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

758

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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User reviews9

4.4758

Featured reviews

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.

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.

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.

2Ddey65

A bad movie ABOUT a bad movie

A bad movie ABOUT a bad movie. Is that original, or what? If it is, then that's the only good thing about it. The lovely Ally Sheedy couldn't stop this bomb from destroying movie theaters and VCR's everywhere. It should also be noted, that she, and the other actors hired by Danny Aiello's character were billed as themselves, as well as the characters they played in his D-rated film. Calling it a B-rated film, is too much of a compliment, and would lead to delusions of grandeur.

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.