Sean Patrick Flannery is an incredibly under rated actor after this remarkable performance he gave in "Powder", while the story is very dark and just not pleasant, he really gave it his all into this film and you can see how emotionally connected he is in it. We also have Mary Steinberg and Jeff Goldblum who give their all into their characters, I just think they were not that well developed enough. They could have had a little more.
The movie starts off with a mother and father rushing into labor, only on the way, unfortunately is struck by listening in a massive thunderstorm. She does not survive, but the baby does and the father is not only devastated but rejects his son. Sean plays Jeremy or as most people call him, "Powder" due to him being an albino. He is hidden in his grandparent's basement and has never been out of the house. When his grandmother passes, Jessica Caldwill, played by Mary Steinberg, convinces Jeremy that he must leave and they'll give him and home and school to attend. He does leave and slowly progresses towards what he thinks may be a better life.
When Donald Ripley, a school teacher, has the I.Q. results for Jeremy for his school, he is amazed. There is no score high enough for Jeremy, he's smarter than Albert Einstein. He can memorize book pages word for word, he knows agonizing math problems, and knows the pain of the world. He also has a mysterious power where he if he is exposed to electricity, he gets electrocuted. He also has the power to make people feel the same pain as they inflicted unto another, he also can read minds. Unfortunately, this isn't making him very popular with the jocks of the school who brutally torment him not just mentally but physically. There is only really Donald, Jessica, and another girl Lidnsey who want to be his friends. Only he's just not willing to except this world of pain when so many people doubt and torture him like Doug Barnum who is the town's sheriff and just thinks Jeremy is a freak. His wife is unfortunately dying and comes to Jeremy to ask for a favor and to help him find out what his wife wants. This scene is so extremely touching and tearful. The scene that got to most to me is when the boys go on a hunting trip and the coach shoots a deer for sport and are just laughing at this poor deer dying. Jeremy then takes his hand on the deer and his other hand on the coach and the coach starts to have somewhat of a seizure, and he made the coach feel the same pain he put on the deer. Poetic justice and well deserved I thought.
"Powder", despite being depressing, is a pretty decent picture worth viewing if you are in the mood for a sappy flick. But trust me, it is worth the it, you get a great performance that deserved more praise by Sean, also the same with Mary and Jeff. The acting just takes this movie to where it should be.
7/10
