'Saturday Night Live' spoofs 'Homeland' with Anne Hathaway
Was Hathaway's crazy Claire Danes impression spot-on, or too easy?
Taran Killam and Anne Hathaway in a "Saturday Night Live" spoof of "Homeland."
I haven't seen the rest of the Anne Hathaway episode of "Saturday Night Live" yet, but when I heard that she had played Claire Danes in a "Homeland" parody, I knew which sketch I was going to start with.
In Ryan McGee's review of the episode, he says that while it's a funny sketch (and I agree with him on the genius of Bill Hader as Saul), he didn't like that it oversimplified Carrie Mathison, one of the most complex female characters on TV (and probably in TV history). I wasn't as troubled. Yes, it's a very broad portrayal, focusing on Carrie's manic side and Danes' tendency to cry with her mouth turned upside down, but I don't know that it's any broader than most "SNL" pop culture parody — particularly for a show that, despite what Mike Bloomberg might suggest, the bulk of the "SNL" audience has likely never heard of, let alone seen. In these instances (like one of my favorite examples of this, Quentin Tarantino's "Welcome Back, Kotter"), you have to construct a sketch that will work both for people who know the subject and those who don't.
Not a perfect parody — especially not compared to the one on "Suburgatory" earlier this week (embedded below the "SNL" sketch) — but good enough, and one that will likely force me to notice how small Damian Lewis' mouth is when he talks, dammit. But I'm curious what both the "Homeland" fans and non-"Homeland" watchers made of this.
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November 11, 2012 at 9:20AM EST Reply to CommentBrody's daughter wandering into the CIA headquarters almost killed me. ROFLLLLLLLLLLL
Jim Yes, that was genius. So understated.
November 11, 2012 at 2:15PM ESTjenny and the actress did it perfectly. Hilarious.
November 11, 2012 at 9:53PM ESTStormshadow4life Yeah, Dana walking in was hilarious...as was the rest of the sketch
November 12, 2012 at 12:10PM ESTsajid anwar
November 11, 2012 at 10:45AM EST Reply to CommentThought it was a perfectly fine sketch. It's comedy. As with many parodies, they took one aspect of her character and blew it out of proportion. Nothing wrong with that.
jack_is_laughing Yeah, Carrie was certainly broad and ridiculous but I think it would be impossible to parody such a manic character in such a short span without going broad. At one point, he's literally listing off her behavior and she's aping it, just to squeeze all the crazy into the skit. Brody's daughter was the best part though.
November 11, 2012 at 1:12PM ESTchuchundra
November 11, 2012 at 10:52AM EST Reply to CommentGreat, now how am I supposed to watch Homeland tonight without cracking up?
velocityknown
November 11, 2012 at 11:26AM EST Reply to CommentThat was brilliant, I agree with what others said: It took an aspect of the show and expanded on it for comedic effect. I definitely don't see it as a "Homeland" criticism as McGee suggested. They did the "I Drink Your Milkshake" sketch a few years back and I doubt the writers really hated "There Will Be Blood" and wanted to tear it apart. "Homeland" is part of popular culture, it's not safe from being parodied (you could do a similar type of sketch for "Breaking Bad").
The worst thing about this sketch is that it reaffirms how useless Keenan Thompson is.
sepinwall In fairness to Keenan (who's not one of my favorites, either), there's not a whole lot you can do with David Estes.
November 11, 2012 at 11:36AM ESTjack_is_laughing I think the fact that they squeezed so many odd details in shows how much they like the show. You can usually tell when SNL writers know very little about a show they're parodying because the parody is so simplistic.
November 11, 2012 at 1:14PM ESTrugman11
November 11, 2012 at 11:41AM EST Reply to CommentI loved it but my wife, who doesn't watch the show, was baffled. It seems weird that they would do a parody of such a niche show.
rugman11 And I'll expand further. I think the biggest problem with this sketch is that they weren't parodying the character, they were parodying plot points. Usually, a parody emphasizes the character traits, so Bobby Moynihan's Guy Fieri has spiky hair and yells a lot. Or Kristen Wiig's Paula Deen repeats "booter 'n ole, y'all" again and again. With that treatment, ideally, people who are intimately familiar with the person being parodied find it hilarious, people casually familiar with the person will recognize the parody and find it funny, and people who have no idea who the person is will at least "get it."
November 11, 2012 at 12:12PM ESTWith the Homeland sketch, however, they were parodying plot points (pills and wine, making out with the suspect), which makes it so that people who only superficially know what's being parodied (like people who know what Homeland is but have never seen it) don't know what's going on and people who've never seen the show "don't get it."
Mahmoud Fayed ...Did you just call Homeland a niche show?
November 11, 2012 at 3:40PM ESTrugman11 In terms of viewership? Yes, absolutely.
