For almost 50 years, Saturday Night Live has been an institution of (primarily) American culture. Every weekend it invites audiences to surrender to the thrill of live television, where anything could go wrong at any given moment, amongst a staple of regular segments and musical performances. Its structure has shifted over time, but the core of what Lorne Michaels brazenly created and ran to surprising fruition has always been there, and it’s that centre that Jason Reitman focuses on in the appropriately titled Saturday Night, which looks at the very first episode going to air.
On October 11th, 1975, Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) is pacing the halls of Studio 8H in New York City as he nervously awaits the debut of ‘Saturday Night Live’, then simply known as ‘NBC’s Saturday Night’. It’s 10pm, and in 90 minutes the episode is set to air. The only problem is, no one is entirely sure as to what ‘Saturday Night’, the show, is. His cast are either all fighting for placement, trying to learn their lines, or, in the case of John Belushi (Matt Wood), decidedly not cooperating with story ideas; he’s also holding things up by not signing his contract. The intended host, George Carlin (Matthew Rhys), is wildly confused as to his role. The head writer, Michael O’Donoghue (Tommy Dewey), is trying to dance around the stern on-set censor (Catherine Curtin) who’s refusing to budge on certain perverse jokes. And then there’s the network executive, David Tebet (Willem Dafoe), who hasn’t even decided if the show is worth going to air, and has a re-run of Johnny Carson on standby.
It’s chaotic, to say the least, and Reitman very much captures that nervous energy, whipping around the studio as he introduces us to a hoard of the distinct personalities that made up the show. Alongside John Belushi, the heyday of ‘Saturday Night’ was a breeding ground of comedy greats in their inception as 20-somethings on the precipice of stardom. And Reitman has mirrored such by casting a who’s who of promising, rising talent to encapsulate their legendary counterparts; Dylan O’Brien and Cory Michael Smith are particular standouts as a playful Dan Aykroyd and a self-important Chevy Chase, with Lamorne Morris, Ella Hunt, Emily Fairn and Kim Matula graciously embodying Garrett Morris, Gilda Radner, Laraine Newman and Jane Curtin, respectively.
There are so many talented players at bay across the film’s 109 minutes – Rachel Sennott as Lorne’s then-semi-estranged wife, Nicholas Braun pulling double duty as the wildly opposing Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson, Cooper Hoffman as NBC executive Dick Ebersol, Kaia Gerber as Chase’s then-girlfriend Jacqueline Carlin, and Jon Batiste as legendary musician Billy Preston – that the film does run the risk of having too many cooks running around in the kitchen, but Reitman, who wrote the script alongside Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire director Gil Kenan, keeps such a hold on the kinetic energy that we never lose track or feel anyone is underappreciated.
The plethora of personalities across Saturday Night is also why it’ll prove such a treat to those that grew up with the show or are familiar with this generation of performers. There’s clear homages that’ll likely tickle, but even if the show or the iteration of this cast are unversed to certain audiences, the film will still undoubtedly entertain with its sharp dialogue and continued comedic antics; but, like most things catered to specific fans, the added benefit of appreciated references won’t be as prominent.
Running only slightly longer than a usual episode of the show itself, Saturday Night has a wealth of material to source, and it savours every moment possible. There’s a certain air of tension as we see the time stamp inch closer to its 11pm starting block, and given that the original line-up were dubbed the “Not Ready For Prime-Time Players” and initial episodes were rough in their reception, whether or not NBC was going to air that first episode layers the film with a taut uncertainty; for a film so riotously funny, it’s impressive how emotionally invested we are in Michaels’ show going to broadcast. Similarly, there’s an inherent sweetness about and obvious respect to the show and those original performers present, and as obscene as some of the jokes are – Dewey gets some absolute zingers, and there’s a surprising partial-nudity gag alluding to the infamous endowment of the television icon that is Milton Berle (J.K. Simmons) – you can’t help but be enveloped by its charm.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Saturday Night is screening as part of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, running between September 5th and 15th, 2024. For more information about the festival, head to the official site here.
Saturday Night is screening in Australian theatres from October 31st, 2024.
