Hood release lever not working

The inside hood release lever on my 1998 Saturn sw2 does not pop the hood when I pull it.How can I get the hood open?

If the cable isn’t broken, get someone to hold the hood release lever while you push down on the hood a couple of times. Hopefully the hood will pop up after a few pushes. If you get the hood open, lubricate the hood latch to keep it from sticking.

Ed B.