Mr Saturday Night DVD – Helen Hunt, Mary Mara

Comedian Billy Crystal invested a life’s worth of experience into his directorial debut, starring in and cowriting it as well. Mr. Saturday Night is a fascinating alternate biography of the career he never had. From the 1920s to the 90s, the movie uses flashbacks to follow a comedian’s turbulent journey from making the family laugh, to stardom, to retirement. Buddy Young Jr (Crystal) and his brother Stan (David Paymer) show us the decidedly unfunny behind-the-scenes family events that can bolster or destroy an act. It’s unfortunate that the flip side of Buddy’s comic face is a viciously cruel streak. Distanced from his daughter and with Stan’s need to move on, the contemporary segments are tinged with tragedy. They’re assisted immeasurably by some impressive old-age make-up (which so often fails), transforming Crystal into an unrecognisable cantankerous creature. The gags come thick and fast; there are numerous cameos and the good-natured tone of the movie make it universally appealing. If only more acts from Saturday Night Live had been handled as well. On the DVD: Mr. Saturday Night is a standard transfer with no frills in 4:3 and stereo. The extras package offers a series of mini-interviews that are interesting in themselves, but inexplicably repeated in the accompanying five-minute featurette. –Paul Tonks