At 11:30pm on October 11th, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever. Find out what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the f... Read allAt 11:30pm on October 11th, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever. Find out what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live.At 11:30pm on October 11th, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever. Find out what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live.
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- (as Colby West)
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- (as Peter Dawson)
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Who Plays Who in 'Saturday Night'?
Who Plays Who in 'Saturday Night'?
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWhen news of this movie first came out, the original working title was "Wolverines", the name of the first-ever "Saturday Night Live" sketch that featured John Belushi and writer Michael O'Donahue. In the sketch, Belushi, a foreign man learning English from Michael, imitates everything he says, starting with "I would like to feed your fingertips to the wolverines" followed by other offbeat sentences involving wolverines. Then the teacher, after saying, "next," has a heart attack and falls on the floor; Belushi does the same, imitating him like he'd been doing with the sentences. Then Chevy Chase walks out with a headset on, looking like a crew member, and utters the famous line: "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!"
- GoofsAs the show goes live they have John Belushi coming into frame 39 seconds late through a door. In reality he came on immediately.
- Quotes
[from trailer]
Jim Henson: The writers on the seventeenth floor tied a belt around Big Bird's neck and hung him from my dressing room door.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Eddie Murphy, le roi noir d'Hollywood (2023)
- SoundtracksIxoo 'Chickenweed' Chawz
Written by Don Cento and Martin Garner
Performed by Don Cento and Martin Garner
Most people see Saturday Night Live as a lighthearted, easy watch, a way to get a few laughs late at night. But what many don't realize is how chaotic and stressful it was to actually get the show on air, especially in the early days. The film dives into the behind-the-scenes madness leading up to the premiere episode on October 11th, 1975. Ninety minutes before going live, the set was still unfinished, people were being fired, mistakes were being made left and right. It was a whirlwind of confusion and stress, and the film places you right in the middle of it. From the moment you're thrown onto the set, there's an undeniable energy as everyone scrambles to get things ready. It's a thrilling ride without a single dull moment.
Directed by Jason Reitman, Saturday Night feels like his best work since 2009's Up in the Air. His direction injects the film with a kinetic, almost frantic energy, perfectly capturing the chaos of a live production on the verge of collapse. The cast delivers outstanding performances, each of them embracing the high-octane tone Reitman clearly set. Dylan O'Brien nails his portrayal of Dan Aykroyd, Cory Michael Smith captures the essence of Chevy Chase, and Nicholas Braun impressively balances two distinct characters throughout the film. However, the standout by far is Gabriel LaBelle as Lorne Michaels, the mastermind behind it all. LaBelle, who was solid in Spielberg's The Fabelmans, truly shines here, delivering a breakout performance that anchors the entire film. His portrayal of Michaels is captivating, he shoulders the film almost entirely, with only a few scenes where he's not the focal point.
Now, while Saturday Night excels in capturing the essence of its characters and infusing humour to keep audiences laughing, it does have one notable flaw: it stretches the believability of how all of this could have unfolded in just 90 minutes. Though the film isn't meant to showcase sketches from SNL itself, I couldn't help but feel that the story ends a bit abruptly. I expected the conclusion, but still, it felt like a few more beats could've been hit before the credits rolled. That feeling of "is that it?" holds the film back slightly for me.
In the end, Saturday Night isn't a masterpiece, but it's an energetic, fun film that captures the frantic spirit of creating live television. It made me laugh a lot, and the energy was infectious. Despite its imperfections, I had a great time watching it.
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Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $753,731
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $270,487
- Sep 29, 2024
- Gross worldwide
- $753,731
- Runtime1 hour 49 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1