As a die-hard fan of “Saturday Night Live,” my excitement for “Saturday Night” was off the charts. I couldn't wait to see how the film, which is a fictionalized account of the show's early years, would bring the show‘s behind-the-scenes drama to life. Despite much of the hype leading up to this movie, “Saturday Night” fails to keep its audience up until 11:30 p.m.
Lorne Michaels flits between problems affecting the production of the first episode of “Saturday Night Live.” The lights blow out, John Belushi hasn‘t signed his contract yet and no one knows what to do with the weird puppet guy, Jim Henson.
The movie presents Michaels as a near Christ-like figure trying to reign in all the cast and creative teams. However, it‘s disappointing that no one seems to understand his vision for the show, even if he doesn’t have a clear vision for it. This narrative of the poor, tortured (usually male) Arthur, who no one understands and is always in the right, is a tale as old as the film itself. It’s disheartening to see it repeated here. Television is a highly collaborative medium, and none more so than “Saturday Night Live” — a sketch comedy show where the cast and writing team are constantly changing, so the decision to place all of the success on the creator is baffling. This one-sided portrayal of the show‘s early years detracts from the film‘s overall authenticity and fails to capture the true essence of “Saturday Night Live.”
From a technical standpoint, the film is a marvel. The Sorkinean walking and talking through the halls of Studio H is a testament to the director’s skill and the production team's attention to detail, which truly impresses and captivates the audience. It rises above many contemporary movies about the ‘70s in the fact that its rooms and costumes look lived-in.
But there’s no real story. Lorne Micheals flies between different fights with actors, producers and his head writers. Then the film just ends with the first episode starting without ever properly resolving any of its plotlines.
The film generated buzz earlier this year, particularly for its uncannily perfect casting. The actors truly embodied the spirit of the original “Saturday Night Live” cast, and their performances were a highlight of the film. Their dedication and respect for the original cast are truly commendable and will be appreciated by the audience. But many of the actors seem to be doing an impression of their character more than actually trying to portray the character. Cory Michael Smith in particular never quite felt like Chevy Chase. But after an hour and 49 minutes, you want a little more depth from him.
Overall it’s a fine watch, and might be good with your parents who can tell you stories about watching early “SNL,” but I found myself wanting more. From such a prolific writing team as the director of “Juno,” I expected a little bit more. But then again, it will lead to frantic Wikipedia searches about Jim Henson on “SNL” so at least you’ll learn something from it.
