Final Rating: 3.5/5
We Are Pat, from director Ro Haber delves into many questions surrounding the comedic phenomenon that was ‘It’s Pat!’ on Saturday Night Live. Portrayed on the show by Julia Sweeney from 1990-94, ‘It’s Pat!’ was a hit sketch, and later a movie of infamous repute. Now, decades later, upon re-examination Pat is somewhat of a trans icon, warts and all.
For those unfamiliar, Pat is an androgynous looking individual, draped in their light blue cowboy style shirt, khakis, thick black rimmed glasses, and a mop of short, curly dark hair. Pat was a running gag on the show, as people tried to decipher their gender, which was never revealed.
Looking back at it through today’s lens it’s easy to see how this wouldn’t hold up particularly well. However, as Sweeney notes, she viewed the joke as being on those trying to figure out Pat’s gender, as they made such a big fuss over this discovery. Imagine a world in which people cared so much about others genitals…Obviously times have changed when it comes to this manner of humour, and Joey Soloway (Emmy award winner for Transparent) who has a cameo in the film expresses how offensive the stereotype of the character is.
To truly delve into this, Ro gathers a myriad of trans comedians, assembling in a writers room to develop material for a modern version. We’re given glimpses throughout of what they came up with, including the classic white board of ideas, but left wondering what the full version of these bits were, if only to provide more insight into how well or poorly they’d work in today’s age.
As the comedians discuss the nature of Pat, it, like any comedy has to be viewed through the lens of its time and most come so see it not as an attack or malicious in any manner, but one that had the unfortunate effect of reinforcing negative stereotypes whether intentional or not. Sweeney and fellow SNL alum Kevin Nealon, who gives a brief interview, note it was never meant to denigrate anyone, rather to find the humour in awkward situations.
The sketches they wrote naturally gravitate to subjects like going to the doctor or using public washrooms, which the trans community has to deal with in everyday life. It also brings up a key point in the comedy world of power dynamics, and how much the person telling a joke matters. Are you punching down, or belittling, or are you using humour as a mechanism to relate to the real world issues in a less serious or cathartic manner?
The nature of perspective is a fundamental question, as when Sweeney sits down with the writers room and explains what initially was an inspiration for Pat and how she thought of the character, is naturally different than the lens a trans person would view it though. She notes how important looks were growing up in her household to her mother, and this was a sort of backlash against that idea, and also discusses just how male dominant the show was in this era and the irony of only being able to get this of all her characters on the show in a major way.
The film is careful to point out the problematic elements, without being overly harsh in its criticism, and certainly not particularly judgemental of Sweeney, who through this process comes to understand the impact of the character even more.
Ultimately there may be no right or wrong answer to a number of the questions it poses. How Pat is viewed has allowed them the freedom to take them back, claiming Pat as a trans figure and see the benefit in what was accomplished. Those willing to go in with an open mind will perhaps gain a new perspective on trans comedy and learn about the long history of trans/drag performers have had in comedy going back to vaudeville.
It does a good job of highlighting Pat’s impact on the trans community and its story will certainly appeal to its audience, and some film fans or SNL devotees who may come across it, but is unlikely to resonate much beyond that given the specific intention behind the storytelling.
We Are Pat was seen during the 2026 International Film Festival of Ottawa.
