This movie is in my top five summer viewing list, and I had really high hopes for its success.
Late Night, co-produced, written and starring Mindy Kaling as Molly Patel, a new comedy writer on late night talk show, Tonight with Katherine Newbury (played by Emma Thompson).
Katherine, on the air for twenty-eight years, is the only female host in late night talk shows. His British demeanor, and lack of booking current and trending guests have her ratings slip sliding away. Her writing staff, all men, know their writing isn’t fresh, but they would rather phone it in, then open themselves to the wraith of Katherine, who is not big into change. She’s been on the air for 6000 episodes, why change when it’s working? It’s working right?
With talk of replacing Katherine in late night with a younger hipper host, she decides she needs a change, “Find me a woman writer” she bellows. ”Would a gay man do?” “No!”
In comes Molly Patel, who works in a Pennsylvania Chemical Plant, who has idolized Katherine for decades, but has no writing experience. Desperate for a woman on staff, she is hired. Loved this scene, where Molly explains how she qualified for this job interview.
As expected Molly is not embraced with open arms, but is accepting that is she a diversity hire, but she’s determined to succeed. The male staff writers are in a panic as rumors of Katherine being replaced become widespread. One writer laments “I’m going to get fired, and will have to move to Long Island City!”
Molly tries to shake up Katherine’s image, by introducing her to social media and making her monologue’s more timely with controversial anecdotes, but she balks at the attempts.
Emma Thompson, is so good in this role, think The Devil Wears Prada, and you have Katherine, but not in a copy cat way. Katherine can’t be bothered knowing her writer’s names, she is assigns them numbers. You are number 1, number 2 etc.
John Lithgow portrays Katherine’s supportive husband, Walter, who is battling Parkinson’s disease. After recognizing Walter as a pianist she has admired Molly asks what he is doing now. He responds, he is an emeritus professor “Emeritus means you aren’t dead yet, but they don’t want you to come in anymore” So sad.
Molly’s nemesis in the writer’s room is Tom aka #7, played by Reid Scott. Tom was a “legacy hire” aka nepotism hire. When Molly offers jokes for the opening monologue, Tom schools her that he is the monologue writer and doesn’t need any assistance. Of course the two spar, but you know that down the line the sparring will lead to sparkage. I did love their opening salvo; of Molly to Tom ”I’d
rather be a diversity hire than a nepotism hire. At least I had to beat out every other woman and minority to get here. You just had to be born” You go girl!!
Loved that Molly is tasked with sharing an office with the most senior writer, Burditt, aka #5 played by Max Casella. Burditt, a writer since the beginning of Katherine’s show, has an office devoid of any personalization. He explains, he wants to be able to make a quick exit when he’s fired (not an optimist for sure). So you have the old guard sharing space with the new girl. Very sweet scene when she is crying under her desk, and he cajoles her to put on her big girl pants.
I truly enjoyed this movie, the writing, and the casting just perfect. The scenes in the writer’s room very entertaining, along with the assorted personalities of the writers. Taking Katherine out into the streets in her “White Savior” segments are a hoot!
Kudos to Mindy Kaling for witty writing, not just making this a story about a Indian woman making it good in comedy writing. This is the story of someone creating a goal, and doing what is necessary to achieve it, at times at her own expense and dignity and then making sure the door is open to all her follow.
Late Night, is rated a solid B (that means very good). It’s a quick 102 minutes long, don’t wait for Red Box, see it at the theatre now.
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