HomeFilm‘Potato Dreams of America’ DVD review

‘Potato Dreams of America’ DVD review

Potato (Hersh Powers) lives with his family in the collapsing USSR and he dreams about escaping from his life. His mother Lena (Sera Barbieri) does her best but sharing Potato’s desire to have a better life, she becomes a mail order bride so that she can move her son to America. Upon arriving in America, Potato starts to come to terms with his burgeoning sexuality while his mother tries to keep her new husband happy so they don’t get sent back to Russia.

‘Potato Dreams of America’ is an autobiographical story from writer/director Wes Hurley, which began life as an award-winning short, ‘Little Potato’, in 2017. Focusing on Potato, the story tells the tale of a young boy who realises he’s different from the people around him but isn’t quite able to put his finger on it. Living with his mother Lena and his strong-willed grandmother, Potato is bullied and also starting to realise that he may have an attraction to men that he doesn’t know how to put into words.

Potato Dreams of America
Credit: TLA Releasing

Despite being close with his Lena, who is battling mental health issues, Potato doesn’t say anything about how he’s feeling. A sense of relief comes over him when Lena agrees to be a mail order bride for an American man but neither Potato nor Lena really understands what that’s going to entail. With big dreams and hopes for the future, the mother-son duo arrives in the US and realise that Lena’s new husband really expects to be waited on hand-and-foot, and he’s got absolutely no time for anything that falls outside of traditional Christian values.

The first half of the film was stronger for me than the second. I was more engaged in the story of Potato as a youngster and understanding the situation he grew up in. The characters in his family are wild and wacky, and Potato’s experience of growing up is one that many gay people would be able to relate to. Things lose their steam a little in the second half when the pace picks up and Potato starts to embrace his sexuality, while trying to hide it from his stepfather. A little more care and attention here could have fleshed the story out some more rather than it feeling rushed.

Potato Dreams of America
Credit: TLA Releasing

With two actors playing Lena and two playing Potato over the course of the film, there’s a surprising amount of continuity between the actors. I believed that I was watching these two characters at different stages of their lives, and Marya Sea Kaminski really stood as the older version of Lena in America. Hersh Powers steals a few scenes during the film’s first half portraying Potato as endlessly cheeky despite the hurdles he faces.

‘Potato Dreams of America’ is a quirky little film with plenty going for it. The performances are strong and the pace is zippy enough to keep you engaged throughout its relatively short running time. A little more depth wouldn’t have gone amiss and there are a few areas where the story feels like its skirting too easily over some issues, but overall it’s entertaining enough to satisfy most viewers.

Potato Dreams of America
Credit: TLA Releasing

Cast: Tyler Bocok, Marya Sea Kaminski, Jonathan Bennett, Lea DeLaria, Sera Barbieri, Hersh Powers Director: Wes Hurley Writer: Wes Hurley Certificate: 18 Duration: 97 mins Released by: TLA Releasing Release date: 22nd August 2022 Buy ‘Potato Dreams of America’ now

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Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip is the owner and Editor of Entertainment Focus, and the Managing Director of Piñata Media. With over 19 years of journalism experience, Pip has interviewed some of the biggest stars in the entertainment world. He is also a qualified digital marketing expert with over 20 years of experience.

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