MR SATURDAY NIGHT
US, 1992, 119 minutes, Colour.
Billy Crystal, David Paymer, Helen Hunt, Julie Warner, Jerry Orbach, Ron Silver, Jerry Lewis.
Directed by Billy Crystal.
Mr Saturday Night is the directing debut of comedian Billy Crystal. He had developed the character of the retiring stand up comedian in a special for Home Box Office, A Comic's Line, and also developed the character in Saturday Night Live.
He has expanded the film to give the past history of the comic, his dilemmas in old age, the resolution of his family and career problems. The film was co-written with Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, writers of a number of films for Ron Howard (Night Shift, Parenthood) and who collaborated with Billy Crystal for City Slickers films.
Crystal's character is rather unsympathetic (something like James Caan's character in For the Boys - and the film uses the same technique of the history of comedy and going back into the past, into television, into the difficulties of the '80s and '90s). Crystal is effective as a comedian - but he makes Buddy Young Junior a rather unsympathetic character so that the resolution at the end comes as something of a surprise. David Paymer received an Oscar nomination as best supporting actor for his performance as Stan. The supporting cast includes Jerry Orbach as a typical smooth-talking agent and Larry Myerson as a movie director, a fan of Buddy Young but who has to tell him that he can't have a desired film role. Jerry Lewis appears as himself in a comic encounter in a restaurant.
The film is particularly American, giving us the style of American stand-up comedy - and the passing of that comedy with the television age. It also highlights the fragility of American relationships and family.
1.A comedy, a comedy about comics? History of show business in the US? Humorous, sad, human?
2.The work of Billy Crystal, as a comedian, as actor, as amusing screen presence? His role as co-writer and director? His comic style?
3.The American settings, especially New York? American homes and apartments? The stage, the TV studios? The aftermath of stand-up comedy and the small performances for the elderly in Florida? The musical score, the range of songs?
4.The title, its description of Buddy? The Saturday night television comedians and their popularity, the regard by audiences, American icons? Their comic style, their one liners? The song? Buddy's introductory line: Don't get me started?
5.The comedy of the film: the range of jokes, the one liners, the double takes? The style of performance? Tough comedy? Buddy leading the audience on? Comedy at home, comedy on the stage, comedy on television, comedy on film? The canned laughter and the response - and that influencing delivery of jokes?
6.The Jewish background, Buddy as Jewish, the Jewish family and tradition? Jewish humour? Mum and the family? Her influence on the two boys? Her hopes and ambitions? Her death?
7.The structure of the film: Buddy as old, Buddy as young? The placement of the flashbacks and the illumination of the past as well as understanding the present? Building up a portrait of Buddy over the decades?
8.Billy Crystal as Buddy, the old man, his crises, need for performance, need for audience? The quality of his life and needs? The estrangement from Elaine? The hostility of Susan - and many decades of her growing up and seeing her father more on television than at home? The other members of the family? His estrangement from Stan? His harshness, his reactions to people, wanting jobs, treatment of audiences? Stan leaving him and Buddy's reaction?
9.The flashback to the two boys as children, the quality of family life, its style, their mother, performances, acting together? Stan and his art? Nervy? The performances together? Hostile reaction? Stan and his pulling out? The effect on the relationship between the two? Buddy and his success? His building on his success and his using Stan?
10.The world of television and Buddy's success, his hard attitudes towards producers and staff? The background of the '60s and the Ed Sullivan Show, the Beatles? His children and watching Davy Crockett - and the Davy Crockett jokes? Buddy and his capacity for alienating people in real life?
11.Stan and his personality, his marriage, family? Yet his devotion to his brother? Self-conscious about his nervousness? Managing, doing everything for Buddy? Touting the girls? Buddy and his eye on Elaine, the performance in the Catskills? Stan inviting Elaine to meet Buddy, the flirting and dancing, the marriage? Stan and his lifelong devotion to Elaine? The birth of Susan, the treatment of Susan, his womanising and the effect on Elaine? Buddy's professional life and his absences?
12.Buddy and his appointment with Phil, the palaver and the discussions, the showbiz talk and the promises? Buddy believing him? Phil and his going out of town? The meeting with Annie, their discussions, her ignorance about the history of comedy (and her later remedying this)? His abuse of her and her walking out? The reconciliation? His growing to like her? Her admiration for him? Her trying to get him jobs? The commercials and his perfectionism and tantrums? The clubs and his effectiveness and ineffectiveness? The meeting with Jerry Lewis in the restaurant and the exchange of jokes?
13.Annie as agent, personality, trying for her clients, the humiliation and its effect, her return? Her trying
to sweet talk the commercial-makers, trying to get Buddy jobs as a warm-up artist?
14.The possibility of the film? Buddy and his nervousness, memorising the lines, going for the audition? The meeting with Larry Myerson? Myerson and his admiration, telling stories of his youth and his admiration for Buddy? The audition, Buddy placing his hopes on the film role? The role going to Walter Matthau, his being offered another role, his tantrums?
15.The resolution of the life problems - believable? Buddy and his coming to his senses? The reconciliation with Stan, the gift of the painting? His acknowledgment of Stan's role in his life? His love for Elaine? The money and his going to visit his daughter, her hostility, the discussions, the gift of the money, the reconciliation? Buddy and his going into old age?
16.The critics were hostile to the film, to the character of Buddy Young, to the lack of sympathy and Billy Crystal's self-indulgence. Justified criticism or not?
