Synopsis:
Because teenager Jeremy Reed has skin that's literally as white as snow, everyone calls him "Powder". He also has extraordinary powers: telekinesis, telepathy, and an incredibly high IQ, a condition caused when lightning struck his mother during her pregnancy. She died after the accident, and since then Powder's grandfather has locked him in the basement, hiding him from all mankind. But after his guardian dies, the newly discovered lad goes to a school for troubled boys. Here, Powder's special gifts finally reveal themselves for better or for worse. Although two teachers and a pretty girl have befriended him, Powder will never enjoy an easy life, for he is truly a stranger in a strange land.

Notes:
Released theatrically in the USA October 27, 1995. The film grossed $29.7 million domestically. Color by DuArt, prints by Technicolor. Shot on location in and around Houston, Texas. Additional credit: Carol Louise Green, Larry Lerner, Edward L. Haggarty and Jeff Kay (assistant directors). Soundtrack available on Hollywood Records. Rated BBFC 12 by the British Board of Film Classification.

Reviews:
"...[POWDER] achieves a rare, compelling strangeness....The constant, hypnotic low-key tension means that the few special effects showpieces are made all the more exhilarating..." - 05/01/1996 Sight and Sound, p.57-8

"...Performed to the hilt by Flanery and filmed with conviction by Victor Salva..." - 10/27/1995 USA Today, p.4D

"...[The] film features some fine performances, an imaginative premise and a couple of go-for-broke emotional scenes..." - 10/30/1995 Variety