Powder (film)



Powder is a 1995 film starring Sean Patrick Flanery as Jeremy "Powder" Reed, an albino boy born with supernatural powers. Powder's mother had died during pregnancy and his father had disowned him, so his grandparents cared for him instead, though keeping him in the basement with nothing but books for solace. CPS agents take Powder from his home and to bring Powder into the outside world after his grandfather was discovered dead.

This film was directed by Victor Salva, who was guilty of molesting a 12-year-old child actor in 1988. Salva's victim would eventually come forward to get others to attempt to boycott the film, a possible reason for its disappointing box office revenues (US$31 million) The controversy and low return is probably why Disney--owner of the film's production company Hollywood Pictures--has never re-hired Salva since.

This film provides examples of:

 * Bullying a Dragon: The bullies try to strip Powder naked after they catch him checking out other boys in the shower.
 * Dawson Casting: The then 29-year-old Sean Patrick Flanery playing a teenage boy.
 * Did Not Get the Girl: Because her father's a raging bigot.
 * Heroic Albino
 * Humans Are Bastards: One of the overall themes of the film.
 * Jeff Goldblum: As quirky physics teacher Donald Ripley.
 * Magical Defibrillator: With his powers, he is this.
 * Mistaken for Gay: One point of the film has Powder stare at one of the boys at the gym washing himself in a drinking fountain, but envious of the hair on his head and body that he lacks, not that he's sexually attracted to him. The other boys catch him for this, assuming he's gay.
 * Teens Are Monsters: John especially, although he's revealed to be like this because
 * Mistaken for Gay: One point of the film has Powder stare at one of the boys at the gym washing himself in a drinking fountain, but envious of the hair on his head and body that he lacks, not that he's sexually attracted to him. The other boys catch him for this, assuming he's gay.
 * Teens Are Monsters: John especially, although he's revealed to be like this because