Where the film Saturday Night falls short

The film Saturday Night, directed by Jason Reitman, looks back on the origins of the long-standing sketch comedy show created by Lorne Michaels.

It's said to be based on the true story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live. But, as some critics have pointed out, the film doesn't quite capture the energy, magic or chaos it promises to deliver.

Today on Commotion, critics Eric Deggans, Adam Nayman and Cassie Cao discuss Saturday Night, and where the sketch comedy pseudo-history film falls short.

We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion, listen and follow Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud on your favourite podcast player.

Elamin: I want to root us in the things that the movie does and does not do, because it sounds like there is something really interesting that could be explored in a movie about the origins of Saturday Night and the idea of all the forces that's pushing against. Cassie, the film is depicting this original cast of SNL. We get Chevy Chase, and we get John Belushi, and we get Dan Aykroyd, and we get Gilda Radner, and we get Garrett Morris. But today, we know that the women on this show, we know that Garrett Morris, who was the only Black cast member for years, they felt sidelined as they operated in this particular space. Did the movie do anything to address that part of the history of SNL?

Cassie: I thought that was a very interesting part of the watching experience because as an audience member, I was so bored and so kept out of every joke, and couldn't get a single word of who anybody was. I don't think that they meant to do it. In fact, they had a very weird scene where all the white cast members would celebrate the Black cast members' involvement in the show in a very self-aware moment. But in a way, in them being so un-self aware, as an audience member it was the clearest thing to me that the women were doing absolutely nothing, that Garrett Morris had nothing to do. In fact, his entire role in the movie is to ask Lorne Michaels if he can do anything, and they don't want him to. So in that sense, I thought, this is actually very true to life, to my experience in comedy, where you just watch a lot of white men and you kind of sit back, waiting for the show to start.

I think it's real hubris to make a movie about SNL and not have it be funny. That was such a great choice. And also, the entire movie you are trying to figure out, why did they put on SNL? Like, what about it was so redeeming? But they refused to show you anything about it being funny. They have all of the network executives being like, "We don't get it. It's not funny." And at the end of the movie, you're like, "I guess it's not funny. You didn't make me laugh."

Elamin: Adam, I'll give you last word on this movie: who is Saturday Night, the movie, for? 

Adam: It's probably for the Golden Globes, who will nominate it for a bunch of things. I'm surprised it didn't win the TIFF audience award because it's very much awards bait. That's the balance it's trying to strike, by dealing with something that everybody feels a personal relationship to. And SNL is a really interesting mix of this.

I'm not so sure who it's for, but I can definitely tell you who it's by, and it's by somebody who's coasting on an awful lot of vibes…. You know the Five-Timers sketch on SNL?

Elamin: Yeah. When you get a jacket for hosting five times, yeah. 

Adam: This is like someone who wants to wear that jacket making a movie. So who's it for? Not for me. Although I had a great time writing about it.

Elamin: Adam, showing up with the swords ready.

You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.

Panlel produced by Jane van Koeverden.