Director Jason Reitman‘s latest project, Saturday Night, is a wickedly vulgar, hilariously heartfelt story that takes place during the 90 minutes leading up to the first episode of the legendary Saturday Night Live in 1975. It’s full of verve, energy, and an all-star cast delivering iconic embodiments of, well, iconic SNL stars. Agents of Fandom caught up with Reitman during a Toronto International Film Festival roundtable, where he spoke about the making of the film, what movies inspired him during the process, and his favorite films of 2024.
Jason Reitman Understands How Important the Cinematic Experience Is
Agents of Fandom: I mentioned you were at the Whiplash screening. I appreciate how you got up there and you’re just like, “I just fucking love movies. And like, I just want people to see movies.”
Jason Reitman: Yeah!
AoF: So kinda pertaining to that, Saturday Night obviously sets forth this core idea of art being legacy and not just being contained to one specific time period and kind of living on forever as we gear up for the 50th anniversary of SNL. In your opinion, what is the best thing that a movie fan, a consumer, anybody, can do to help prolong that idea of legacy beyond art, right? Like going to see movies in theaters, owning physical media, tuning in to SNL now, and things like that.
Reitman: I mean, I think we kind of inherently do with it. I think people inherently want to tap into culture and enjoy laughing and enjoy feeling things. And, you know, with movies, I can’t help but want to encourage people to go to see movies on the big screen. One because I think it’s actually the best way to see a movie and I think it’s important culturally for us to experience things together and not alone. We find our commonality when we laugh together and we cry together.
There’s a show called Gogglebox in London. And it’s the oddest concept and completely works, and it’s just a show where you watch people watch television. And they show people from around England watching totally random ass television. And at first, you’re just like “Wait, what?” And then you watch it and it’s great. And I remember I was talking to Paul Rudd about it and I said, “Why is it so good?” And he goes because it shows that we all watch the same dumb shit, and you see people from different neighborhoods, different socioeconomic levels, all laughing at the same stuff. And you realize how much we’re actually the same. And I think there’s something important about sitting in a movie theater among strangers and laughing and crying at things. That reminds us of our bond.
AoF: It feels like Saturday Night, especially from the very beginning because I know your guys’ idea of filming this oner to introduce us to the place that is SNL, feels like it draws a lot from a movie like Birdman or maybe like the energy, you speak of Benny Safdie, of the energy of an Uncut Gems or anything. Is there an arsenal of movies that you went to to say “Here’s what we kind of want to pull from and replicate”?
Reitman: Totally. But mostly 1970s films. Because what we really wanted people to feel is like they were watching a document from the ’70s. It’s why we shot in 16mm and it’s why we echo the style of directors like, you know, Robert Altman and Michael Ritchie as much as we do. The films that I told my cast to watch were — watch Network, watch The Candidate, watch Smile. There’s a whole bunch of movies from the early ’70s. It’s interesting, I mean, they both, I think, are very indicative of the style of this film but also represent another kind of generational shift moment where there was a group of filmmakers who were saying, we’re not gonna make movies the way they did in the ’50s and ’60s.
AoF: I love that Network pull. Network seems like it’s having a big moment, like, coming back into the culture. People are realizing how important that movie was.
Reitman: It’s extraordinary. I mean, it’s just beautifully done and nothing quite captures what it’s like to be in the control room the way kind of like no one’s paying attention, just having everyone’s having a conversation of their own simultaneously. And then Michael Ritchie is a guy that doesn’t get talked about enough but his work — I find Michael Ritchie to be like Robert Altman on amphetamines. I think he’s just one of my favorite directors.
What Is Jason Reitman’s Favorite 2024 Movie So Far?
AoF: Since we’re almost at a time, I always try to ask anybody I interview, what is your favorite movie of 2024 so far? You can’t pick your own.
Reitman: Oh uhhh… I don’t know. I’ll come back to it. By the time we leave, I’ll tell you.
AoF: Alright.
*The roundtable interview proceeds with another question before Jason returns.*
Reitman: And my favorite movie of 2024…
AoF: I really threw you off with that. I’m so sorry.
Reitman: I am really struggling, to, like, nail down what film that is.
AoF: Do you want me to change the question to [your] favorite movie of TIFF so far? Would that help?
Reitman: Friendship. I saw this crazy ass movie the other night, with the what’s his name? Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd. And it’s absurdist and insane and wonderful. I loved it.
AoF: Thanks, Jason.
Reitman: Thanks, guys. It’s a pleasure. You guys are awesome.
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