Everyone has a million-dollar idea in them but how many people actually cash in?
We’ve all felt that moment when inspiration hits and it feels like a lightning strike to your soul. But realizing an idea is another beast entirely. That’s why so many dreams get discarded on the scrap pile of woulda, coulda, shoulda.
In Saturday Night, director Jason Reitman tells the story of Lorne Michaels, a man who never let his humble means stand in the way of his grand ambitions.
Saturday Night recounts the chaotic leadup to Saturday Night Live’s premiere episode. Reitman invites viewers to cannonball dive down the SNL history rabbit hole delivering a nerve-wracking dramedy that’s a must-watch for anyone who’s ever loved the show.
It’s October 1975, 90 minutes before Saturday Night’s first episode is scheduled to air. It should be a moment of triumph for the show’s creator Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle), but instead, it’s a waking nightmare.
Things aren’t looking good for the cast and crew. Michaels doesn’t have his network’s support. NBC greenlit Saturday Night as a stopgap for weekend The Tonight Show reruns, and they have their reservations about handing the timeslot over to an unproven talent. They don’t understand the concept and they don’t share Michaels’ vision. So they’re ready to pull the plug the instant things go off the rails.
Having the studio breathing down your neck is pressure enough, but Michaels has more pressing concerns. His writers are a bunch of wackos and saying his cast is eccentric is like calling the Grand Canyon a tiny crack
Making matters worse, nothing goes according to plan. The lighting rig crashes down during rehearsal, and the crew still haven’t finished building the set.
If Michaels can’t find a way to handle the show’s domineering executives, neurotic writers, and larger-than-life cast, his dream will die faster than you can say, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night.”
Saturday Night could have been a light and fluffy hagiography of a legendary TV show, and nobody would complain. Fortunately, Reitman isn’t interested in going down that road. Instead, he wants to get into the nitty-gritty of what it’s like creating commercially viable art and the beauty and struggle of artistic collaboration.
Saturday Night is as chaotic and stressful as one of The Bear’s signature kitchen clusterf#<ks. As nothing goes according to plan. Reitman wants to put viewers in Michaels’ shoes to feel the soul-shaking pressure that comes with stepping up to a challenge when your hopes and dreams are on the line.
Jon Batiste’s score heightens that feeling of stress. The score’s frenzied rhythms beat and thump like a clock ticking away on double time. His music keeps you unsettled, getting under your skin like an itch you can’t scratch.
DP Eric Steelberg’s cinematography adds to the sense of unease, darting from subject to subject amidst hectic tracking shots. The warm, grainy texture of the 16mm footage gives the film a gritty and lived-in ‘70s feel.
You can’t make an SNL origin story without a first-class ensemble cast. Casting director John Papsidera pulls off a minor miracle delivering a stable of actors who embody the legends they’re portraying while bringing their own style and flair to their roles. Although the focus remains on Michaels, the SNL cast plays a crucial role, orbiting around him like moons caught in his gravitational pull.
Cory Michael Smith will have folks buzzing with his standout turn as Chevy Chase. Smith perfectly embodies Chase’s smarmy charm while unleashing some of the film’s most lethal jokes. Lamorne Morris will also turn heads as Garrett Morris. Morris, the oldest and only Black cast member, feels like a fish out of water on set. He’s been around the block a few times and he exudes a weariness that makes a hilarious contrast with the rest of the cast’s manic energy.
Nicholas Braun (Jim Henson/Andy Kaufman), Rachel Sennott (Rosie Shuster), and Kim Matula (Jane Curtin) also steal a few scenes and I wish there was more for them to do. They’re like relief pitchers, taking the mound to throw some heat for an inning before handing the ball over to the next player up.
Watching Saturday Night, I kept thinking of Mami Sunada’s 2013 Studio Ghibli documentary The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness. Like SNL, Studio Ghibli eventually exceeded people’s wildest expectations transforming into a cultural touchstone for generations. Even the title, The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness beautifully encapsulates the essence of what it takes to manifest SNL into existence.
Saturday Night tells the riveting story of how Michaels overcame the naysayers, the setbacks, and his own self-doubt to create a legacy beyond the scope of his imagination. He made his unlikely dream a reality, harnessing a thunderous storm of larger-than-life personalities into the most electrifying comedy show on television.
