Well, I just recently got to see Jason Reitman & Gil Kenans' "Saturday Night" at my local theater the weekend it was released, and I enjoyed it very much.
I'll warn you ahead of time when any potential spoilers are coming up, but I will start by saying it was very well acted. Everyone really nailed who they were portraying (much more so than either trailer let on).
The thing I appreciated the most about the film from a structural standpoint was that it struck the exact right balance between fan service moments and Hollywood biopic embellishments as far as padding out the overall narrative went.
Obviously, this is not going to be a 100% factual recreation of the backstage antics on night of SNLs' series premiere. If you're a fan of this shows' real history. The few small creative liberties this film takes don't ask you to suspend your disbelief too much.
It does have a typical "scrappy underdogs win happy Hollywood ending" that seems like a bit of a stretch but you will be having too much fun to care by that point (especially since you'll likely already KNOW the exact ending of this picture before you even go in).
(Warning: potential spoilers ahead)
While the films' main focus is Gabriel Labelle's Lorne Michaels' trying to keep his show (and himself) from completely unraveling, there seem to be some small side quests that are hastily resolved by the end by everyone coming together to do their parts on getting this show on the air. The strange thing is that these are all the mens' side quests that the women are very peripheral to. Rachel Sennots' Rosie Schuster has a strongly visible support role but it was almost like Kim Matulas' Jane Curtin, Emily Fairns' Laraine Newman and Ella's Hunts' Gilda Radner were only there to show more camaraderie than the guys and individually guide the men along the way on their own mini hero's journeys.
Dylan O'Briens' Dan Aykroyd must learn the error of his womanizing ways by rehearsing his part in the girls' construction worker sketch. Cory Michael Smiths' Chevy Chase must learn not to be such a cocky, smart-ass prick by walking in on J.K. Simmons' Milton Berle flashed his "anaconda" to his then fiance (Kaia Gerbers' Jacqueline Carlin) and then put him down as the nobody he really was in that moment. Lamorne Morris' Garrett Morris wanders around asking everyone what his purpose on this show is until he is convinced he should show off his natural singing talent.
Matt Woods' John Belushi is, again, well performed but is perhaps the most muddied characterization of all. The filmmakers seemed to only capture one element of Belushis' personality and that is that he hates the show, hates television and resents having to even be there (and of course having to work with Chevy doesn't help things their either). This might be due to the films' commitment to depicting a young, idealistic, overly principled pre-fame Belushi, but it still feels a bit too boxed in. Belushi is depicted as walking off the show entirely and as Lorne and others are seen frantically looking for him, he is found on the famous 30 Rockefeller Plaza ice skating rink with a loose goosey free spirited Gilda cheering him on to do a triple axel.
Lorne finds him as he falls flat on his back doing this and gives him an inspirational speech invoking the famous 30 Rock Prometheus statue in an effort to convince Belushi to start following his dreams (which are presumably dramatic leading man film roles) by signing his contract so he can legally go on the air to do the show.
That was one of the few minor problems I had with this movie from a narrative standpoint, but as I said previously, none of that was enough to take me out of the movie or keep me from enjoying it overall.
You'll have a real fun time if you go in expecting just a fun, dizzying ride of a film loosely pulling from several different accounts of the same real showbiz story. Just put the comedy nerd part of your brain in sleep mode for two hours, and it'll be great!
Anyway, That Week In SNL and The Saturday Night Network are two SNL themed podcasts who have promised their own separate reviews of this film soon. If you read and liked any of my writing on this, I would advise you to check those two podcast reviews when they're released because I know their takes are going to be much more in depth and well informed than mine. Still, I hope you enjoyed reading this special bonus format breaking blog entry from me.
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