November 11, 2012 at 3:47PM ESTDuncan Agree with Rugman. They went with pretty specific things that only Homeland fans or watchers would get, but I really liked it.
November 11, 2012 at 4:07PM ESTUsually they do go big with other stuff. The Fox and Friends thing is like that where Bobby Moynihan's Brian Kilmeade says more and more outlandish stuff. You don't need to watch the show to get that humor
Mark I don't have Showtime. Did she really make out with a suspect? How does that become a plot point? The sketch made me reconsider watching it on DVD.
November 11, 2012 at 4:34PM ESTed w She did more than make out. It becomes a plot point because she's unstable. Expecting a guy to go for her when Baccarin is waiting at home was the part that was a stretch.
November 11, 2012 at 9:22PM ESTBut one way you get actors to take roles is to flatter them and that certainly is flattering to Danes.
David I also don't watch Homeland and was bored by the sketch. I'm guessing it worked well for people who watch the show, but for me, it didn't add up to anything interesting and made me wish I could fast forward to the next sketch.
November 12, 2012 at 2:34PM ESTAlso, there was a Homeland parody on that episode of Suburgatory? Apparently I'm super oblivious to the show.
S
November 11, 2012 at 11:43AM EST Reply to CommentDidnt't think it was funny although I did enjoy Killiam's and Hader's impressions but I didn't enjoy them reducing the awesome character of Carrie to some babbling, love-struck idiot.
Jessica L I agree. I love Homeland and SNL but Carrie is such a dynamic and interesting character... i know Claire Danes cry face is crazy and easy to make fun of, but SNL failed to make it funny with Carrie. Hader as Saul was SO PERFECT though! But Hader is really the best on SNL now that Kristin Wiig is gone.
December 15, 2012 at 1:58AM ESTnic919
November 11, 2012 at 11:56AM EST Reply to CommentSNL isn't exactly known for subtlety, so I thought it was a good SNL skit. I found the impressions funny and in Saul's case excellently spot on, but I think the point was to make Carrie more out there than she already is. Anne Hathaway does tend to try too hard, but I think that is what they were going for here.
AN
November 11, 2012 at 12:09PM EST Reply to CommentThe SNL writers love Homeland, they mentioned it last week two in two different sketches.
AN Dammit
November 11, 2012 at 12:10PM ESTjenny Dammit...ditto.
November 11, 2012 at 9:50PM ESTThe sketch last week of Mayor Bloomberg about "los blancos love their Homeland" was hilarious
Sareeta
November 11, 2012 at 12:45PM EST Reply to CommentThis wasn't funny at all. They take a few potentially funny things (Damian Lewis' small mouth, the way Claire Danes' mannerisms, the girl playing the daughter's way of always tugging on her sleeves) but keep going and going until it's just annoying.
Jim Yup, a formusla that has kept the show on for 30 years or so.
November 11, 2012 at 2:19PM ESTMani
November 11, 2012 at 1:37PM EST Reply to CommentI watch the Homeland and I found it hilarious. Some of it was dead on!
ed w
November 11, 2012 at 1:49PM EST Reply to CommentI enjoyed it and didn't have any problems with the Carrie exaggeration. A few weeks ago when she said 3 certain words to Brody she had a crazy look on her face. My favorite part was them nailing Danes' repetitive mannerism of how she says no, with the hand movements.
Torgo3K
November 11, 2012 at 2:03PM EST Reply to CommentThe CIA upgraded to Windows 8 already? 3 years ago, Hilary Clinton thought you had to pay for Firefox! http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-10287084-16.html
Anne Hathaway was fine, but I don't think she got the chin quivering just right. It can't be easy.
Bill Hader is the secret weapon on this iteration of the SNL cast. "Let me tell you what one of my 10 rabbis told me..."
What this sketch REALLY needs is a kickass Xander impression
goofus
November 11, 2012 at 9:29PM EST Reply to CommentI have never seen homeland and had no idea that the sketch was a homeland parody. I had no idea what exactly they were making fun of. I thought they were making fun of bad cop movies with intense crazy characters like dirty Harry or Mel Gibson. It did not really make sense and I did not laugh much. Did they even call it homeland in the sketch?
illogic Yes it started with phony "Homeland" opening credits
November 12, 2012 at 11:32AM ESTMarc
November 12, 2012 at 12:41AM EST Reply to CommentDana inexplicably walking about CIA HQ, as well as the melancholy jazz made this sketch for me.
kro_lin
November 12, 2012 at 2:15AM EST Reply to CommentSNL and Ann Hathaway... I wish that show (and her) would go away already.
CT
November 12, 2012 at 1:59PM EST Reply to CommentThis just shows me how great an actress Danes is. It's not easy to play the role she plays and the difficulty shows up in Hathaway's portrayal of Carrie.
jen CT, it is not hard do a spoof Claire Danes over-the-top acting style. Danes' acting always annoys me- her ugly cry, her derange and confused look on her face and her crunched- up face whenever she is being dramatic or upset.
