Seth Rogen is An American Pickle

Canadian born comedian Seth Rogen poses the always asked question: can you achieve the American dream? An answer that seems basic enough where anybody can come from anywhere and make their dreams come true. But what if that”anywhere” becomes an “anywhen,” as a man gets preserved in pickle brine to awaken 100 years in the future. Can you still achieve the American dream?

in An American Pickle, Seth Rogen stars in dual roles as an eastern European immigrant who moves with his new wife to America and a current day millennial app designer who is their only living descendant. An accident in a pickle factory leads to these two worlds colliding, and they must learn and grow in a complicated world. You get a double dose of Rogen as they both try to pursue their own versions of what the American dream is for them.

It’s not so much a comedy but a commentary on how the American dream is different for everybody. What one person puts stock and value in may be different from another and thus their goals will differ. The differences range from protecting family to making ethical choices and even having successful ancestors. Also what can be considered successful has greatly varied from over 100 years. In the end, it's really all about family; the American dream has always been about family.

An American Pickle wants to be comedy but comes off as spiteful when it tries to compare the different cultures 100 years can make. While the hurdles are overcome, the way they are placed takes the film from tasteful comedy to spiteful commentary. It’s a fine film, but had the chance to be something special, which will unfortunately place this in the forgotten film bin.