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Struck by Lightning Play Trailer

Struck by Lightning (2012)

tomatometer

14

Average Rating: 4.5/10
Critic Reviews: 14
Fresh: 2 | Rotten: 12

No consensus yet.

audience

61

liked it
Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 6,564

My Rating

Movie Info

High school senior Carson Phillips (Chris Colfer, "Glee") was on a path to greatness, when he was suddenly killed by a bolt of lightning in his school parking lot. Carson recounts the last few weeks of his life via witty, insightful flashbacks, including a blackmail scheme targeting the popular kids concocted with his best friend (Rebel Wilson, BRIDESMAIDS) and a home life that includes a mother (Allison Janney, JUNO, "The West Wing") 's more interested in the bottle than her son's future and an

Unrated,

Drama, Comedy

Chris Colfer

May 21, 2013

$22.9k

Tribeca Film - Official Site External Icon

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Struck by Lightning Trailer & Photos

Critic Reviews for Struck by Lightning

All Critics (26) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (7) | Rotten (19)

Colfer is still very young, but he needs to learn that "snide" is not a point of view.

January 11, 2013 Full Review Source: Newark Star-Ledger
Stephen Whitty
Newark Star-Ledger
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Ultimately, it all portends a much brighter future for Colfer than for Carson.

January 11, 2013 Full Review Source: New York Post
Sara Stewart
New York Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

If only "Struck by Lightning" had a sharper, stronger perspective, it might have made more of its conceit.

January 10, 2013 Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times
Mark Olsen
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Except for Ms. Janney's monstrous mother and an Alzheimer's-afflicted grandmother (Polly Bergen), "Struck by Lightning" gives its characters no dimension.

January 10, 2013 Full Review Source: New York Times
Stephen Holden
New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

There isn't much to say about Struck by Lightning, except that it's one of those interchangeable teen movies that lands in theaters in early January, the morgue for films nobody knows what to do with.

January 10, 2013 Full Review Source: NPR
Ella Taylor
NPR
Top Critic IconTop Critic

In his screenwriting debut, Glee's gifted Chris Colfer, 22, proves he can lace a line with sass and soul.

January 10, 2013 Full Review Source: Rolling Stone
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
Top Critic IconTop Critic

There are some nice spins on old high school clichés and enough off-center characters and good, occasionally great, dialogue that should make this one of the year's early hits in the art house market.

June 6, 2013 Full Review Source: Film Threat
Elias Savada
Film Threat

The main character is more off-putting than endearing.

January 14, 2013 Full Review Source: Cinemalogue.com
Todd Jorgenson
Cinemalogue.com

Edgy high school comedy from Glee star has some iffy stuff

January 11, 2013 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media
Sandie Angulo Chen
Common Sense Media

Struck By Lightning possesses a jarring mixture of tones, with moments of dark comedy sitting somewhat uneasily alongside scenes of quiet domestic drama.

January 11, 2013 Full Review Source: Television Without Pity
Ethan Alter
Television Without Pity

It's not exactly ambitious, but Struck by Lightning is a noble failure, with individual elements more interesting than the strangled, distracted whole.

January 10, 2013 Full Review Source: Blu-ray.com
Brian Orndorf
Blu-ray.com

Lightning is a funny, fast-moving movie, packed with barbed one-liners, goofy hyperbole, and all the oversized exasperation of teen angst. But it's too acid, particularly where Colfer is concerned.

January 10, 2013 Full Review Source: AV Club
Tasha Robinson
AV Club

"Glee" favorite Chris Colfer wrote and stars in this particularly self-serving vehicle, the narcissism of which impedes the fun.

January 9, 2013 Full Review Source: Film Journal International
David Noh
Film Journal International

A decidedly uncertain step into feature films from an actor with a long career ahead of him.

January 9, 2013 Full Review Source: Oregonian
Marc Mohan
Oregonian
View all critic reviews (26)

Audience Reviews for Struck by Lightning

View All
I guess I was expecting the movie to be funny considering it listed as a comedy. Instead what I got was a quite dark and depressing film about a boy desperately wanting to escape his life. I couldn't find any of the characters likable. Especially the MC Carson. He is very cynical of everyone and quite closed off and a bit bratty when he doesn't get his way. I did like Rebel as Malerie. But the rest of the characters where dull and boring. The acting wasn't so great either. A decent movie but nothing worth seeing again.
March 18, 2012
LWOODS04
♥˩ƳИИ ƜѲѲƉƧ♥

Super Reviewer

I really enjoyed this. I thought it was really funny but also poignant. I liked the message in their about staying true to yourself and how it's important to dream and have aspirations. Sure, Carson could kind of be a jerk sometimes but you could see why he was so sarcastic. I think it was his way of dealing with the crap in his life. His mom was pretty much an alcoholic, his dad left them and didn't seem like he wanted to be a part of his life. Not once, while he was April (hid fiancee who was 6 months pregnant) did he ever mention that he had a son. His grandma has Alzheimer's. She doesn't even seem to remember him most of the time. But even so, I dont think he was always a jerk. I really liked the scene with him and Claire (Sarah hyland) where he asks her why she thinks she'll never make it out of this town and do better for herself. And he talks about how in grade 2 she told everyone she wanted to be a ballerina, and he asks "What happened to that girl?". And as she responds that everyone laughed at her. He tells her "I never laughed". I think its sweet that he wanted her to do something that SHE wanted. The ending had me in tears. It was sad of course that he died and didn't go on to college and do the things he wanted, but he did inspire people while on earth and I thought that was powerful in a way. I also cried for his mom Cheryl (Alison Janney) when she finds out that he dies. The way she keeps calling him and hoping that its just some mistake. She wasn't perfect (far from it), but she did care for him.

All in all, I enjoyed this film and recommend it.
March 10, 2012
mrbicklethepickle
m h

Super Reviewer

Struck by Lightning Quotes

    1. Grandma: Sometimes a personal rain cloud, can be deadly.
    – Submitted by Kristy L (5 months ago)
    1. Malerie Baggs: Carson, Are we friends?
    2. Carson Phillips: I think we're best friends, Malerie.
    3. Malerie Baggs: Cool.
    – Submitted by Tim L (5 months ago)
    1. Claire Mathews: Oh Carson, you always thought you were so much better than us because we all couldn't stand you but get ready for pure hatred coming your way because as soon as the rest of the school finds out about this and they tell their parents, the entire town will actually hate you!
    2. Carson Phillips: ALRIGHT, ENOUGH! ALRIGHT!? I didn't just stand up for myself in there, I was standing up for all of you! The minute you guys walked onto this campus, you were labelled as high school royalty and you would rather maintain that label then heaven forbid stand up for yourselves! But high school ends! And for your sakes, I hope you guys aren't the walking cliches everyone thinks you are 'cause life is going to walk all over you - it's going to bite you in the ass!
    – Submitted by B A (5 months ago)
    1. April: Your dad tells me you're quite popular at school.
    – Submitted by Chris P (5 months ago)
    1. Carson Phillips: Why is it that some people are selfish by nature and others have to be selfish just to survive?
    – Submitted by Arri M (5 months ago)
    1. Carson Phillips: And then it suddenly came to me. I had one more story to add.
    – Submitted by Tim L (5 months ago)
View all quotes (6)

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