November 12, 2012 at 5:58PM ESTIt was okay
November 12, 2012 at 5:25PM EST Reply to CommentIt wasn't smart skit, but I laughed a little. I love Hathaway but I didn't find her to be spot on with Clare Danes-- she was too over the top. What made the skit somewhat funny was the impersonation of Saul.
erika_herzog
November 13, 2012 at 1:12AM EST Reply to Commentbetween the Homeland skit and the ellen / Katie Holmes skit, this week's SNL was so mediocre -- especially in contrast (probably unfairly) -- to last week's Louis CK episode that it is beyond comprehension to me that anyone found this funny or clever or passable.
Anne Hathaway is too controlled of an actor, has zero subtlety -- especially compared to Claire Danes, but even, yes, EVEN, compared to Katie Holmes' work. she mugs and whoever wrote the skits flattened and shredded about 100 clever ideas that would have made a Homeland fan crow with laughter.
instead this was a sloppy pastiche of broad strokes. truth: just referencing the show(s) is not enough to carry a skit / homage / whatever that was.
SNL misses so often that these travesties -- and the lameness of their execution -- are not surprising. i know you guys cover Homeland thoroughly, which i'm glad for, but this really wasn't worth a post.
Angela I agree and couldn't have said it any better than Erika did.
November 13, 2012 at 7:35PM ESTjim Erika, Anne Hathaway's Katie Holmes impression was wonderful and she didn't mug with her impression- and she brought subtlety to that impression. Hathaway matched Katie's speaking voice and the way she talks on the side of her mouth. That was perfect Katie Holmes. I noticed those characteristics of Ms. Holmes since, "Dawson Creek."
November 14, 2012 at 4:27PM ESTNow, Claire Danes' character is over-the-top on Homeland. Anne was over-the-top for comedic purposes, but she matched the way Claire talks, over-acts, the over-used crunched up face, and the excessive crying. Sorry, that is Danes' acting since the world saw her in " My So-Called Life." Now, Danes is not a subtle actress.
John
November 13, 2012 at 4:19AM EST Reply to CommentHmm...I'm glad the majority seemed to like it because I thought it was pretty terrible. I don't mind the "oversimplified" version of Carrie. I mean, it's a sketch comedy show, not a serious critical analysis. Not sure why McGee was so bothered by it. Methinks he's taking SNL a little too seriously. It's not SNL's job to portray the characters as accurately as possible. It's there job to make it funny. Unfortunately, it was on this count that it failed. I'm a huge Homeland fan, but I don't think I laughed once during the sketch. Carrie's craziness is almost beyond parody, and I didn't think Brody's allegedly small mouth was funny. Probably because nobody outside the SNL writers have ever commented on it. Bill Hader did a decent Saul impression, but it wasn't particularly funny. Dana walking in didn't exactly have me in stitches either. And even the normally hilarious Keenan Thompson couldn't do much with such a stiff character like Estes. All in all, this was a poor excuse for comedy.
HISLOCAL
November 13, 2012 at 9:52AM EST Reply to Comment"She's only let me down every time I've trusted her"
Andrew Y
November 13, 2012 at 12:54PM EST Reply to CommentThe SNL skit was hysterical and while exaggerated is close to spot on. As this show drifts more and more into the ridiculous (good to know if a person gets shot 4 times at point blank range they can walk out of a hospital in under a week) I could use a chuckle.
Rob
November 13, 2012 at 2:31PM EST Reply to CommentSNL Sketch was terrific. I was impressed with all the little nuances they got right down to some of Carrie's specific hand gestures and Dana's sweater massaging. Of course it doesn't capture "intricate character development" it's a 4 minute sketch/parody. And Saul was perfect
mattlac
November 14, 2012 at 3:06AM EST Reply to CommentHey, lets have physical humor going on while someone explains what the joke is while it's happening. SNL is so awful, I honestly can't condone anyone continuing to allow its existence.
Kal
November 14, 2012 at 1:53PM EST Reply to CommentI think the work of oversimplifying Carrie started with the Homeland writers when they made her a character solely defined by a broad and shrill depiction of mental illness. She's always right! But no one will believe her! She's CRAZY! The skit seems dead-on to me as does Saul's unconsidered support and David's I-am-the-obstacle-in-this-show dismissal of her.
Damian Lewis *does* have a really small mouth, though. Typical for a Quaker.
Scott
December 10, 2012 at 10:23PM EST Reply to CommentLove homeland, would appreciate a clever satire, but was totally disappointed by the third-rate, dare I say, lazy routine. Waste of an idea. Poor writing and lame execution.