“Remember when ‘SNL’ used to be good?”
That’s a question you’ve probably asked yourself at one point or another — perhaps even now. “Saturday Night Live” has certainly gone through its ups and downs across the decades, miraculously reaching its 50th anniversary last year.
One man is truly responsible for that: the show’s creator and executive producer, Lorne Michaels.
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The 81-year-old Canadian, who has worked on a whopping 46 seasons of the long-running NBC sketch comedy show, rarely gives interviews but approaching the milestone season was talked into being the subject of a documentary by Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville (“20 Feet from Stardom,” “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”).
Neville was given unprecedented access to Michaels over a two-year period, capturing the behind-the-scenes chaos that goes into every show, seeing him dining at his go-to Italian spot in New York City, even visiting his farm and blueberry field in Maine, a secluded getaway residence a select few have been invited to. The end result is “Lorne.”
What’s remarkable about “Lorne” is how so many people who were interviewed — many of whom have worked with him for decades — don’t really know Michaels. As “SNL” alum Maya Rudolph tells Neville there’s “folklore” that people hear about him in the hallways of Studio 8H. Or Kristen Wiig, who says, “He has this man-behind-the-curtain mystique about him.” Even Tina Fey downplays her coziness with him, and she worked with him on “SNL” and “30 Rock.” Cast members of past and present laugh about how intimidating their mentor can be and his bizarre work habits like kicking off the workday at 4:30 pm since he doesn’t wake up til noon.
“Lorne” is stacked with A-list interviewees including Adam Sandler, Conan O’Brien, Chris Rock, Lily Tomlin, Martin Short, Paul Simon, Candice Bergen, Alec Baldwin, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Bill Hader, Andy Sandberg, John Mulaney, Bowen Yang, Fred Armisen, Mike Myers and Dana Carvey. And that’s not even counting the various hosts Neville was able to catch working behind the scenes like Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, Shane Gillis and Jake Gyllenhaal. We even get to hear from Michaels’ longtime “fish guy.”
The documentary, narrated with humor by “SNL” alum Chris Parnell, packs a lot in 100 minutes. It benefits from a treasure trove of source material as many classic sketches are sprinkled throughout. But it doesn’t hurt to also be interviewing more than two dozen comedians and comedy writers who spend most of the time cracking jokes. It’s difficult to think of a documentary funnier than “Lorne.”
While the film puts emphasis on the good times, it also revisits the show’s rough patches. But it ultimately persevered time and time again. It reinvents itself.
At the center of this documentary is the question, “Who is Lorne Michaels?” Whether it answers the question is up for debate, but one “SNL” historian had a good theory.
“The show is an X-ray of Lorne,” he said.
Maybe he’s right. There wouldn’t be a “Saturday Night Live” without Lorne. He lives and breathes “SNL.” And the show will truly face uncharted territory once he retires. It is widely believed, even those in his orbit, that NBC will take a chainsaw to the show’s hugely bloated budget, something the network wouldn’t dare touch with Lorne around.
But judging by this film, Lorne doesn’t seem to be slowing down just yet. Conan O’Brien calls him the “ultimate show business survivor, noting, “He’s still here and 100 executives are not.”
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Whether you love or hate “SNL” in its current form, there’s no denying the show’s impact on American culture, so a glimpse of the mastermind behind it all is warranted. “Lorne” is a laugh-out-loud stroll down memory lane for anyone who appreciate Michaels’ contribution to comedy.
“Lorne” is rated R for language and a sexual reference. Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes. In theaters now.
