While HBO Max has a vast library of classic content, they lack original programming. This is where An American Pickle steps in, as it is the streamer’s first original film. While not a home run, it’s a solid first try for them and a sign of greater things to come. I feel it was smart to have this film skip a theatrical release as it feels like a movie best suited for streaming.
It stars Seth Rogen as Hershel, an Ashkenazi Jew in the 1920s who gets preserved in a vat of pickles and wakes up in modern-day New York City, and attempts to fit in with the assistance of his last remaining descendent, Ben (also played by Rogen).
The film has a lot more heart than I expected. This is not a typical Seth Rogen film, and that’s honestly for the best. I feel that’s why it’s getting a mixed reception from audiences. It’s not what they expected from the actor.
While its premise is ridiculous, the film doesn’t take itself too seriously, being a very light-hearted dramedy. The film does a surprise bait and switch on us by becoming a film about old values vs. new values. That’s where some of the film’s best comedy bits happen and it even has some family rivalry in it.
My only issue with the film is that the 3rd act isn’t as strong as the first two, which puts my rating for the film a bit down. It’s not terrible but is not as polished or engaging as what came before.
What I loved about this film was the range that Seth showed here. He managed to make both roles he played unique and different. He’s the best part of the film, and these two characters are fleshed out. It’s some of the best acting he’s ever done, and that makes me happy as he’s had a few down years aside from last year’s hilarious Long Shot.
The character of Ben is more along the lines of what we’ve come to expect from Rogen, very humorous and somewhat of a man child. However, he is more restrained than the usual slacker he portrays and is not as vulgar. Hershel is where Seth shows a lot of range. I have seen him do great in drama such as Steve Jobs but here he gives his best dramatic performance ever.
Hershel is a very complex role, and I loved seeing this man from the past try adjusting to our current times to mixed results. While he does excellent dramatic work in the Hershel character, the character still has moments to be hilarious. He has a unique accent that never feels like he’s mocking. Seth doesn’t get enough credit for his dramatic range, and this movie and character specifically was a great showcase. There is a lot he missed out on in his time pickled, and the film does a great job of allowing Seth to display that pain with facial expressions and meaningful dialogue. There is also a hilarious scene where Ben introduces him to Barbra Streisand and Yentl that was gold.
I figured that Sarah Snook wouldn’t have a significant role, but I had some small hope that I would be proven wrong. She plays Hershel’s wife, and apart of me hoped there was a version of her in the present. I loved her in Predestination and enjoy her exceptional work in Succession, so I was hoping she would be used in the film a bit more. Unfortunately, her talent was wasted. She didn’t have much screentime in the past scenes, and we get no other flashbacks. She’s basically in the film maybe 3-5 minutes, and that’s just a huge mistake, when you have an actress as talented as her, you need to utilize her to her full potential.
Jorma Taccone of The Lonely Island makes a fun cameo appearance, and it was substantial. He made me laugh quite a bit in it. I was hoping he would come back for at least one more scene, or that his scene was longer than the minute it was as he played great opposite Rogen’s Ben.
An American Pickle is the directorial debut of cinematographer Brandon Trost, who’s worked with Rogen numerous times, including on Rogen’s directorial efforts This Is the End and The Interview. He did an admirable job on his first go-around behind the camera, perfectly balancing the film’s two tones.
He was working from a script by humorist/novelist Simon Rich based on his own short story, and he deserves some praise for his timely script. I liked the script because it tackled themes of family, religion among a few other things, and he didn’t let his high concept idea get too wild. While his script deserves praise, it’s also let down a bit by being predictable in areas and not having too many surprises.
Although raunchy/stoner comedies have been his bread and butter, there comes the point in an actor’s career when they need to expand, and that’s what Seth does here. The film runs a smooth 83 minutes, and I felt invested the whole time. I never found myself bored. It won’t be the case for everybody, but if you enjoy Seth Rogen, definitely give this film a chance to see a whole different side of him.
