Saturday Night 

By Michaela Biales 

This past weekend, I saw the new movie, Saturday Night. It is a comedic drama film about the show Saturday Night Live. As an avid watcher of the show, the new movie created a more personal connection.

The movie takes place as the first official airing of Saturday Night Live, the now-hit sketch comedy show. Lorne Michaels, the producer and writer of the hit show Saturday Night Live, is played by Gabriel LaBelle, who portrays Michaels as a quirky and passionate writer/producer. The movie is fast-paced as the audience follows Michael’s chaotic journey to air his show. The film follows the cast as it prepares for opening night and many things fall apart. 

Through the new movie, I gained a new appreciation for SNL, as everyone is on top of everything, and skits are cut minutes before. The best way to explain this outstanding show is as a Broadway production. There are quick changes for all members, but the host has the most chaotic night since they are in every scene except the first. The longest break the actors and comedians have is when the musical guest plays a song which occurs twice throughout the night.

However, many of the details that make the movie so enticing are fictional. One of the most famous segments of SNL is the weekend update. It is towards the end of the show where the hosts, either one or two cast members, read out comedic news and host “guests” on their segment.  In the movie Lorne Michaels is set to be the host of the segment, however, the first host was Chevy Chase, the now-famous actor and comedian. Like Chevy Chase, many other artists got their start on SNL. These artists include: Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Bill Murray. 

This movie made it feel like there was real hope for the future of the show. As an avid watcher every Saturday night, I have appreciated the older shows more than the recent ones since they are truly classic.  I hope in the next four years the comedic content in the show will exceed itself as they mock our next president.

2024-2025 Edition 1