Jason Reitman directed the recently released Saturday Night movie, which explored the behind-the-scenes chaos and creativity that went into the first-ever episode of Saturday Night Live in 1975 and the comedy show’s history.
During an appearance on the Fly On The Wall podcast, hosted by ex-SNL cast members David Spade and Dana Carvey, Reitman revealed the reaction he got from Chevy Chase after the screening of Saturday Night.
How did Chevy Chase react to Jason Reitman’s ‘Saturday Night’ movie?
Reitman recalled how Chevy attended the viewing with his wife Jayni, and when the show was over, he walked up to him and patted him on the shoulder. It was not his way of commending Reitman, as he told the 47-year-old director he should be embarrassed.
Reitman was confused at first, unsure whether to take Chevy’s words as a joke or not. He told David and Dana that Chevy’s reaction was not unusual, however, hearing those words at that moment and as the film’s creator, was quite daunting.
Fans thoughts about the ‘Saturday Night’ movie
The Saturday Night movie featured a star-studded cast that included Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Ella Hunt, Cory Michael Smith, Lamorne Morris, Matt Wood, Nicholas Braun, and Emily Fairn. Like Chevy, other viewers have shared their thoughts about the production on social media.
There were mixed reactions as some thought it was deranged and unnecessarily violent; however, most fans seemed to enjoy it. “SATURDAY NIGHT may end up being the best movie I have seen all year. It’s a wild, frenetic, tightly wound ball of anxiety following Lorne Michaels through the unhinged 90 minutes before the very first airing of Saturday Night Live,” someone gushed, adding that it is Reitman’s best film by a mile. “The Saturday Night movie was good, but they needed to work on another way of conveying the out-of-control, frantic nature of that night,” another advised.