Double the Seth Rogen, double the fun! In HBO Max’s new film, An American Pickle, we get not just one… but two Seth Rogens bringing great laughs to our screens. Based off of The New Yorker novella, “Sell Out” by Simon Rich, An American Pickle is a story about family, entrepreneurship, and of course, how much has changed over 100 years – including the great invention of the Sodastream sparkling water maker!
An American Pickle “stars Seth Rogen as Herschel Greenbaum, a struggling laborer who immigrates to America in 1919 with dreams of building a better life for his beloved family. One day, while working at his factory job, he falls into a vat of pickles and is brined for 100 years. The brine preserves him perfectly and when he emerges in present day Brooklyn, he finds that he hasn’t aged a day. But when he seeks out his family, he learns that his only surviving relative is his great-grandson Ben Greenbaum (also played by Rogen), a mild-mannered computer coder whom Herschel can’t even begin to understand” (source: HBO Max).
When an actor plays a dual-role in a project, it’s always a thrill. It’s not an easy task and it requires great skill and mastery as an actor, and Rogen once again proved how much of a brilliant and versatile actor he is through his work in this film. Whether he’s Aaron Rapaport in The Interview, Mac Radner in Neighbors, or Herschel Greenbaum / Ben Greenbaum in An American Pickle, Rogen always makes every role a memorable one and it’s clear to see why he’s the accomplished actor he is today.
Aside from the many hilarious moments in the film, there are many endearing ones as well, especially regarding leaving a legacy for your family. Despite how different Herschel and Ben may be from one another, 100 years apart will do that, in a sense, they also have a lot of similarities – from the solitude in their lives to their emphasis on family. This movie makes us all wonder what it would be like to meet a family member who was alive 100 years ago. They’d surely be amazed by the influx of different social media apps… and maybe be as impressed as Herschel to see a sparkling water maker… or that many people have way over 25 pairs of socks.
To celebrate the movie’s release, a special, virtual premiere took place on August 4, 2020 with a live screening of the film. Following the screening, a live Q&A discussion took place with star and producer Seth Rogen, producer Evan Goldberg, director Brandon Trost and writer Simon Rich. The terrific, virtual conversation was moderated by Rotten Tomatoes editor, Jacqueline Coley. During the discussion, Rogen talked about what it was like being his own co-star and he, Goldberg, Trost and Rich answered some questions submitted in by guests of the event.
Alexisjoyvipaccess had a DILL-ightful time attending the exceptional, virtual premiere of An American Pickle and was honored to receive a marvelous #GiftFromHBOMax filled with pickle-inspired treats. The wonderful gift box included delicious pickles from The Pickle Guys, sugar cookies that looked like pickles, a knish kit, Wild Turkey Bourbon and a Pickle Back, and more spectacular treats. The gift box even included a Sodastream FIZZI sparkling water maker – (OMG!!) Herschel would be jumping for joy to receive this phenomenal gift as I sure was!
It goes without saying that every project Rogen works on turns to gold, and even with a rather different and more sentimental tone to this movie, he managed to keep viewers entertained every second of the film. An American Pickle is a movie viewers will undoubtedly thoroughly enjoy and it will certainly pickle your fancy!
Watch An American Pickle out now on HBO Max! Follow @HBOMax on social media and join in on the online conversation by using #AnAmericanPickle.