“The show doesn’t go on because it’s ready. It goes on because it’s 11:30.”
Directed by Jason Reitman, SATURDAY NIGHT takes us into the mid-1970s at a time of cultural chaos. In the midst of Watergate, Vietnam and a changing world, America found itself at an emotional crossroads, painted with fear. But, in the midst of these trying times, Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) and his team of ‘not ready for prime-time players’ were working towards something new. Tonight, they’re about to unleash a new live television program that has the potential to speak for a generation. With the clock ticking down, Michaels tries desperately to hold things together because, in 90 short minutes, they go live from New York. It’s Saturday Night.
Told in real time, Reitman truly captures the chaos of live television. Throughout his career, much of Reitman’s work has focused on steady cameras and intentional space. But not here. Instead, SATURDAY NIGHT follows a camera that never stops moving. Here, we find that the greatest enemy is the clock and time is of the essence.
When you go live in 90 minutes, every second counts.
Frankly, the orchestration involved in creating scenes like this is nothing short of remarkable. While every scene is meticulously crafted, there’s also a certain sense of improvisation involved in this sort of cinematic chaos. Each ebb and flow of the lens points us towards the primary action yet conversations and movement is happening off camera as well. After all, this is a film every person has their own agendas and stories and Reitman wants it to feel authentic. Amazingly, despite the film’s limited runtime, he manages to squeeze the essence out of each valuable second onscreen. Moments play out with these characters almost with the brevity of the live sketches themselves but the film weaves them together with such effortless energy that they never feel fractured.
Instead, we understand the value of every second before the clock strikes 11:30. The talent understand that every potential moment of television time matters and they are willing to claw over one another in order to guarantee their spot. (Even Nicholas Podany’s vision of young Billy Crystal is fighting for four minutes of time.)
But this works primarily due to the simply stellar performances of its cast. Stepping into the roles of young Dan Akroyd, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, John Belushi and many more, this cast of young up-and-coming talent absolutely sparkle. It’s never easy to take on the role of someone well-known, especially stars that we’ve watched grow up on television. Still, every single performer here gives memorable performances. Corey Michael Smith positively channels the sheer ego of Chevy Chase. Dylan O’Brien absolutely nails the cadence and tone of Dan Akroyd. Matt Wood embodies the untapped talent of John Belushi. And that’s only the beginning of the roster of talent on display. As each one of these young performers are only at the beginning of their careers, they simply absorb the energy of these cultural icons at the very same moment of their lives. They’re young, impetuous and very ambitious (or not).
And at the centre of it all is LaBelle’s Michaels.
As Michaels, LaBelle is tasked to be the calm in the storm. He understands what he wants the show to be. He sees the potential of a television satire stemming from the ‘first generation to be raised on television’. He knows the risk involved. And it’s entirely on him to make sure everyone is on their mark. LaBelle does a wonderful job playing the straight man against—essentially—everyone else. With the network breathing down his neck, he’s trying to hold his vision intact with duct tape and glue while he manages his staff and his own personal life.
With this in mind, it’s interesting to see what’s going on within the madness. In essence, Reitman uses his film to highlight battles that the show has fought offscreen. From censors to networks trying to understand ‘what it is’, Saturday Night Live has always charted its own course. For that generation (and many that followed), the show became the satirical voice that was heard in the night. In SATURDAY NIGHT, we watch as Michaels attempts to break out of network television stoic voice and step into the future with youthful enthusiasm. At its inception, Saturday Night was an experimental Petrie dish and Reitman’s SATURDAY NIGHT captures this reckless abandon beautifully.
Interestingly, SATURDAY NIGHT holds no particular agenda or clear, crisp meaning. Instead, Reitman wants to transport us into a moment in time that is about to change television forever. In doing so, he highlights the importance of youthful voices at a time of political and social upheaval. Despite a system designed to maintain the status quo, these rebellious youth wanted to have their voices heard. They’re wild, unruly and irreverent… but Reitman makes sure we know that they’re also exactly what we needed.
SATURDAY NIGHT is available in theatres in Toronto on October 4th and rolls out wide on October 11th, 2024.
