Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Saturday Night.
If you’ve ever watched an episode of Saturday Night Live and wished you were there in person, look no further than a trip to the movie theater to see the new film, Saturday Night. Filled with nonstop energy, chaos, and nostalgia from the ’70s, Saturday Night transports viewers to the birth of a television staple.Â
Dropping viewers straight into the action, the film follows the 90 minutes before SNL‘s premiere on October 11, 1975. (October 11 was also the day the film was released in theaters during the show’s 50th season!) As the wide-eyed Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) gallivants around the set of his show, he encounters a slew of eclectic cast members, disgruntled NBC executives, and crabby stagehands.Â
Although everyone now knows that things worked out well for Saturday Night Live, it’s easy to get caught up in the magnetic tension of the film. Following Michaels as he juggles one struggle after the other, all while getting glimpses of each cast member’s personal problems, makes it easy to forget how it all ended up for the iconic show. Viewers get a front-row seat to John Belushi’s (Matt Wood) conflicting feelings about what the show was asking of him, Garrett Morris’ (Lamorne Morris) struggles with being the only Black actor on set, Chevy Chase’s (Cory Michael Smith) inability to share the spotlight, and even Billy Crystal’s (Nicholas Podany) pining for airtime that never arrives.
Additionally, the film’s storyline gives more weight to key figures who may have been overlooked for their role in getting the show off the ground. Rosie Schuster (Rachel Sennott), a writer and wife to Lorne Michaels, plays a key role in keeping the show afloat. It is Schuster who convinces a disgruntled John Belushi to do the now iconic “Killer Bees” sketch, Schuster who keeps Michaels’ feet planted on the ground and focused on the tasks at hand, and Schuster who creates an environment of fun during the stress of the film.
Although not every character is as developed as one might hope they’d be — like Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Laraine Newman, Jane Curtin, and George Carlin — every actor makes the most of their time onscreen. Notably, Ella Hunt brings a sweetness to the tense set with her portrayal of Gilda Radner and Dylan O’Brien brings goofy joy to the set with his portrayal of Dan Aykroyd.Â
To create an additional element of immersion, the film makes use of its color grading, camera movement, and soundtrack to fully throw viewers into 1970s Manhattan. The grainy and rich colors of Saturday Night make the movie feel like … a Saturday night. The actual set is primarily in darkness until showtime, and then becomes bright and alive. This reinforces the film’s tagline: “The Revolution Begins at 11:30.” This contrast demonstrates that the show doesn’t “come alive” until the rest of the world is going to sleep, reinforcing the idea that SNL is the pioneer and leader of this new era of television. The camera movement in the film also builds on the stressful, constantly moving world of Saturday Night Live. Handheld cameras follow characters — literally — as they walk through Studio 8H, making it feel like audience members are just another employee on set eavesdropping on the stars’ conversations.
There is notable symbolism in Saturday Night with the bricklaying motif, Rosie’s name, and the tension between SNL and stars Milton Berle and Johnny Carson. The bricks laid during the film’s first act serve to show the building of SNL. A sole worker lays the bricks until it’s nearly showtime, when the rest of the disgruntled team get to work. They lay the last brick right as the decision to go live or go to tape is decided. This last brick sliding into place shows the collaborative teamwork used to get SNL off the ground, while also highlighting the foundation that has made the show into what it is today. Obviously, the format of the show today is very different from that first episode — there’s a larger cast, fewer musical acts, and a more straightforward layout — but the first episode is still the reason that SNL has made it this far.
Rosie Schuster’s name is another symbol of the “revolutionary time” that the ’70s were. The debate over whether her last name would be credited as “Schuster”, her maiden name, or “Michaels”, her married name, is brought up frequently during the film. It’s only at the end that she and Lorne both declare she should be credited as Rosie Schuster, supporting the notion that Rosie’s immense contributions to the show were on an individual basis. This shows their companionship being one of equal standing and deep understanding, contributing to the idea of SNL being revolutionary at the time in more ways than one.
Lastly, the conflict between SNL and the Johnny Carson Show, as well as Milton Berle’s behavior, shows that the new era of television was far removed from the one that came before it. This indicates that the preferences of older generations were the complete opposite of what SNL would become. Even though the film’s Lorne Michaels can’t say exactly what SNL will be, he knows he wants it to be the antithesis of shows like Milton Berle’s. This can also be seen in the ongoing conflict between an NBC censor (Catherine Curtin) and SNL’s head writer (Tommy Dewey).Â
All in all, Saturday Night is a rambunctious, explosive look into the birth of television history filled to the brim with intensity, chaos, and joy. The film ends with the first iconic utterance of, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”, concluding the lengthy journey it took for that phrase to ever make it to air.Â