AN AMERICAN PICKLE

US, 2020, 88 minutes, Colour.

Seth Rogen, Sarah Snook.

Directed by Brandon Trost.

This is a tantalising American comedy, an American Jewish comedy. It is based on a short story by Simon Rich who wrote the screenplay. However, it is a star vehicle for Seth Rogen who plays two roles.

The title is accurate. In 1919, Herschel and his family migrated from Europe and settled in New York City, finding jobs, working in a pickle factory. However, he falls into a vat which is sealed and there he remains for a century until the vat is opened. He is alive and pickled.

This is a variation on the theme of vice versa and people taking others’ identities. Herschel is bewildered by the 21^st-century but, with his shrewd background, Jewish ingenuity, he survives, tracks down one of his descendants, Ben, who works in IT and is trying to develop an app which will detect double dealings in business. However, he has been working on it for years and it has not been taken up.

On the one hand, Herschel and Ben bond, explanations to the old man, a visit the cemetery to see the graves of his descendants, upset that they are not looked after and that there is a huge billboard for Russian vodka looming overhead. Herschel relies on his knowledge of pickles, goes to the garbage containers of restaurants and finds their leftovers, working on them, successful, becoming famous. He becomes something of a cause célèbre, young people interested in his work, his personality, joining with him.

But, it is not all easy-going, Ben becoming envious, reporting Herschel to the police, scuffles, both in jail, Ben out of favour with his app because of his police charges. Herschel continues to have public support but Ben sets him up on a television program and taunts him about Christianity and Herschel lets loose, losing his audience.

Herschel is always scheming, getting Ben to help him to escape the law across the Canadian border, but shaving his beard and pretending to be Ben so that Ben is arrested for being Herschel and deported to Europe.

Some touches of a happy ending when Herschel realises that the app was called after Ben’s parents and that he was not, as Herschel suspected, uninterested in his family and lineage. Herschel goes to the village in Europe to meet with Ben.

Strong performances by Seth Rogen, obviously enjoying himself in the roles. Sarah Snook has a supporting role as Herschel’s wife.

1. An American story? A Jewish story? A Jewish American migrant story? Poverty and prosperity? Screenplay by Saturday Night Live writer? Tone?
2. The mood of the opening,-style screen format, the old town, central Europe, Herschel and is a ditch digging, work, poverty, dreams of drinking self so, of owning a gravestone, the encounters with Sarah, courting her, looking over the lake? The Cossack attack? Herschel and Sarah migrating to the US, settling, accommodation, the pickle factory? Sarah pregnant? Hopes?
3. Official, the pickle factory, chasing the rats, authorities closing the factory down, Herschel falling into the that, being covered? Pickled?
4. 100 years later, the demolition, the youngsters, the opening of the vat, Herschel emerging, the press conference, the hospital, treatment? The plausibility of his survival?
5. Herschel, his character, the past, poverty, dreams, awakening in the 21^st-century, the humour of his encounter with traffic, technology…?
6. Discovering in, then and his life, age, the same as Herschel -100? His lifestyle, 21^st-century New Yorker, Jewish background, his not practising, the contrast with Herschel and prayer and faith? Respect for the deceased? Ben and his, five years work, the logo? His lifestyle, alone, his apartment, mod cons? His enjoyment of 21^st-century technology?
7. The visit to the cemetery, Ben and his reluctance, Herschel finding the graves, spattered, the putting up of the hoarding, his fight, the arrest, in jail, bail, on Ben’s record? His hopes for his app, the company refusing because of the criminal record? His blaming Herschel?
8. Herschel, the upset, leaving, the cucumbers in the garbage, the salt, the rainwater, the jars, making the pickles? The two men buying them, promoting them? The popularity? The crowds, on social media, followers? Everybody watching? Ben’s reaction?
9. Ben, getting revenge, the health authorities, closing Herschel down, the fine? Herschel getting advice about interns? The crowds of young people, making the pickles, trading, selling?
10. Herschel is a celebrity, the media, the television debate, the severity and prejudice of Herschel’s views, Ben asking the question about Jesus, Herschel’s outburst, everybody turning against him? Leading to deportation?
11. The deal with Ben, to get Herschel to Canada? The trek through the woods, the border guards, Herschel’s attack on Ben, cutting his hair, disguising himself as Ben? Ben being deported? Ben and his experience in Europe, cold and hungry, the synagogue, the sympathetic help?
12. Herschel, change of heart, coming to Europe? The plan to make an apology? To go into the pickle business and make a fortune? The final image of the two together – a future?
13. The film is something of an allegory of the Jewish migrants of the early 20^th century, poverty, enterprise and then making success in America, creating empires?