Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- somber
- melancholic
- reflective
- quiet evening
- literary adaptation night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the adaptation well-intentioned but unable to translate the psychological and thematic complexity of Philip Roth’s novel effectively.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Swede Levov’s idealized New Jersey family life deteriorates after Merry becomes a violent activist.
Swede continues searching for and trying to understand Merry after her radicalization and disappearance.
Vietnam-era activism and political violence directly disrupt the Levovs’ marriage, home, and family identity.
Swede’s status as an athlete, husband, businessman, and community ideal gradually proves unable to protect his family.
Films like American Pastoral, and why
The Ice Storm
Shared themes of parental love, political upheaval, and a family destabilized by an idealistic child’s radicalization.
Revolutionary Road
Shared literary family drama framework, 1960s social unrest, and the collapse of an apparently prosperous suburban household.
The Reader
Shared focus on American identity, parent child conflict, and the painful consequences of political violence.
The Human Stain
Shared historical drama atmosphere, morally complicated family relationships, and intimate responses to national trauma.
Movie Details
- Director
- Ewan McGregor
- Release Date
- 2016-10-20
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (750)
Cast
- Ewan McGregor
- Jennifer Connelly
- Dakota Fanning
- David Strathairn
- Peter Riegert
- Rupert Evans
- Uzo Aduba
- Molly Parker
- Valorie Curry
- Hannah Nordberg
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is American Pastoral about?
- A celebrated suburban father’s faith in family, prosperity, and American normalcy is shattered when his daughter embraces political violence.
- What is American Pastoral like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of American Pastoral as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is American Pastoral violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in American Pastoral as moderate.
- What did critics think of American Pastoral?
- Critics broadly found the adaptation well-intentioned but unable to translate the psychological and thematic complexity of Philip Roth’s novel effectively.
- Which films are like American Pastoral?
- Films with a similar feel include The Ice Storm, Revolutionary Road, The Reader, and The Human Stain.
- How long is American Pastoral?
- American Pastoral runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch American Pastoral?
- In United States, American Pastoral streams on Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
