Julia Sweeney made history with her iconic character of “Pat” on the hit show Saturday Night Live. While the character had a film that bombed terribly at the box office, the character has never been forgotten, as it is now the subject of the documentary We Are Pat!

Created in the 90s, “Pat” became a phenomenon on SNL before facing cultural backlash as conversations around transness and non-binary identity politics evolved. What starts as a pop culture excavation becomes something deeper: a reflection on gender identity, the elasticity of comedy, the ethics of authorship, and what happens when a joke outlives the era it was born in. 

Reflecting on her participation in the film, Sweeney said, “I was interviewed over several years for this documentary, never knowing if it would be sympathetic or problematic.  Much like Pat, Pat-self, the documentary holds both at the same time. It is so much deeper and richer and more provocative than I ever imagined. And funny. Really, really funny.”

Rowan Haber directed the documentary, the film was applauded at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2025 and will begin an Academy Award-qualifying theatrical run on May 29 in New York, with screenings in Los Angeles, Chicago and nationwide this summer.

You can pre-order the film at the following platforms: Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Amazon Prime Video