SXSW Documentary Review: ‘Potato Dreams Of America’

Review by James Lindorf

The focus of our latest coverage from SXSW Online 2021 is “Potato Dreams of America” which is making its world premiere at the film festival. This feature-length film is an extension of the short film “Potato” which won the Grand Jury Award for Documentary Short at SXSW 2017. Writer and Director Wes Hurley’s autobiographical dark comedy is a beguiling blend of a laugh-out-loud farce and a heartbreaking drama. The LGBTQIA+ community meets Jojo Rabbit in this true story of a gay boy growing up in the collapsing USSR, his courageous mail-order bride mother, and their escape to Seattle in the ’90s.

Young Potato (Hersh Powers) and his single mother, Lena (Sera Barbieri), live vicariously through their television. Their lives would be forever changed when their tiny town starts picking up a third station. Not only does this increase the amount of content they can watch by 50%, but it is also the only channel showing American movies. Driven to find a husband and a better life, Lena begins corresponding with John (Dan Lauria “The Wonder Years”), a lonely American man searching for a partner with similar values. While Lena writes John, the new network is awakening something in Potato, leading him to question his sexuality, a topic he discusses with a vision of Jesus (Jonathan Bennett “Mean Girls”). When mother and son make their way to America, they learn not everything is as wonderful as Hollywood made it seem. That being who you are in front of the people could be dangerous and maybe result in a ticket back to Russia.

It can be hard to separate truth from fiction in this shocking coming of age story. The 2019 hit “Jojo Rabbit” is the most apt comparison I can think of at the moment. They both focus on young boys learning about who they are, what the world is really like, and doing it with the help of an imaginary friend. Hurley was able to get great performances from the two actresses who play Lena (Marya Sea Kaminski and Barbieri) and Powers as young Potato. Surprisingly, baring a coming-out scene, the weakest performance came from Tyler Bocock, who played the older version of Potato. Possibly in response to the interpretation given, when they arrived in America, Lena and John took more central roles in Potato’s story. Hurley created a humorous and emotionally powerful film with “Potato Dreams of America.” Still, because he lacks both the polish and the budget of Taika Waititi, I don’t expect there to be any Oscar nominations in 2022.