HBO is offering up an original Seth Rogan (x2) film An American Pickle. This is a perfectly written film whose knowledge of scientific accuracy is only matched by its understanding of law and legal argument. It’s a very impressive undertaking that you can see today on HBO.
An American Pickle begins in a small Eastern European country in 1919 where a Jewish ditch digger’s wedding is instantly pogrommed (is that a word?) by Cossacks so they move to America where the anti-semitism isn’t as bad. While working in a pickle factory, the man (played by Seth Rogan in a beard) falls into a vat of brine and is sealed away for one-hundred years. Because (scientifically) he was perfectly preserved, he is reintroduced into modern America where he meets his great grandson (also played by Seth Rogan… without a beard) and now we have a fish-out-of-water comedy.
And a decent comedy, at least for awhile. But not consistently funny… but the real problem, I think, is that it wears its high concept time travel concept as a justification to get the movie made but it really feels like it wanted to be something else. I think, without evidence, that this movie wanted to be about family, honoring one’s ancestors, and the nature of judaism in the old vs. the new world. All of those themes were actually pretty good… but I doubt that movie alone would have been made. So they added the goofy time travel/fish-out-of-water plot that struggles to maintain logic, humor, focus, or any consistent satirical themes.
The film is just all over the place and, in my opinion, it’s strength is being muffled by a random bunch of satire about hipsters, cancel culture, and failing upwards. I actually found the more heart-warming plot elements far more interesting than the scattershot high-concept humor. Which ultimately means the movie just got a little boring.
Overall, this movie might be worth checking out if you have HBO and don’t have the same problem with the mish-mash of ideas. I liked half of the film and did chuckle at the other half at times so it’s not a complete failure. And I credit Seth Rogan for playing against his usual type and creating two distinct character. It’s a good bit of work in a well-meaning movie.
Score: 68