07 Aug “An American Pickle” review: A sweet but conflicted film that will likely still provide a fun escape during these crazy times.
Seth Rogen is mostly known for producing and starring in hilariously funny, but very rated-R comedies, this film is PG-13, and is probably the most family-friendly of any film in which Seth Rogen has held the lead role. This dramedy is still amusing though, however, its laugh count is not at the level many of his fans probably expect.
The film follows a Jewish man, Herschel Greenbaum (Seth Rogen) who, when we first see him, is a ditch-digger living in a shtetl. At a market, Herschel sees a woman named Sarah (Sarah Snook) and is instantly in love, not in small part due to the fact that she has “all her teeth, both top and bottom”. He eventually woos her and they get married. After a Cossack attack on their village, the couple decides to move to America. They are met with anti-Semitism but stay positive throughout. One day, when Herschel is working in a pickle factory he is cornered by dozens of rats and falls into a vat of pickle brine as the factory closes. He is perfectly preserved for 100 years and we are given a non-explanation for how that is possible. While this works fine as a joke here, these little bouts of farcical situations continue throughout the film and clash with the film’s mostly sincere tone to create some bewildering and slightly frustrating moments later on.
Once Herschel is out of the brine, he tries to find the only living relative he has left and he is met with his great-grandson, Ben Greenbaum (who is also played by Rogen), a coder working, as he has been for 5 years, on a app that finds how ethical a company is. These scenes are some of the more fun as the film does not dive deep into the clichéd, “man from past experiences modern world for first time scenes” and the film goes straight into the plot (which explains the fleeting 90-minute runtime). As they get to know each other, Herschel becomes increasingly disappointed in his great-grandson as he seems to have lost all ties to his Jewish heritage. As time goes on, the film turns these two men against each other as Herschel starts to become successful. This is one of film’s weak points as Ben’s malice towards Herschel is a little extreme and it is a significant shift from the lovable guy we see at first. During this cyclical sequence of Herschel gaining popularity, then being “canceled”, the film shows some satirical edge, but the satire is too safe and easy to be truly biting. Don’t get me wrong, it is a fine film that will maintain a smile on your face for most of the runtime, but it is not one of Rogen’s funnier efforts, which would be fine if it was not tonally conflicted to the point that it affects the dramatic moments.
Directed by Brandon Trost and written by Simon Rich (based on his short story ”Sell Out”), the film steers clear from many of the storytelling clichés that litter these type of films and has moments of inspiration. The film works well as a vehicle to show Rogen’s dramatic chops as he skillfully creates two distinct characters in his dual role and at times, especially in later scenes, the film can be heartfelt as Ben works to reconcile with his past.
In these times where there is a lack of new mainstream films, “An American Pickle” is welcome as it is a fun, likeable but flawed movie that is worth a watch, but will likely be forgotten after a few days of COVID-induced monotony.
Score: 3/5
This film can be seen on HBO MAX