‘Saturday Night’ Director Jason Reitman Says Chevy Chase Told Him He “Should Be Embarrassed” About Film

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As a lifelong fan of Saturday Night Live (SNL), I have to admit that I was initially thrilled when I heard about Jason Reitman‘s film chronicling the chaotic events leading up to the first SNL broadcast in 1975. However, as a seasoned gamer who has spent countless hours in the world of movie-making, I must say that I was left feeling somewhat underwhelmed by Chevy Chase’s less-than-gracious reaction to the film.

Having worked on several projects myself, I can appreciate the blood, sweat, and tears that go into bringing a vision to life. To pour two years of your soul into recreating a moment and having it dismissed so casually by one of the central figures you’ve tried to capture is undoubtedly disheartening.

That being said, I find it hard not to chuckle at the irony of the situation. Here we have Chevy Chase, known for his biting wit and sharp tongue, delivering a classic zinger that could have been scripted by the SNL writers themselves. It’s like a meta-moment straight out of one of the show’s iconic sketches!

Despite my disappointment, I remain hopeful that Reitman’s film will continue to find its audience and be appreciated for the love, dedication, and hard work that went into its creation. And who knows? Maybe Chevy will eventually come around and admit that the film is actually pretty darn funny – if only to get a rise out of us all!

On Saturday, film director Jason Reitman faced some harsh critiques on his movie from a veteran member of the original Saturday Night Live cast.

In a recent episode of the “Fly on the Wall” podcast, it was disclosed that Chevy Chase expressed his feelings about the movie, with him often saying things people shouldn’t say. This film chronicles the tumultuous 90 minutes before the first airing of Saturday Night Live in 1975.

During the latest episode of “Fly on the Wall”, the director shared Chevy Chase’s response to the movie, stating that he often speaks words considered off-limits. This movie depicts the chaotic 90 minutes preceding the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live in 1975.

Reflecting on that memorable encounter, I can still vividly recall the day when Chevy graced our small screening room with his presence, accompanied by his lovely wife Jayni. As they settled into their seats and the film began to roll, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation, knowing that the legendary actor was watching my work unfold on the screen.

The movie ended, and as the audience dispersed, Chevy approached me with a friendly pat on the shoulder and a wry smile. “Well,” he said, his voice filled with a mix of amusement and wisdom, “you should be embarrassed.” The words were a testament to his years of experience in the industry, and I couldn’t help but feel both humbled and honored by the exchange.

That interaction remains etched in my memory as a valuable lesson from a true Hollywood veteran, reminding me that there is always room for growth and improvement, even when you’ve reached the pinnacle of success.

With everyone chuckling, Spade remarked, “You couldn’t have written it any better.” Carvey commented that Chase “understands what’s funny – that remark is about as harsh as a director could hear at that moment, or almost as harsh.”

Or, in another way:

As laughter filled the room, Spade said, “You couldn’t have made it funnier.” Carvey noted that Chase “gets humor – saying something like that is pretty much the harshest thing a director could hear at that moment, or very close to it.

Reitman clarified that he attempted to understand Chase’s remarks at the time. “I was trying to strike a balance because, deep down, I knew, ‘Okay, this is my opportunity for an iconic Chevy Chase moment.’ From a comedic perspective, that’s quite exciting and somewhat appealing. However, on a more serious note, I had spent nearly two years recreating this exact scene and striving to portray Chase flawlessly,” he explained. “But the irony was, none of that effort mattered. He wasn’t discussing those aspects.

On Saturday night, I found myself immersed in a captivating portrayal where I was Cory Michael Smith, embodying the character Chase. Gabriel LaBelle breathed life into Lorne Michaels, while Rachel Sennott brought Rosie Shuster to vivid existence. Dylan O’Brien took on Dan Aykroyd, Ella Hunt became Gilda Radner, and Lamorne Morris stepped into Garrett Morris’s shoes. Emily Fairn portrayed Laraine Newman, Kaia Gerber brought Jacqueline Carlin to life, Matt Wood embodied John Belushi, Kim Matula took on Jane Curtin, Cooper Hoffman played Dick Ebersol, Nicholas Braun donned the roles of both Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson, and Willem Dafoe breathed essence into David Tebet. Quite an impressive ensemble cast, wouldn’t you agree?

In the process of selecting actors for each part, Reitman aimed to pinpoint a unique trait for each character. For the role of Chase, he particularly focused on finding an actor who could portray a character with an overly confident demeanor that needed to be brought down a notch.

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2024-12-29 04:56