast in 1975.  It might not make me want to watch one of its episodes as soon as possible, but I can definitely see why it's been going strong for almost fifty years.  If you're familiar with Saturday Night Live, you might get some enjoyment out of this movie, but you might also forget about it in the next month or two.

C+