Mr. Saturday Night (1992) * * *

Directed by:  Billy Crystal

Starring:  Billy Crystal, Julie Warner, David Paymer, Helen Hunt, Ron Silver, Mary Mara

The recent death of Don Rickles got me thinking about Mr. Saturday Night, a movie about fictional insult comic Buddy Young, Jr. (Crystal) who could have been a Rickles contemporary in another universe.   Both Young and Rickles are funny, but Rickles knew how to walk the tightrope between funny and potentially explosive subject matter.   He insults, but in a way to let you know he is truly kidding.   Young doesn't have such judgment.   He insults to wound people and his stand-up act spills over into his personal life more often than it should.     This leads to numerous career-derailing moments for Buddy.    He could have been a legend, but became a cautionary tale.

The Buddy Young Jr. character was performed by Crystal during his incredible one-year stint on Saturday Night Live.   Crystal has likely seen such comics before.   He has the timing and delivery of a Borscht Belt comedian down pat.   But, we wince when a joke falls flat or Buddy loses his audience.   There are times he tells one joke too many and should have quit while he was ahead.    But, that isn't Buddy's style.   His brother, Stan (Paymer-in an Oscar-nominated role), is his manager and likens himself to "the guy who follows the elephant act with a shovel."   His assessment is correct.    

This isn't to say that Buddy is insufferable.   He isn't.  He just doesn't know how to read people.  He is forever defensive and his own worst enemy.   There are times, such as his courtship of his wife Ellen (Warner) in which we see Buddy's sweet side.   It pops occasionally as the film progresses, as Buddy realizes he has hurt too many people and blew too many chances during this showbiz career.  These transitional scenes are hit and miss and are the weakest parts of the film.   They seem more obligatory than real changes of heart.   

Crystal, in his directorial debut, performs and directs with a love of comics like Young.    He doesn't ask for pity or even understanding.    He invites us to observe and perhaps heed the wisdom in avoiding the wrongheaded choices Buddy makes.    As the film progresses, Buddy starts out as a teenage comic who learns to insult after masterfully handling hecklers.   "You're New Jersey in pants," he tells one.    He works the clubs in the Catskills and meets his future wife there.   Stan is at first part of Buddy's act and even fancies Ellen himself, but prefers to stay on the sidelines and manage (and perhaps envy) the more courageous Buddy. 

As the film opens, Buddy is an aged comic with dimming career prospects.   He once hosted his own TV show in the 1950's, but lost it once he accused Davy Crockett and those at the Alamo of being gay (in response to losing in the ratings to the Davy Crockett show week after week).   He went from being the toast of the comedy world to "that guy who blew his own TV show out of the water" with one ill-advised rant.   He was supposed to work a cruise for the winter, but they cancelled on him.    He works nursing homes, but not steadily.   His new agent (Hunt) has no idea what to do with him.   

Ellen is eternally patient and understanding, as is Stan.   But Stan soon wants to retire, which hurts Buddy as well as inconveniences him.    In typical Buddy fashion, he accuses Stan of being disloyal.  We can only speculate how many times over the years Stan and Ellen have had to set him straight, which is more often than not a fool's errand.    His daughter Susan (Mara) has issues which may or may not be attributed to Buddy's cantankerous ways.   

Mr. Saturday Night is a comedy first and foremost, lest I made it sound gloomy and tragic.   Buddy's behavior sometimes is tragic, but nothing he can't come back from.    It is a tribute to Crystal's considerable talent that we find ourselves caring enough for Buddy to hope that he figures it all out, even in his 70's.    It is never too late.   And in the end, he is still a pretty funny guy.