Saturday Night - Review: A Chaotic and Insulting Gloss over Comedy History

Saturday Night (2024)

A Chaotic and Insulting Gloss over Comedy History

★★½☆☆

An ambitious but hollow account that prioritizes frenzy over the brutal reality of art.

Directed by Jason Reitman, Saturday Night is a fictionalized account of the 90 minutes leading up to the first episode of the beloved TV show. While the filmmakers argue these events happened, the decision to cram them into a high-octane real-time clock feels fundamentally dishonest. It presents the birth of a cultural institution as a silly talent show, ignoring the traumatic mental illness, drug use, and relentless labor that actually fuels great comedy. Having performers run around wildly unprofessional is insulting to both the audience's intelligence and the performers themselves.

"It’s frankly heartbreaking that Jason Reitman... couldn't trust himself to make a realistic film filled with quiet moments of sincerity, instead of relying on the runaway train of comedic chaos."

— Ray Manukay

🎬 Cast & Crew

• Director: Jason Reitman
• Starring: Gabriel LaBelle, Dylan O'Brien, Cory Michael Smith
• Legends Portrayed: John Belushi, Gilda Radner, George Carlin, Andy Kaufman

The Vision

The film would have the audience believe that the making of the show was as fun and innocent as middle school kids putting together a talent show. In reality, comedy is a dark, depressing profession rampant with self-destruction and competitive egos. By playing drug use for laughs, the movie fails the legacy of figures like Belushi, Newman, and Carlin who struggled severely. While the actors do admirable impersonations, the film lacks the confidence to slow down and trust scenes of quiet introspection.

🎬 Cinephile Fun Facts

• The Mozart Myth: The film suggests the performers were gifted naturals creating a comedic frenzy, ignoring the brutal work required to reach greatness.
• Historical Compression: While many events featured did happen, the film compresses years of tension and backstage drama into a single 90-minute window for dramatic effect.
• Legacy Players: The film features portrayals of legends like Billy Crystal and Milton Berle, highlighting the clash between old-school vaudeville and new-age counter-culture.

✅ Pros

• Admirable impersonations of the original Not-Ready-For-Primetime players.
• Rare moments of poignancy featuring Radner and Kaufman.
• Ambitious and witty dialogue.

❌ Cons

• Dishonest portrayal of the "fun" of professional comedy.
• Drug use played for "shits and giggles" despite real-life tragedies.
• Chaos frenzy that insults the hard work behind the craft.

The Full Analysis

Saturday Night is a fictionalized account of the ninety minutes leading up to the premiere episode of the beloved television show. While the filmmakers argue these events actually occurred, they likely did not transpire within such an extremely tight, frenetic timeline. While the concept is an ambitious and witty way to tell the story, the chaotic frenzy presented here simply does not ring true to how art and show business actually function. Comedic performers are notoriously serious and meticulous, often remaining distinctly unfunny unless they are in front of an audience or being paid.

The film presents the making of the show as though it were as innocent and fun as middle school children putting together a talent show, full of practical jokes and witty banter. Real comedy is a dark, often depressing profession plagued by competitive egos, self-destruction, and mental illness. Furthermore, the film's depiction of drug use as harmless fun is especially disappointing considering the severe struggles of legends like John Belushi, Laraine Newman, and George Carlin. To suggest these performers ran around being wildly unprofessional and immature is insulting to the intelligence of the audience and the hard work required to achieve greatness.

On the positive side, the actors each deliver admirable impersonations of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" and other comedy icons. In the rare moments when the story slows down for quiet introspection, such as those featuring Gilda Radner, Andy Kaufman, and John Belushi, there is some truly worthwhile drama to be found. Unfortunately, those moments are few and far between. The film lacks the confidence to show the heartfelt trauma and complex labor of these artists, preferring to suggest they were simply comedic Mozarts creating a frenzy in a studio space where they could not help but be hilarious.

Overall, the film is a significant disappointment and a wasted opportunity. Considering the potential for genuine dramatic insights into the creation of a cultural phenomenon, it is frankly heartbreaking that Jason Reitman could not trust himself to make a realistic film filled with sincerity. Instead, we are left with a runaway train of comedic chaos that misses the mark on the true nature of the medium. Saturday Night remains a powerfully invigorating, yet ultimately hollow, tribute that prioritizes frantic pacing over the grounded reality of the creative process.

🏆 Final Verdict

A giant letdown and a waste of potential. Saturday Night chooses comedic chaos over sincerity, failing to offer any dramatic insight into the actual making of a masterpiece.

View original review on Letterboxd

Saturday Night: Fact vs. Fiction

While director Jason Reitman captures the frantic spirit of the 1975 premiere, the film compresses years of backstage drama into a single 90-minute countdown. Here is what actually happened versus the cinematic retelling.

The Milton Berle Clash

In the Movie: Berle is a looming, hostile presence at the studio. The Reality: Berle was not even at the studio on the premiere night. His famous confrontation with writer Alan Zweibel occurred years later when he hosted the show in 1979.

The Weekend Update Switch

In the Movie: Lorne Michaels decides Chevy Chase should anchor just minutes before air. The Reality: Chevy Chase had successfully screen-tested for the role and was confirmed as the anchor weeks before the first episode.

The NBC Sabotage

In the Movie: Exec David Tebet is a villain trying to pull the plug. The Reality: Tebet was actually very supportive of Lorne Michaels and the show's concept; his only real note was asking George Carlin to wear a suit.

The Belushi Signature

In the Movie: John signs his contract after a late-night skate at Rockefeller Center. The Reality: He did hold out until the final minutes, but the ice skating incident happened during a sketch much later in the first season.

The "Llama" Easter Egg

One of the film's funniest moments involves a llama being led through the studio. While this is an iconic piece of SNL lore, there is no record of a llama being present on the 1975 premiere night. The gag was actually popularized by Seth Meyers decades later, serving here as a wink to the show's long-term legacy.

Saturday Night: Deep Dive into the Inaccuracies

To heighten the stakes of the "underdog" narrative, Saturday Night takes several creative liberties that contradict the documented reality of October 11, 1975. Here are more examples of the film's "manufactured" chaos.

The Billy Crystal Exit

In the Movie: Crystal is cut seconds before the show starts, leading to a dramatic backstage meltdown. The Reality: While his sketch was cut due to time constraints, Crystal and his manager actually left the studio hours before the live show even began.

The Julia Child Pitch

In the Movie: Al Franken is seen pitching the legendary "Bleeding Julia Child" sketch in 1975. The Reality: That sketch wasn't conceived or written until 1978, three full years after the premiere, after the writers saw Child cut herself on The Tomorrow Show.

The Falling Lighting Rig

In the Movie: A massive lighting rig crashes down, nearly killing cast members and setting a couch on fire. The Reality: A couch did catch fire that night, but there was no falling rig. The actual equipment failure involved a camera crane losing its brakes and plowing through the set.

Johnny Carson’s Hostility

In the Movie: Carson is a looming shadow actively rooting for the show to fail. The Reality: Carson was actually supportive; he wanted the show to succeed so it could take over his weekend time slot, allowing him to reduce his own exhausting schedule.

The "Backstage Fights" Myth

The film depicts cast members physically assaulting one another in the hallways to emphasize the tension. While the early years were notoriously volatile, the most famous physical altercations,most notably the legendary fistfight between Bill Murray and Chevy Chase, didn't actually happen until Season Two.