'An American Pickle' Review—A Somewhat Likeable Story

If this film took place one year later and Herschel Greenbaum woke up to the world in 2020, he would have dived right back into that vat of pickles.

Brandon Trost directs An American Pickle, a comedy-drama about a Jew named Herschel (Seth Rogen) living in 1919 whose job is to kill rats at a pickle factory. However, when he falls into a vat of pickles, the brine preserves him for the next 100 years, and he wakes up in 2019 to find his great-grandson, an app developer named Ben (also Rogen).

With a fascinating concept like this and Rogen in a dual role, you know you're in for a unique film. This movie delivers on uniqueness, and it boasts a somewhat likable story that gets pulled back in quality by its charming but strange personality.

The film opens with an investing sequence shot in 4:3, which follows Herschel's life in 1919 as he meets a woman, works as a ditch digger, and soon falls into a pickle pool. He wakes up in 2019 as the aspect ratio expands to 16:9.

Herschel finds himself as a fish out of brine, an ancient man in a modern world. As a professional scientist gives the scientific explanation for this occurrence, Herschel's narration drowns him out so that the screenwriter can avoid explaining it.

While the opening sequence sets up an emotional backstory for Herschel, another backstory is set up for Ben. He has lost his parents, no longer practices religion, and wants to get his app to the public. These backstories give Ben and Herschel just the right amount of development for a lighthearted film like this.

On top of their backstories and emotional centers are their personalities. Rogen gives excellent performances as both characters truly selling the idea that they are two different people, even though they share the same physical appearance. He never feels unnatural in either role and just like in Steve Jobs, he proves himself to be a very talented dramatic actor.

The film tells a very contained story, with virtually no supporting characters in the entire movie. Rogen is front and center as these two characters, and he carries the film with his charm because while he's terrific, the film surrounding him is less than stellar.

While there is a lot of fun to be had with the film's humor and story, a lot of the film is incredibly contrived. There are scenes where Ben sees Herschel having success with a modern-day pickle business, and he discovers this when every single person around him is watching the same viral video of Herschel.

And the film's lack of subtlety continues with Ben looking around in another scene to find everyone near him eating Herschel's pickles. Writer Simon Rich immediately asks the viewer to suspend some disbelief with this premise. However, the film's scenes manage to be so over-the-top that it's difficult to buy into any of it.

Ben goes on news websites during the film, and he sees that every article is about Herschel, when no news site in the world would write more than one article about a pickle salesman in Williamsburg. The film hammers home plot points and emotions it wants to sell to the audience, but it does so in unbelievable, overdramatic fashion.

The film has a bit of commentary on cancel culture, and it satirizes how the general public reacts to controversial figures and statements. However, it fails due to its misrepresentation of human behavior, as Herschel is the subject of everyone's attention when, in reality, he would be viral and vanish in a week.

Given how Herschel is from a different time, his views on subjects are very offensive. As these views become public, the general public's reactions always manage to be pushed to the extreme, with no middle ground or nuance.

One scene has many people walking up to Herschel and randomly protesting and chanting with picket signs after a few offensive tweets. The film requires another reality check here; people are lazy and would resort to simply having #HerschelIsOverParty trend on Twitter.

The most absurd scene comes in a Q&A when Herschel makes incredibly misogynistic comments only to be cheered on by a crowd of both men and women. Later in the scene, he makes offensive comments about Christianity, and this cheering crowd suddenly becomes an angry mob that chases Herschel down the street.

Scenes such as this strain the credibility of this film, as everyone feels like a caricature rather than an actual person. There is a scene in a courtroom where a lawyer behaves in a way that no lawyer who ever passed the bar would act, pulling out more props than a stand-up comedian.

One storyline in the film has many believing Ben is actually Herschel, and nobody thinks of conducting a simple DNA test to prove that Ben is not Herschel. Given that Ben and Herschel have completely different accents, the fact that people believed Ben was Herschel is very unconvincing.

It's unfortunate how much of the film takes you out of getting absorbed in the characters because of how ridiculous the script choices were. Part of a movie's magic is making you forget you're watching a fictional narrative; audiences should buy into your story instead of being constantly reminded they're watching a movie.

Despite the many issues, the film has some heart. The ending doesn't resolve a lot, but it resolves just enough to make us appreciate the characters and how they evolved. Although it fails to satirize its themes with any real wit, it closes on a bittersweet note that will resonate with many, especially with Jewish viewers.

I've seen many fellow critics review this film with vivid pickle-y metaphors. I'm not nearly well-versed enough in pickles to do that, but my feelings on the film resemble my feelings on pickles; I've had better, but they're mildly enjoyable and acceptable for what they are.

Grade: ★★★☆☆ (C+)

Rating: PG-13 for some language and rude humor