Growing up, Jason Reitman found solace in sketch comedy. For the Montreal native, 含羞草研究社淪aturday Night Live含羞草研究社� was more than just a show 含羞草研究社� it was a sanctuary for misfits like himself.
含羞草研究社淎s a comedy nerd, you always kind of feel like an outsider. You don含羞草研究社檛 feel like a cool kid. I just remember watching 含羞草研究社楽NL含羞草研究社� for the first time and thinking, 含羞草研究社楾hey do this every week?含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可绂 There was going to be something to talk about at school every Monday morning,含羞草研究社� the Canadian-American writer-director recalled at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month.
含羞草研究社淚n the same way that 含羞草研究社楽NL含羞草研究社� is like an orphanage for wayward comedians, the show itself collects all the comedy nerds who feel like outsiders because it is not only making you laugh, but teaching you what can be funny on a weekly basis.含羞草研究社�
After releasing his breakout dramedy 含羞草研究社淛uno含羞草研究社� in 2007, Reitman told his agent that one of his dreams was to write for 含羞草研究社淪NL.含羞草研究社� He got his chance that year with a weeklong writing stint on the show.
含羞草研究社淭hose minutes and seconds leading to it going live are like the Stanley Cup and the Super Bowl all rolled into one. The adrenalin of it is insane,含羞草研究社� he said.
Reitman aimed to capture that turbocharged energy in 含羞草研究社淪aturday Night,含羞草研究社� a dramatization of the shambolic 90 minutes leading up to the sketch-comedy institution含羞草研究社檚 very first episode in 1975. The film opens in Toronto on Friday, followed by a wide release on Oct. 11 含羞草研究社� exactly 49 years to the day the show debuted on NBC.
Vancouver含羞草研究社檚 Gabriel LaBelle stars as an overwhelmed Lorne Michaels, the show含羞草研究社檚 Canadian architect who faces myriad hurdles while guiding a troupe of untrained and untested comedians and writers. The cast includes Dylan O含羞草研究社橞rien as Dan Aykroyd, Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase and Nicholas Braun as both Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson.
含羞草研究社淚 wanted the audience to feel not only what it was like for an episode to go live, but what is it like when culture changes in a moment?含羞草研究社� said Reitman.
Reitman said his famous father Ivan, who made several films with 含羞草研究社淪NL含羞草研究社� alums including John Belushi and Bill Murray, ran in the same circles as Canadian actors Aykroyd and Valri Bromfield, as well as musicians Howard Shore and Paul Shaffer, who were all involved in the early days of the show.
Despite whatever second-hand stories he might have absorbed growing up, Reitman said he went to painstaking lengths to ensure every detail in his film was accurate. He and writing partner Gil Kenan interviewed 含羞草研究社渆very living person we could find who was in the building that night.含羞草研究社�
Reitman said the many obstacles Michaels and his crew encounter in the film 含羞草研究社� from John Belushi refusing to sign his contract to Milton Berle exposing himself 含羞草研究社� are all based on true stories.
However, when Reitman interviewed Michaels himself, the Toronto native didn含羞草研究社檛 mention any personal anxiety about that debut show.
含羞草研究社淟orne doesn含羞草研究社檛 communicate stress. Lorne is a river of cool and he also doesn含羞草研究社檛 like to look in the rearview mirror,含羞草研究社� he said.
Reitman said the most intriguing insight he learned was that Michaels was initially slated to host 含羞草研究社淲eekend Update,含羞草研究社� the iconic segment known for its satirical take on current events and news.
含羞草研究社淚 think this was a moment when he had to realize, 含羞草研究社業含羞草研究社檓 not the performer, I含羞草研究社檓 the producer, I含羞草研究社檓 dad. I含羞草研究社檓 not supposed to be on camera. I含羞草研究社檓 the person who含羞草研究社檚 going to make it possible for all these great comedians to have a career,含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫 said Reitman.
He believes part of Michaels含羞草研究社� success can be attributed to both his outsider含羞草研究社檚 lens as a Canadian and his ability to recognize 含羞草研究社渙verlooked talent.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淗e was able to look at someone like John Belushi, who didn含羞草研究社檛 look like anybody on television, or Dan Aykroyd, who didn含羞草研究社檛 sound like anyone on television, and know that they were stars. And that含羞草研究社檚 continued through to Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell,含羞草研究社� said Reitman.
含羞草研究社淟orne has constantly been able to evolve and understand, 含羞草研究社榃hat is the next stage of comedy? Where are we going from an evolutionary standpoint?含羞草研究社� He含羞草研究社檚 done that for 50 years and I have to think that some of that has to do with his origin story of being from Toronto and having that Canadian perspective of the world.含羞草研究社�
As for Michaels含羞草研究社� view on 含羞草研究社淪aturday Night含羞草研究社�?
含羞草研究社淟orne含羞草研究社檚 a private guy, but I含羞草研究社檒l say that a couple weeks ago, I got a lovely congratulatory note from him,含羞草研究社� said Reitman.
