Saturday Night- Live From New York It’s 1975!

Quick Take: Jason Reitman’s fast paced ensemble comedy didn’t quite land with audiences, though it landed on a lot of Top 10 lists. It became an underdog, which is kind of poignant, because it is based on a show that was an underdog. Saturday Night Live was set to fail, just a dalliance that was used to leverage against Johnny Carson and Tonight Show reruns on that night. The Not Ready For Primetime Players were an amalgamation of mostly future household names, but relatively unknown at the time. And a young Lorne Michaels certainly didn’t have the producing clout he does today.

Reitman’s account isn’t beat for beat, but plays much like a greatest hits, making sure to try and wrap all of the best vies of the early SNL years with a coherent plot driven by Gabriel LaBelle as Lorne. Everyone in the ensemble has a moment to shine, but LaBelle has the film resting on him. Most would agree, since he got a Golden Globe nomination, that he nailed it. I had a hard time buying him as Lorne Michaels.

An actors growth in Hollywood, moving from High School aged roles to College, or adult, is a progression. LaBelle is notable for playing essentially a young Steven Spielberg in the semi-autobiographical The Fablemans, and earlier this year played a high school best friend running a Snack Shack at a pool in one of this years most underrated films. So, seeing him not just as an adult, but one in control, was quite a leap. I needed to believe that this kid could be in charge of the whole shebang, and I just couldn’t get there. I think LaBelle is a terrific actor, but this was like finding out your kid does well with floaties in a kiddie pool, so your logical leap is to toss them in the deep end.

Saturday Night does have one of my favorite scores of the year, pulsating like the fast paced film it supports. It reminded me a little of the Birdman score, but in a sea of 2024 scores, it was a standout. It was memorable. The audio description doesn’t bother to wait for names, which I love, since so many actors are playing famous people in really rapid fire cameos. You can’t wait for someone to say John Belushi, you just have to know that is him.

I think Saturday Night is the kind of film that word of mouth could give it a following over time, or, the initial apathetic reaction to it could cause it to become something people just casually remember. Check out my video for more.