The premise of the film is superb. So many students feel alienated from their peers at some point during their high school experience that hands spewing food doesn’t seem like a far-fetched embodiment of that emotion. Many high school students can relate to an older relative telling them to embrace their uniqueness without acknowledging that what makes them unique can also make them unpopular. Ezra’s struggles to control and value her gift, to negotiate the social aspects of high school, and to cope with the pressure of college admissions are all significant.

Where the film falls short is in its ambition. If one has the ability to create food at will in a starving world (as shown when Ezra is forced to work in a soup kitchen), should one’s highest goal be to entertain friends and classmates with wacky food tricks and food fights? Disappointingly, the film steers clear of any discussion of the actual promise of his gift, other than a brief history lesson about his ancestors. Perhaps the blame should fall on his similarly talented grandmother, whose only goal is to write a cookbook.