Film Review – Lorne (2026)

      Lorne, 2026.

      Directed by Morgan Neville

      Featuring Lorne Michaels, Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph, John Mulaney, Andy Samberg, Conan O’Brien, Chris Rock, Mike Myers, Colin Jost, Sarah Sherman, Steve Martin, Paul Simon, Kristen Wiig, Seth Meyers, Bill Hader, Michael Che, Kenan Thompson, Dana Carvey, and Jimmy Fallon.

      SYNOPSIS:

      Lorne Michaels, the mind behind Saturday Night Live (1975), provides remarkable insight into the man who created and maintained this institution for five decades.

      Lorne Michaels (originally Lorne Lipowitz) is a private individual, making him a challenging subject to capture on film. For director Morgan Neville, this poses an engaging challenge. In the documentary, Neville acknowledges the obstacles he must navigate, such as Michaels’ reluctance to have a camera present or to wear a microphone, even in his work environment, which involves various quirky settings like meetings, writing sessions, and dinners. While it is known that Michaels has his own family, they are absent from this project. There’s also a humorous montage early on where several Saturday Night Live cast members are asked simple questions about Lorne, revealing diverse answers and underscoring that few truly know this comedy icon.

      With this context, Neville has opted to capture daily moments leading up to a Saturday Night Live episode, interviewing cast members past and present, along with close friends like Paul Simon, who remains his neighbor after many years. The film provides glimpses into creative sessions with celebrity hosts, including Timothee Chalamet and Emma Stone, and features the infamous mostly silent meetings where producers decide on which sketches to cut, how to arrange them, and where to insert commercial breaks, all while utilizing a bulletin board filled with color-coded sticky notes.

      The aim here is to gain some understanding of Lorne Michaels by observing his unconventional daily habits (such as going to bed at 4 AM and waking up around noon) during the busy SNL season, as well as a brisk, yet mostly thorough look at the show's tumultuous history (including a five-year hiatus during which Michaels faced directionless and unsuccessful ideas), complete with clips of sketches featuring John Belushi, John Candy, Chris Farley, Chevy Chase, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, and many others whose careers were launched through working with him.

      Instead of adopting a serious tone throughout the numerous interviews (which are well-complemented with archival footage of sketches and relevant films, like Mike Myers and Dana Carvey in Wayne's World), many discussions yield insights through humor. The actors express that they don’t truly know him, and some details on Wikipedia are inaccurate (though corrections may have occurred since then). Conan O’Brien contributes a whimsical voiceover impersonation of Lorne Michaels in animated segments that provide additional context, featuring a humorous portrayal of the NBC Peacock as the pet of a villain, often represented by executives.

      Notably, even during challenging periods, new talent emerged, demonstrating that something popular always surfaced. Lorne Michaels appears adaptable, embracing celebrity guests and musical acts regardless of understanding their cultural significance. He also fosters a spirit of controversy and maintains an open invitation to guests from diverse backgrounds, even those with opposing political views. It's highlighted that while the comedy isn’t particularly crude, there are moments of shock and discussions with censors. Cast members seem to have their creativity rewarded, as they share numerous positive words about his character, both personally and professionally, even if both aspects are sometimes hard to penetrate.

      This portrayal, however, might also be seen as somewhat favorable, glossing over some of his less pleasant stories and behavior. The film tends to serve more as a retrospective of Saturday Night Live rather than a thorough documentary about Michaels, though Morgan Neville edges closer to revealing more about him as access increases throughout the film, including a visit to his home and gardens in Maine, where he retreats during the off-season to escape the noise of New York City and his professional life. Ultimately, this documentary showcases Neville’s clever approach to studying a noteworthy figure, blending humor with insights into the sketch comedy show while offering enough professional insight into Lorne Michaels.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★

      Robert Kojder