“Saturday Night” is a biographical comedy-drama that is set in 1975. It follows the events leading to the premiere of the first episode of Saturday Night (later known as Saturday Night Live and/or SNL). The film was directed by JASON REITMAN, 46. He co-wrote the script with GIL KENAN, 47.
“Saturday” had limited openings on Sept. 27 and Oct. 4. It opens wide on Oct. 11. Reviews by major critics are in. There were some raves (Variety, Rolling Stone, others) and many mixed or not so good reviews (Hollywood Reporter, NY Times, others).
Jason Reitman is the son of IVAN REITMAN (1946-2020). Ivan directed many comedy film classics, including “Ghostbusters” and “Kindergarten Cop.”
Jason Reitman’s big hits are “Juno” (2007), and “Up in the Air” (2009). His more recent films haven’t done that well. He and Kenan co-wrote “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” (2021) and “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” (2024). Reitman directed “Afterlife” and Gil Kenan directed “Frozen.” (The first “Ghost” film bombed. The second one got okay reviews and made a nice profit).
As I read the SNL movie reviews, I was distracted by something I noticed before the film’s opening. If they gave an award for the most non-Jewish actors playing Jewish real life people, the SNL film would win hands-down. I counted 30 named real-life SNL movie characters and 15 were/are Jewish. Only one of the 15 was played by a Jewish actor.
ANDREW BARTH FELDMAN, 27, is that only one. He plays NEIL LEVY, a fairly minor character. Levy, 75ish, is a (not prolific) writer and producer who is a cousin of LORNE MICHAELS.
Just below are the 14 real Jews. Some of the non-performers are big characters in the film. If the person’s age is not noted, they are deceased.
Played by non-Jews: LORNE MICHAELS, 79, the star character of this film, and the creator/producer of SNL; ROSIE SHUSTER, 74, Michaels’ first wife and an SNL writer; GILDA RADNER. Original member of the six-member SNL cast; LARAINE NEWMAN, 72, original cast member; ANDY KAUFMAN, important guest star; AL FRANKEN, 73, writer and sometime performer; BILLY CRYSTAL, 76. One skit of his aired during the 1975 season. Later, he starred in one SNL season (1980); PAUL SHAFFER, 74, musical director; DAVID TEBET, top programming exec; HERB SARGENT, top producer/comedy writer; ANNE BEATTS, top comedy writer who converted to Judaism because she loved Jewish fiction writers; AUDREY DICKMAN, producer; singer JANIS IAN; and comedian MILTON BERLE. The last two were first season guests.
The list of 14 will always cloud my feelings about this film and about the filmmakers. I don’t want to hear partially rational explanations why non-Jews played 14 Jews. The filmmakers should look within before issuing excuses.
Just consider this: What if they made a major film and half the characters are Hispanic characters — and only one actor playing a Hispanic person is really Hispanic?
Hell would break out today — even if the director and screenwriters were Hispanic.
“Disclaimer” is a seven-episode Apple+ series that premieres on Oct. 11. Premise: Cate Blanchett plays a journalist famous for uncovering others misdeeds. She receives a novel by an unknown author. This novel is really a list of all the bad things she’s done. She races to find out who knows her secrets — secrets that could destroy her career and her marriage. SACHA BARON COHEN, 52, plays her husband.
Catch Up Corner: “The Franchise,” an HBO comedy series, premiered on Oct. 6. The first season episodes (8) will be shown on successive Sundays. Here is an official press release: “The Franchise follows the crew of an unloved franchise movie fighting for their place in a savage and unruly cinematic universe. The comedy series shines a light on the secret chaos inside the world of superhero moviemaking, to ask the question — how exactly does the cinematic sausage get made?”
“Franchise” was co-produced by Sir SAM MENDES and he directed the series’ first episode. Mendes, 59, has been Oscar nominated four times for a directing Oscar and he’s won one (“American Beauty”).
Two of the seven “Franchise” main cast actors are Jewish: DARREN GOLDSTEIN, 50, and AYA CASH, 42. Goldstein has had many smallish TV and film roles, but none really stand out. Cash was a co-star of the acclaimed FX series “You’re the Worst” (2014-19), and she was a main cast member in “Welcome to Flatch” (2022-23), a Fox comedy. Cash’s father is Jewish, she was raised Jewish, and her husband, writer JOSH ALEXANDER, 50, is Jewish.
