Two very strong performances anchor “Potato Dreams of America,” Seattle-based filmmaker Wes Hurley’s thought-provoking dramatization of his childhood in his native Russia and, later, as a teen in Seattle.

It’s entertaining, and even sexy at times in ways that are distinctive and inventive.

The film, sweet as it is, fails to strike a manageable or engaging enough tone as it treads some overly familiar territory...

Potato Dreams of America is a sweet and endearing story about a boy and his mother that go through a total transformation to get the life they always wanted.