The Pickle

1993
R
1h 43m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Harry Stone (Danny Aiello), a formerly top notch director, has had three disastrous movies in a row. Facing dismissal from the top perch of Hollywood and financial ruin from back taxes, he i... Read allHarry Stone (Danny Aiello), a formerly top notch director, has had three disastrous movies in a row. Facing dismissal from the top perch of Hollywood and financial ruin from back taxes, he is forced to take on a very commercial and, he believes, ridiculous movie. Now as he faces ... Read allHarry Stone (Danny Aiello), a formerly top notch director, has had three disastrous movies in a row. Facing dismissal from the top perch of Hollywood and financial ruin from back taxes, he is forced to take on a very commercial and, he believes, ridiculous movie. Now as he faces the film's release and, he believes, another total flop which will complete his ruin, he m... Read all

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IMDb RATING

4.4/10

761

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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User reviews9

4.4761

Featured reviews

8converse751

Great midlife crisis fantasy

This is a great off-the-wall romantic comedy about love, work, pandering to the public taste, and midlife crises. The main character is a talented movie director who decides to make a silly PG-13 movie to get himself out of hock with the IRS. It has an excellent cast, a wide range of humor (from deadpan to slapstick), and fine writing. It's also a wry send-up of the movie industry. The metacommentary includes several excellent cuts between reality and the movie that's being made, and in some places the film departs from strict realism. The result is a multi-dimensional masterpiece of wry midlife humor.

7manitobaman81

Good

The story to this movie was very different and creative. It's dumb, loud and spectacular when it needed some wit and a better leading man. Everything about this film could make anyone laugh. An intelligent script, with direction that does it justice. It's a film that fails to take advantage of its cool premise, that makes you wish they had done better rather than spoiling a good idea. The editing lets the actors breathe and the music lets the atmosphere live. Still, I thought this was cute and not bad at all. There are slow spots, but to me the movie is too good to dismiss based on them. As a final rating, I receives 7 out of 10.

4smatysia

Not totally bad...

It's hard to decide what to say about this one. It isn't totally, one hundred percent bad. Although the movie-in-a-movie is unspeakably bad, meant to be campy, but missing by a mile. I'm pretty sure that this is intentional, however. Danny Aiello is perfectly adequate here, and more or less nails his pathetic character. Dyan Cannon was good in a small role. Clotilde Courau was impressive as the latest twenty-something girlfriend. And Linda Carlson had a brave topless scene that she pulled off very well.

So, it's not totally bad, but I don't believe that this one accomplishes its goals. All in all, it's probably worth passing on.

jimjohnson-57331

Great early 90s comedy-satire.

Harry Stone (Danny Aiello) is a well-known director who has built his reputation on doing films of depth and biting satire. When he finds himself in a financial bind, however, the lure of a big check seduces him into compromising his artistic values and directing a script that no self-respecting professional would associate his name with. The Pickle (the movie- within-the-movie) is a terrible story about a giant cucumber that's actually a space ship. As the film's premiere approaches, Harry goes through twenty-four hours of intense anxiety. Paul Mazursky's The Pickle is in the tradition of The Big Picture and The Player, and, like those films, elements of this quirky, satirical farce are not ideal for general consumption. However, for those who like to laugh, The Pickle offers plenty of opportunities.

10danblumensev

A wonderful, contemplative and heartwarming film

I have no idea why this brilliant Paul Mazursky film has such a low rating on imdb... The Pickle is a brilliant, heartwarming film about a movie director's contemplative journey through his past as he is about to premiere a supposed stinker. Filled with great actors and a hilarious script, this is one beautiful, warm and wonderful film that I highly recommend especially if you like Woody Allen's Stardust Memories.