Cast: Molly Shannon, Will Ferrell, Elaine Hendrix, Emmy Laybourne, Glynis Johns, Mark McKinney, Harland Williams
Director: Bruce McCulloch
Producer: Lorne Michaels
Screenplay: Steve Koren
Cinematography: Walt Lloyd
U.S. Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Many years ago, before it started spinning off movies, Saturday Night Live was a funny, edgy TV show - one of the most inventive that network TV offered. Now, some 25 years later, it's a gasping, wheezing behemoth that exists solely because of its reputation, not because there's any lingering quality associated with it. These days, watching an episode of Saturday Night Live is a depressing experience. Not even the most entertaining guest stars can enliven the stillborn material that passes for comedy.
Since Lorne Michaels and his cohorts realized the financial potential of a small screen to big screen crossover, there have been numerous SNL-inspired motion pictures, most of which have been unspeakably bad. Even the two lonely exceptions to this rule - The Blues Brothers (Michaels was not involved) and Wayne's World - are overrated. The SNL motion picture experience bottomed out last year with A Night at the Roxbury, one of the worst films of 1998. I harbored a vain hope that this might kill the SNL movie for good, but, only a year later, Superstar is being foisted upon us (and undoubtedly there's something else waiting in the wings).
The character being highlighted this time around is Molly Shannon's geeky Irish Catholic high schooler, Mary Katherine Gallagher. Mary's one goal in life - the desire that drives her every action - is to have an open-mouthed kiss with Sky Corrigan (Will Ferrell), the captain of the football team. There are a few obstacles, however. First, Sky doesn't know that Mary exists. Second, he's dating the head cheerleader, Evian (Elaine Hendrix). And third, Mary isn't exactly Ms. Popularity. So she sets out to change her image by enrolling in the "Let's Fight V.D." Talent Contest, an action that her grandmother (Glynis Johns) opposes. Meanwhile, in her desperate attempts to catch Sky's eye, Mary loses sight of Slater (Harland Williams), the strong, silent guy who's genuinely attracted to her.
Two things make Superstar marginally more watchable than other recent SNL drek: Molly Shannon is a likable, energetic performer and a few of the jokes are (gasp!) actually funny. Of course, that's not to say there's enough here to justify a feature-length movie (even one that comes in at a skinny 82 minutes, including credits), because there isn't. 10 minutes - the length of an SNL skit - seems more appropriate. To fill in the dead spots, Superstar adds a lame romantic comedy subplot, a few musical numbers (which are surprisingly entertaining), and several tired motion picture parodies (Carrie, Armageddon, etc.). Since Mary works at a video store and is obsessed with the idea of becoming a Hollywood superstar, writer Steve Koren has numerous opportunities to lampoon classic movies, but he doesn't do a good job of it.
Superstar's director is Bruce McCulloch, a relatively unknown Canadian filmmaker who has two movies in theaters at the same time (the other is Dog Park). Neither is the kind of film that's likely to lead to bigger and better things. In addition to Shannon, there are a pair of other SNL regulars in the cast: Will Ferrell (who was in A Night at the Roxbury) and Mark McKinney. I chuckled at a few of Shannon's antics and laughed once or twice at McKinney, but Ferrell left me mirthless.
Once in a while, Superstar takes a stab at developing Mary into something more than a two-dimensional caricature. Ultimately, however, the script doesn't show any respect for her - it's difficult to care about a character who French kisses a tree in public. There's really no reason for anyone to see this film except die hard Shannon fans. Those in search of an edgy motion picture definitely won't find it here - try South Park or American Pie. Saturday Night Live, whether on TV or in theaters, has long since given up its claim to outrageousness and biting humor. Like nearly all of its predecessors, Superstar tries to be bland and crowd-pleasing. It succeeds at the first, but not the second.
© 1999 James Berardinelli