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Jason Reitman loves Saturday Night Live. A man who grew up around these comedians (thanks to his director father Ivan Reitman) has found his way back in 30 Rock to an important date in television history October 11, 1975. The first live taping of SNL (then just called Saturday Night) was a night of television magic all driven by genius and chaos. The stories that have come out of Studio 8H are enough to fill up decades worth of books, films and rewatch podcasts. SNL changed what television could be, gave birth to some of our biggest comedy legends, spawned decades of films and continues to shine a light on the biggest entertainers in the world. Over the fifty years SNL has seen the highest of highs and the most obnoxious of lows, but Reitman wants us back for just one night only. Told in real time SATURDAY NIGHT is a very loose adaptation of the story of how Lorne Michaels, Dick Ebersol, and a slew of talented and erratic writers changed the game. They brought a “fuck you” attitude towards the old ways and showed that the younger generation of the time had lots on their mind and wanted to find a way to laugh about it all. Reitman brings a film of forced narrative of genius creation and collaboration (that existed way before Reitman’s hand at the wheel) but in doing so brings a great energy that has often been missing from even modern day SNL. In fact SATURDAY NIGHT as a whole (and being mostly contained in its 90 minute real time) plays out much like an episode of SNL. The excitement and nervousness of the beginning, the drag and unfunny bits of the middle, and finally for those still up at one am total mesmerizing delirium that you can’t help but be won over by it all. If nothing else SATURDAY NIGHT may be the inspiration the show itself needs to get back to reminding how the people behind the scenes can be true comedic pioneers. Reitman’s film, while being a reminder of what once was certainly feels optimistic enough to get back to those times. After all its been nearly fifty years from that first night so Lorne Michaels certainly did something right or if nothing else gave us a something to talk about on Sunday mornings. But for now grab your bumblebee costumes and feed your fingertips to the wolverines because LIVE FROM NEW YORK!! IT’S……….

Who wants to see a free comedy show? We’ve all been asked that as we rush through a busy street and those pesky flyers keep getting shoved in our faces. Most of us have no desire, but back in October of 1975 you could have been one of the luckiest people with a flyer to a little new show simply titled Saturday Night. A fully live ninety minutes of comedy sketches, films and musical performances. But for young novice producer Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) getting people to see the show is one of the many problems being thrown his way. His biggest issue? The show itself might never even make it in time to start. It’s ten at night and Lorne and his crew have ninety minutes to get a motley crew of performers dressed, behaved, lines learned and one of them still has not even signed their contract.

 “The show doesn’t go on because it’s ready. It goes on because it’s 11:30.” A quote that appears right in the opening moments of SATURDAY NIGHT becoming a mantra for Reitman’s script which he co-wrote with Gil Kenan. From the moments Michael Lorne steps into 30 Rock (after proving to a security guard he really is a tv producer) the film is off to the races. This is not the SNL biopic so introducing the cast of soon to be comedy legends is not needed nor does it take the time to give the audience a historical backstory of how this all came to be. Instead we are thrust into a world where Chevy Chase ( Cory Michael Smith) pratt falls for laughs (he doesn’t get one), Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt) sweetly encourages everyone, Garret Morris and Jane Curtain (Lamorne Morris and Kim Matula respectively) question why they were even hired and of course John Belushi (Matt Wood) freaks the fuck out. To say this is the best cast film of the year is an understatement and it doesn’t just stop with the SNL players. There’s Rachel Sennott wonderfully bringing her deadpan humor to Rosie Shuster while Cooper Hoffman as Dick Ebersol brings a genuine worry and care for Lorne. And then there is Dylan O’ Brien as Dan Aykroyd nailing every mannerism and voice down to the exact groggy chuckle that you can’t help but what O’ Brien donning the role again for a behind the scenes Coneheads movie. Or even better the Great Outdoors biopic. Here is a film so greatly relying on its performers and thankfully everyone chooses to not do just mimicry but bring a youthfulness back into the spotlight to remind us that no matter where these actors ended up going in the years to come on this night they were truly beyond talented.

Reitman thankfully seems to be letting his actors run free and this greatly benefits the film as a whole for reasons that play into the film’s ability to rewrite history. Accuracy in films about real events has always been loose in its retelling and SATURDAY NIGHT is no different. In fact the film is banking on the fact that not many even know what happened that wild night. Instead Reitman seems to be leaving that up to the many books recounting the years spent at 30 Rock under Michael Lorne. Even for this critic, who for no reason other than boredom has spent too much time researching SNL history knows that the “Live From New York” book by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales is where to go if you want all the gossip. And yet even ignoring the way Reitman bends the truth its peculiar to do so in a film so hellbent on describing itself as the real story that happened this night. It’s not to say many of the things he’s proclaiming are lies, but the film clearly wants to combine years of behind the scenes drama into one night. It allows for even more madness to ensue but can make things slightly uncomfortable when the film spends a lot of time showing how angry and dangerous Belushi could get (something that was never apparent early on). But the film is an SNL retelling with all the current knowledge we have of these real life people. Perhaps that is why there are some truly funny and demeaning moments where Chevy Chase is belittled for the success he will have but the cost it will take on him. Reitman may be making a film about one night, but he knows this may be his one shot to give both praise and frustration to who they will become. Ella Hunt as Radner is given a softer touch as Hunt carries the late comedic genius with such controlling humor one moment and the sweetness of an angel the next. Hunt is truly a delight in the role even as things start flying everywhere.

But man do things do not go well for Lorne. SATURDAY NIGHT with each moment closer to showtime gets increasingly more amusing not just because of the chaos, but the filmmaker’s ability to bring attention that too many cooks in the kitchen always ends up blowing things up. It is also intriguing as it shows that while all this madness is happening personal lives are still being figured out and in an industry where time is money choosing to focus on those intimate moments is always a recipe for disaster. The quieter moments (especially a stairwell conversation between Lorne and Dick) benefit the film greatly but it is impressive the balance Reitman is able to carry once Lorne enters the studio again and the countdown continues. On a technical level Jon Batiste’s score following each performer around like someone screaming over your should is a chaotic delight. It’s one of the year’s best sounding film’s even if it drives you up the walls. But SATURDAY NIGHT really does find its way into your heart as its impossible not to want to root for this team in this moment in time. To see the creative game changing process even under a big studio because after all major or independent it is the creatives hustling every moment to make it happen. To get show the world that things need to be switched up every so often and there are those full of ideas waiting to make it happen. But unfortunately so few get to actually “make it to air.” Reitman wants us to be reminded of not only the hard work it took to bring on that historical night but also how it really all came to be because a lot of people just wanted to clown around, make people laugh and be reminded that New York is a city where anything is possible, but even more so on a beautiful Saturday night.

B+

SATURDAY NIGHT WILL OPEN IN NY/LA ON SEPTEMBER 27 AND BE RELEASED IN THEATERS EVERYWHERE OCTOBER 11 FROM SONY STUDIOS