‘Saturday Night’ Tells a Lively Tale of How ‘SNL’ Almost Never Was

Sandra Miska

With “Saturday Night Live” going into its 50th season, it would be fair to say that creator and producer Lorne Michaels knows what he is doing and steers his ship with confidence. But as we see in Jason Reitman’s nostalgic “Saturday Night,” this was not always the case. The groundbreaking sketch comedy and variety series almost did not see the light of day until the very last second – literally. Co-written with Gil Kenan, whom Reitman has previously collaborated with on “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” and “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” “Saturday Night” heavily dramatizes the events that led-up to the fateful premiere episode of “SNL” on October 11, 1975, it exuberantly captures the revolutionary spirit of that moment in time.

In 2024, it is hard to imagine a sketch comedy show causing a sizable shift in pop culture or rocking any boat, but this was what went down in 1975, a time when young Boomers were hungry for some counter-culture entertainment. Johnny Carson just was not the coolest cat anymore. But “Saturday Night” does not explore the immediate aftermath of “SNL,” but the visionaries who made it possible on the brink of their big success. The film focuses on the 90 minutes leading up to the show’s live premiere, compressing and exaggerating key moments, resulting in a kinetic, chaotic energy that sucks in the viewer.

Gabriel LaBelle plays fellow Canadian Michaels, who was 30 years old on October 11, 1975. While LaBelle has an old soul vibe, he was only 21 during filming, making Lorne come across as being more boyish than he actually was. Same goes for 20-year-old Cooper Hoffman playing then-28-year-old producer Dick Ebersol. This casting of young actors amplifies the youthful atmosphere of Studio 8H, which we see full of hungry writers and performers who are unaware that the powers that be are trying to set them up to fail. It is satisfying, even inspiring, to watch as they take big risks, partly because they do not know any better, knowing that it all is on the verge of paying off in a big way. It helps that the cast is filled with a lot of unknowns, a notable exception being Nicholas Braun, who kills in his dual roles of Jim Henson and Andy Kaufman.

Again, Reitman and Kenan take a great deal of liberties with the facts in “Saturday Night,” but a lot of what we see go down really did happen, such as John Belushi (Matt Wood) waiting until the last second to sign his contract, although he was probably sharper than the louse we see portrayed here, who is closer to the character he played in “Animal House.” And it is not a shocker to learn that weed, coke and the like were abundant on set. Perhaps the most interesting revolution in the film is just how much the establishment was out to get Michaels and company, and not just the whiskey-swigging suits and the red pen-welding standards and practice lady (Catherine Curtin). The old guard is represented here by Carson (voiced by Jeff Witzke), who pays Lorne a shockingly menacing phone call, and Milton Berle (J.K. Simmons), who unexpectedly stops by the studio. One of the film’s best scenes involves a hilarious back and forth between the practically ancient Mr. Television and the handsome and arrogant Chevy Chase (Cory Michael Smith), after the former makes a move on the latter’s lady (Kaia Gerber),

A weakness in “Saturday Night” is how it portrays its key female characters. Writer Rosie Shuster (Rachel Sennott), Lorne’s estranged wife, is the most prominent of them, but too much time is spent on her explaining Lorne to others or debating whether or not to use her maiden or married name in the credits. Cast members Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt) and Laraine Newman (Emily Fairn) are reduced to giggling side characters. Jane Curtin (Kim Matula) is given a little more thought, but not much. But perhaps one of the film’s most delightful surprises is its thoughtful portrayal of Garrett Morris (Lamorne Morris), the only Black player in the original cast. A classically-trained actor with a musical background, he was one of the most talented people in the cast, but goes into the premiere knowing that he will never be accepted as a leading man in the same way as Chase and Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O’Brien).

“Saturday Night” releases Sept. 27 in select theaters, expanding Oct. 11 nationwide.