In This Flick, A Good Story Takes A Quick ‘Powder’
“Powder” is the best kind of bad movie - an unusual, compelling idea that just doesn’t cut it.
The title character is an albino teenager with awesome, frightening powers. Early in the movie he pulls a Uri Geller, mind-melding a cafeteria full of cutlery into a towering sculpture of flatware. By the end, he’s summoning lightning and transmitting energy fields into dying animals and people.
As played by Sean Patrick Flanery, Powder is a compelling character - he moves and dresses like an old man, but he has the eyes of a child and he has a deep-seated pain that is not of this world. He’s a giving, nurturing person and, of course, the rednecks in his hayseed Texas town can’t stand him.
Part “Edward Scissorhands,” part “E.T.” and all just too darn much, “Powder” is made up of a lot of elements that don’t fit together. The wondrous Mary Steenburgen plays a social worker who appears and disappears without having much impact. Ditto Jeff Goldblum, who at least gives the movie some humor and some color - he seems to be taunting the pale Powder with a tan that would make George Hamilton weep with envy.
“Powder” has a dreary subplot involving the local sheriff and his estranged son. Director/ writer Victor Salva miscalculates big time by making their story the emotional climax of the movie, since we couldn’t care less about father or son. And the ending, which features the backs of four actors (embarrassed?) is true to the spirit of the movie, but dramatically unsatisfying.
As a result, “Powder” becomes a Nitpickfest. We’re told that Powder is completely hairless, but what about his big, Liza Minnelli eyelashes? Why do Steenburgen and Goldblum seem to be playing two halves of one role? And why the heck can’t the bombastic musical score just shut up and stop telling us how to feel?
MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: “POWDER” Location: East Sprague, Lyons and Showboat cinemas Credits: Directed by Victor Salva; starring Sean Patrick Flanery, Mary Steenburgen Running time: 1:50 Rating: PG-13