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For almost fifty years, there has been no greater bastion of American television than a raucous group of comedians invading television screens at 11:30 p.m. to perform irreverent sketches with a celebrity guest host. To an alien, perhaps, this concept may seem odd. But to America, it is known by one name: “Saturday Night Live.”

“Saturday Night” takes place on Oct. 11, 1975, and follows the chaotic first airing of the comedy-variety show’s first episode. The story follows a young Lorne Michaels as he attempts to corral his out-of-control crew, revolting writers and faithless executives to make it to air at 11:30 p.m. 

The film stars Gabriel LaBelle as Michaels and features a large ensemble that includes Rachel Sennott, Dylan O’Brien, Ella Hunt, Lamorne Morris, Willem Dafoe, J.K. Simmons and many more. Jason Reitman directed it and wrote the script with “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” collaborator Gil Kenan.

Kenan and Reitman’s script is frantically paced as the film bounces around the rapid, ever-changing environment with little precision. It feels almost like an episode of “Saturday Night Live” itself as the film goes from vignette to vignette featuring cast members, the writing crew and studio representatives all crammed into a 109-minute runtime. It’s messy, but it seems that’s what the filmmakers were going for; if it was, they accomplished their goal. The cinematography also matches this vision, with many handheld shots and frenetic camera movements to help accentuate that chaos just a bit further. The humor, however, does feel like a “Saturday Night Live” sketch. When the film hits, it hits pretty well. When it doesn’t, the movie keeps chugging along anyway. 

But what does not miss in “Saturday Night” is the performances. LaBelle does well as the overly stressed and neurotic Lorne Michaels, constantly trying to keep everything in line. Sennott’s portrayal of Rosie Schuster acts as an emotional crutch for the other cast members. Whether arguing with Lorne over how she will be credited, calming down Matt Wood’s wonderfully mercurial John Belushi or flirting with O’Brien’s Dan Aykroyd, Sennott is a force on the screen, and the movie could have used more of her.

A special acknowledgment should go to Cory Micheal Smith as Chevy Chase, who plays a man hiding behind a giant ego as he crumbles under the weight of expectations in a seemingly bright future. Other highlights with smaller parts include Nicholas Braun in a dual role as the bumbling Andy Kaufman and the overly meek Jim Henson, and Simmons provides a commanding presence in the little he gets as the (well-endowed) Milton Berle. 

The score, composed by Jon Batiste (who also portrays Billy Preston in the film), is a delight. It catches that hectic feeling of putting on a show with moments of jazzy swing. The ticking sound of the score enhances some scenes, almost as if a clock is counting down the minutes until the show is set to go live.

“Saturday Night” is a fast and fun time. Just like a “Saturday Night Live” sketch, not everything hits perfectly. Maybe the jokes fly too fast. Maybe the jokes aren’t as good as they would like them to be. But when everyone puts their all into a sketch, when love and care are put into it, a simple sketch can be greater than the sum of its parts. 

Rating: 4/5