Faith Like Potatoes

Our rating: 5 out of 5

Rated: PG

reviewed by Shannon H.
 

Faith is an interesting thing in that it comes in all sizes. Some people can have faith the size of a mustard seed and others have faith that can move mountains. It’s one thing to have faith; it’s an entirely different matter to place that faith in Jesus Christ and trust Him in all things. This film, based on a true story, is an example of just that.
 
Angus Buchan (Frank Rautenbach) is a Zambian-born farmer of Scottish heritage. Farming in Zambia proved too much of a task due to the political unrest. For their safety, Angus, his wife Jill (Jeanne Neilson), and their children packed up everything and moved to KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Their first home was a small trailer with little of the bare necessities to get them by. Jill then “christens” their new home by naming it shalom, which means “peace.” The first few months are frustrating for Angus as he starts to grow crops in his new farmland. His temper scares a couple of his hired hands after they accidentally break his tractor. Angus’ temperament slowly becomes worse, causing Jill to say she wants her old husband back. One of their hired hands, Simeon (Hamilton Dlamini), shows Angus how to build a relatively good house in a few weeks using the natural materials found in nearby nature.
 
After disclosing some of the family problems to a friend, Jill is then invited to take her family to a local church event to make some friends. Angus grudgingly goes after Jill pleads with him to come to the event. They are invited to attend the church’s Sunday services, where Angus and his family dedicate their lives to Christ. Since Angus’ conversion, he has become a different man. He no longer loses his temper or drinks to excess. His newfound faith has impacted everyone, including his old drinking buddies and his hired hands. Angus’ trust in God helps him in his professional life as a farmer and in his familial life as a husband and father. His faith in God becomes bigger as he prays for a big potato crop during an extremely dry spell when most of his friends and even his pastor tell him that there is a fine line between faith and wishful thinking. However, Angus is undaunted, believing God will deliver a plentiful potato crop even during a drought.
 
Since the film is rated PG, it is better for ages 11 and up because some of the material might be inappropriate for young children. After being cut off in traffic, a man goes after the other motorist and punches him (his wife pulls him away). A man accidentally runs over his nephew with his tractor after the nephew falls forward. The scene is slightly graphic as the man tries to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and the little boy coughs up blood. The man is later seen at a hospital with blood covering his shirt and blouse after he carried his nephew into the emergency room. After drinking too much alcohol, a man vomits out of a window (away from the audience). There is no sexual content, but a man is seen wearing nothing but his boxer shorts as he answers a telephone call in the middle of the night.
 
Faith Like Potatoes isn’t all that great, cinematically speaking. Most of the film focuses on Angus’ struggles and accomplishments and not enough on his attempt to grow potatoes during a dry spell. Some of the scenes jump from one plot line to the next with little depth or explanation. Angus’ story takes place in the 1970s and 1980s, but the scenery and the costumes are quite anachronistic, coming from the 90s into the 2000s. The acting isn't bad. Frank Rautenbach steals the show as Angus Buchan, likewise with Hamilton Dlamini as Angus’ Zulu farm worker, Simeon. These two actors made their characters come alive. The only great thing about this film is the message that we need to trust God in all things. Angus makes this clear as he preaches to an audience at King’s Park Stadium when he recites 2 Chronicles 7:14. If one can look beyond the film’s many flaws, this would be a great idea for a family or church movie night. It may not be a good movie, but it can help someone re-evaluate their faith in God or perhaps lead someone to the saving knowledge of Christ.