YNOT at the Movies

A little more than a week ago, the variety comedy show Saturday Night Live, famously known as SNL, premiered its 50th season. But how did this legendary show begin nearly five decades ago? The director Jason Reitman's nostalgic film "Saturday Night" (USA 2023 | 109 min.) recreates that chaotic night on October 11, 1975. The film captures the frenetic energy and creative chaos surrounding the iconic first episode of SNL and explores the tension, ambition, and eccentricity behind the scenes. Reitman also pays tribute to the underdog spirit of the show's early days and its original cast members.

Set in the final 90 minutes before the live broadcast, a nervous young producer Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) struggles to bring his revolutionary vision of comedy to life, despite obstacles that seem designed to ensure its failure. He is surrounded by the sharply witty Chevy Chase (Cory Michael Smith), the laid-back Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O'Brien), the joyful Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt), the classically trained Garrett Morris (Lamorne Morris), and the unpredictable John Belushi (Matt Wood), among a few others. No one, including Lorne, is certain if the show can go live at 11:30pm.

The frantic camera follows Lorne zipping through the unruly casts and crews, intimidating network executives, tripped power cables, misplaced props, and the rewritten cue-cards at the last minute. There is a fire, there is a fight, and there is a malfunctioning sound system. Yet, remarkably, despite the mayhem, the first episode airs, and the rest is history.

The director Jason Reitman's love for SNL shines through the film, stemming from his own experience as a guest writer on the show in 2008, where he experienced the behind-the-scenes pressure firsthand. That adrenaline is palpable in the film, creating an atmosphere thick with uncertainty and excitement, as every department, from costume to set design, races against the clock. Reitman conveys the ticking tension throughout the production, where even a single mishap could derail everything.

The movie's aesthetic choice of filming on 16mm adds to the vintage feel, transporting audiences back to the mid-1970s. The meticulously recreated Studio 8H and the frantic pace of the film gives us a real-time sensation, as if we are rushing alongside Lorne Michaels, who has produced 833 episodes of SNL to date. Jon Batiste's musical score, recorded live on set, adds another layer of authenticity, capturing the jazzy unpredictability of the era.

In portraying a pivotal moment in television history, "Saturday Night" serves not only as a chronicle of the birth of SNL, but also as a tribute to the audacity of youth. It celebrates the ambition and the risks taken by the original cast and crew, making it a nostalgic ride for SNL devotees and a vibrant introduction for those less familiar with its legacy. Despite some underdeveloped character arcs, the film delivers a heart-pounding look at how a scrappy, revolutionary show almost didn't make it on air, yet went on to redefine comedy.

"Saturday Night" opens on Friday, October 11, 2024.