When telling a familiar story it's helpful that it's done in an original and entertaining way. Potato Dreams accomplishes both. A Russian boy and his mother emigrate to America via an American mail-order-bride scheme designed for men in the US who don't bond well with women who have any choices whatsoever with the direction and choices of their lives. It is into this marriage that the mother, with no English language and no prospects in a new and foreign land, brings herself and her young son to America. This bleak marriage is, sadly, more preferable to the Russian life she left behind. The son is left to come to terms with his sexuality in an American household led by a dogmatic stepfather with deep dark secrets of his own.
This desperate story is imbued with comedic frivolity by telling it in a storybook manner with charming stylishness. This effect never undervalues the seriousness of the characters' struggles, but rather makes them all the more dire by their contrast against the the light hearted context in which they're delivered.
Writer/director, Wes Hurley, has done a masterful job of bringing his personal story to the screen. His characters are engaging, especially Jesus, and hold your attention. I found myself captivated. There are so many big budget films that have every advantage going for them but are unwatchable. It is nice to come across this small indie film that punches well above its weight and leaves me eager for a sequel.
If you watch Potato Dreams you'll enjoy it.
