ReelBob: ‘Potato Dreams of America’ ★★★½
By Bob Bloom
Writer-director Wes Hurley’s feature, “Potato Dreams of America,” opens with the now-familiar disclaimer “based on true events” — which it does.
Hurley’s movie, however, comes off more like a memory-piece fairy tale.
The story begins in Vladivostok, in the Soviet Union, where Potato lives with his mother, grandmother and mom’s abusive boyfriend.
The sequence is filtered through a boy’s imagination. You can almost visualize, “Once upon a time …” appearing on the screen.
Potato (Hersh Powers) is definitely an individualist, with views of his own that do not jibe with Soviet doctrine. He inherited his nonconformity from his mother, Lena (Sera Barbieri), a doctor in a prison, who refuses to turn a blind eye when prisoners are killed — either by guards or other inmates.
Lena and Potato share a cramped apartment with Lena’s outspoken and judgmental mother, Tamara (Lea DeLaria), who criticizes her daughter for not having a mind in her life and tells Potato that he is too soft and will probably die when he is called to serve his mandatory military service.
Though set in the real world, the movie elicits a fantasy-like aura that entices you to follow Potato and Lena’s journey.
Their lives do not improve after the fall of the Soviet Union so, after more setbacks, Lena decides to advertise as a Russian bride so she and her son can hopefully live in America.
About the 39-minute mark in this 96-minute movie, Lena and Potato are in America. Lena has married John (Dan Lauria), who lives in a Seattle suburb. He seems like a decent guy, while showing flashes of a dark, secretive side.
Their new country offers new challenges for Lena and Potato, now portrayed by Marya Sea Kaminski and Tyler Bocock.
At his new high school, a teacher tells Potato, who yearns to assimilate, that he should embrace his Russian heritage and culture, a notion he resists. He wants to fully accept the United States and become an American.
Lena must contend with her new husband. He had converted to Russian Orthodox because he admired it rigidity, which causes tension in the home.
Meanwhile, Potato is dealing with his awakening sexuality, finally confessing to Lena that he is gay. The unfazed mother happily and lovingly accepts her son, taking his confession in stride. However, they decide to keep the news from John.
“Potato Dreams of America” is a warm and appealing, propelled by winning performances by the main characters. It’s not only a celebration of the immigrant experience, but a loving portrait of acceptance and, ultimately, being true to yourself and having the courage to reveal who you really are.
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob.com or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.
POTATO DREAMS OF AMERICA
3½ stars out of 4
Not rated, sexual content, partial nudity, violence, language