With movie theaters closed during the coronavirus pandemic, streaming services have emerged as the go-to place for new movies in 2020. The likes of Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ have come out with several films, and now HBO Max is joining the fray with An American Pickle, a new comedy starring Seth Rogen. While HBO Max boasts a collection of popular catalog titles for viewers to choose from, they're also looking to boost their original programming lineup in an effort to draw new subscribers and the hope is Rogen will help them in that department. However, this film may not be the major hit HBO Max needs to be the next big thing. An American Pickle is a fun, fleeting buddy comedy that spreads its humorous premise a bit too thin, minimizing the story's impact.
In An American Pickle, Rogen stars as Herschel Greenbaum, a Schlupsk native who immigrates to New York with his wife in 1919. There, Herschel gets a job working at a pickle factory, and accidentally falls into a vat of pickles on the day the building is condemned. The pickle brine preserves Herschel perfectly and 100 years later, he finds himself in a very different New York. Herschel meets up with his only remaining relative, great-grandson Ben Greenbaum (also played by Rogen) and tries to adjust to his new life.
An American Pickle skews closely to the buddy movie formula, pitting two mismatched people against each other and seeing what hilarity ensues. Herschel is very much a fish out of water, struggling to keep up with evolving technology and societal norms that are second nature to Ben. This dichotomy is amusing - especially in the early going - and does provide a fresh perspective on things modern audiences may take for granted (see: Herschel's genuine astonishment at an everyday seltzer maker). On the flip side, An American Pickle does follow a pretty predictable trajectory and mines a lot of comedy out of fairly obvious places, such as Herschel having extremely politically incorrect viewpoints or being perplexed by Ben's line of work. This material is good for a laugh or two, but it does feel a little standard as the movie goes on.
The screenplay by Simon Rich is based on his short story "Sell Out", and at times it seems like he's trying to stretch a shorter narrative to feature-length. An American Pickle's main plot follows Herschel's attempt to launch a successful pickle business on the streets of New York, commenting on the oddity of internet celebrities and viral culture. However, the story is a bit thin in some areas, and most of the central conflict amounts to little more than Herschel trying to grow his business while Ben schemes ways to undermine his great-grandfather. It can be fun to watch Rogen and Rogen go head-to-head, but the storyline isn't the most clever or substantial. Rich does earn points for his attempts to inject meaningful substance into American Pickle - be it themes of family or Ben's reluctance to embrace Judaism. The exploration of these ideas typically scratch the surface, but they still give An American Pickle some poignant moments.
Rogen tones down his usual comedic schtick for An American Pickle (which is PG-13 instead of R), which may make the film more accessible for viewers who usually turn away from his brand of humor. Performance wise, Rogen does a good job at making Herschel and Ben stand out as their own characters, giving each one a distinct personality. Even when Herschel is saying offensive comments, there is a charming, wholesome naivety to Rogen's portrayal as a man out of time who doesn't know any better. Ben comes off as a riff on a standard Brooklyn hipster, but it's effective for what the script calls for. As for the supporting cast, many of their roles are very thin. An American Pickle is most definitely a showcase for Rogen, leaving the other actors without much to do.
Ultimately, An American Pickle makes for an entertaining watch that's good for a laugh or two, though it's unlikely to be a major game-changer that will have newcomers signing up for HBO Max. Those who are already subscribed or are a fan of Rogen's other films will probably find something to enjoy, but it isn't a must-see, either. That said, going straight to streaming will probably benefit An American Pickle and help it find an audience. This is the type of "smaller" film that may have gotten lost in the shuffle if it came out in theaters under normal circumstances. It's likely to be more of a draw in living rooms.
An American Pickle is now streaming on HBO Max. It runs 90 minutes and is rated PG-13 for some language and rude humor.
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