Saturday Night tells the story of the birth of “Saturday Night Live”. The movie kicks off at 10 p.m. on October 11, 1975, an hour and a half before the premiere of the very first episode of the show, and continues in practically real time to Chevy Chase’s delivery of the infamous opening line (“Live from New York…” you know the rest). The space in between those two points is filled with the utter chaos and anxiety of trying to launch this brand new, innovative television show. “Saturday Night Live” has obviously been an iconic mainstay of network television for 50 years now (this movie lined up nicely with their 50th season). Personally, my interest in the show has peaked and waned over the years, but this movie was still high on my watch list because of the historical and cultural relevancy. I liked the movie, but I wanted to like it more.

I know SNL is hugely important and formative to many people who grew up on the show and recognize it as a comedy foundation. I have always been curious about it, how it works and what it’s like behind the scenes. I’m also a fan of many current and former cast members and love hearing them discuss their time on the show. But I can’t say I know too much about the earlier years of the show and I definitely did not know the story of this night. The true (or as true as it can get) history of these early years was originally told in the book “Live From New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told by Its Stars, Writers, and Guests” by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales (which I will now be adding to my “Want to Read” list). The movie pulls some of the story from there, but also takes its own creative liberties (sometimes if you want movie-level drama, you have to invent antagonists!). If you’re looking for an accurate account, I wouldn’t recommend this movie. I’m actually really curious to know what someone who worked or works on the show thinks about this movie.

Speaking of accuracy, a movie like this requires an ensemble cast of actors playing well-known stars. This film seemed to make the intentional decision to populate the cast with many young, up-and-coming actors. I think that choice both reflects the plot of the movie, a group of fresh talent right on the brink of stardom, but also helps the film appeal to a younger audience who might not have any interest in SNL. The cast serves as an entrypoint for them. It was definitely a big draw for me. My experience watching the movie was probably helped by the fact that I wasn’t familiar enough with many of the real stars to be able to judge if the performances were credible depictions. I thought they were all mostly funny and believable, but it seems like even critics disagree on which performances were accurate and which were not. So I guess that’s a matter of personal opinion. The standouts to me were Gabriel LaBelle as Lorne Michaels, Rachel Sennott as Rosie Shuster, Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase, and Dylan O’Brien as Dan Aykroyd. A major part of the story is having to balance all of these eccentric personalities and enormous egos and it was fun to see the cast play that pressure cooker.

And when I say pressure cooker, I really mean it. This entire movie is a non-stop, propulsive, chaotic anxiety-fest with a constant ticking clock (literally). My heart rate was elevated the entire time. If you’ve ever seen Uncut Gems (which I couldn’t even finish because it gave me a headache), the pace is reminiscent of that but with a much less severe tone. It also feels very Aaron Sorkin-y (The West Wing, The Social Network, Moneyball) with all of its fast-paced dialogue and walk and talks. The film’s score only intensifies the anxiety with a jazzy sound filled with clangs, bangs, rattles and drums. The score sometimes gets so loud and overwhelming it drowns out the dialogue. There are only a few rare moments where Lorne Michaels is allowed to catch his breath, and us with him, and the score drops out. The majority of the film, though, is a race to the finish.

Ultimately, I think it’s a movie that is fun and engaging in the theater, but then you leave and don’t really think about it. It just doesn’t have much staying power. I’m just not sure the movie knows who it’s for or what it wants to say. It is definitely trying to appeal to a younger audience the same way SNL was trying to appeal to a younger audience when it originally began. But I don’t really think present-day young people care about SNL. It was the older audience in my theater who seemed the most into the movie. The film also makes an interesting point about how SNL is the first show made “by and for the generation that grew up on television”. That statement was fascinating to me but those influences are never explored. And when the movie gets too self-indulgent, like when it made an allusion to Prometheus, comparing the creation of SNL to stealing fire from the gods, is when it lost me the most. It’s just not that serious. It’s not supposed to be. The movie is somehow both too surface-level and too deep. It’s at its best when it showcases the fun and zaniness of this ragtag comedy troupe trying (and failing a lot) to work together to create something innovative that we know will be hugely successful and impactful in pop culture. I would recommend this movie if you’re interested in living in the chaos of this world for an hour or two or if you are a fan of the show, but don’t expect to come away with any new ideas or meaning.

2024 Count: 26 seasons/specials, 51 movies