When I was a teen, I
prided myself on being the first in my group to see a new film, or to
see a film most other teens didn’t know about. Having older
siblings, I was made aware of certain films I wouldn’t have
otherwise known. One of these such films, was called “Powder”.
The idea for this film
must have started with a common theme in most movies made about and
for teenagers; being the outcast. The one who is different, and
stands out from the crowd for a reason that’s all their own. And
it’s clear from the onset that the main character of Powder as he’s
been nicknamed, or Jeremy being his birth name, couldn’t be any
more of an outcast. Born as an albino, or so it appears at first, he
is raised in secret by his grandparents on a remote farm. When his
grandparents pass away, the local Sheriff and a school teacher arrive
to discover an amazing find.
Descending into the
dark, damp basement of the farm house, they see shelves of books and
a pale white face starting out from the shadows. The teacher Jessie,
(Mary Steenburgen) offers Powder a chance to join society. But as he
takes his first few steps outside the house, Powder shows he’s not
just an albino, but also something of a genius. He can recall any
page of any book word-for-word and has some kind of relationship to
thunderstorms, and lightning.
Upon entering school
for the first time, Powder becomes the freak in a show of extremely
normal people. And being a small town, every set of eyes that stares
at him singles him out as the wierdo, the queer, and every other name
under the sun. Trying his best to fit in, Powder isn’t sure how to
socialise with other teens, as his life has been lived in books, and
in a basement. He keeps to himself due to his differences, but longs
for connection on any level. After the school conduct an IQ test,
it’s revealed he has an IQ higher than any other human being in
history, even Einstein. Another teacher, Donald, (Jeff Goldblum)
offers to help Powder share his unique gifts with the world, seeing
him as something of a beacon of light in a dark world. But despite
his extremely high intelligence, his vast knowledge and powers of
telepathy and touch, Powder just wants to go home.
He doesn’t fit into
this small town life, and to him that’s his perception of the whole
world. Try as hard as he may to blend in, with dark sunglasses, a hat
and clothes to hide his pale skin, he just can’t be accepted by the
boys in his school, the local police and the entire town, who stare
and verbally bash him. Knowing he would never be accepted, Powder
begins a mission to return home, whatever the cost to those who are
trying to help him and even at a cost to himself.
Powder is an unusual,
one of a kind film. You may only watch it once, but I’m sure you’ll
never forget it. You’d do best to watch it alone, as it’s a film
that communicates with the viewer on a deeply personal and individual level.
It’s not about wowing an entire audience at once, or a film that
you talk about with others as it plays; rather, you immerse yourself
in its emotional depth and almost hypnotic quality, connecting you
with Powder, played to perfection by Sean Patrick Flanery, and
feeling his sorrow and pain as he tries to find his place in the
world. It will make you think about the uniqueness and greatness that
lies within you, and inspire you to just be who you are, no matter
how you look to others, or how they look back at you.
There are some rich
themes at work in the film; about conformity, identify, fear and
destiny. It asks some big questions, and tackles the answers with
enthusiasm and also sensitivity. The final question it will ask you,
which I won’t give away the answer to, but more or less makes you wonder “What
happened to Powder at the end?” is what will occupy your mind long
after the credits have rolled, and for many years to come. Watching
it again recently for this series of reviews was only the second time
I had done so; I first watched this in 1996 and for a whole twenty
years, it stayed with me. Discover Powder for
yourself. You won’t regret it.
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