Struck by Lightning Reviews

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.

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.

A filmed filled with failed one-liners and bad acting and horrendous camera work. The film had so much potential with the star-studded cast, but the horrible script just didn't work, not with the stereotypical characters and forced added pop culture references. It's pretty much as if you are watching Glee, the only difference is the changes of actor. Rebel Wilson did shine as an awkward side kick of the protagonist. It had a good idea, if only someone else other than Colfer himself wrote the script, there might be a better product.

I don't know why all the critics are putting this movie down. I think that for Chris Colfer's first screenplay, this was marvelous! It had many funny moments and some interesting dialogue. Sure, the characters were all pretty cardboard-ish. But hey, it's a high school comedy! Don't think too hard, your brain will hurt.

I watched this movie with my mother. She didn't like it because there wasn't enough plot and, to quote her, "it never went anywhere." I, on the other hand, loved it because as a huge fan of Chris Colfer, I saw so much of him reflected in every aspect of it. I related to his character and saw the movie for what it is- a second chance at putting bullies in their place and proving to the world that you CAN be whatever it is you want most. I love the sarcasm and the wittiness and even the disappointing ending wasn't enough to sway me from loving this movie.

Watched and enjoyed very much. Well written, and acted. Nice to see a teen movie not directed at teen partying and sex and having to fit in. Watched in a group. We ranged in age from 13 to 41. We all got laughs, and tears from this movie. Sad to see bad reviews, most likely they are the ones who want the sex and binge drinking in the movie. This is how high school was for me. Chris Colfer hit the nail on the head!!

Making his screenwriting debut, Glee's Chris Colfer, 22, shows he's got an ear for sassy lines laced with heart, and he's not quite thinking in the box, which is promising. Struck By Lightning is hardly a homerun though. Colfer's character, Carson Phillips, dies in the very first scene, a victim of the titular action. What weighs the script and the film down is that Colfer gives himself pretty much all the best lines. Through flashbacks Carson is revealed to be too good for most everyone else, long for a career as a journalist and thumbs his nose at the usual high school stereotypes (jocks, cheerleaders, closet cases and the like) and their stupidity. It helps tremendously to have the inimitable Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect) on hand as Carson's loveably clueless best friend. Pity she's just filler, since the whole film basically works as a vanity project for Colfer. Not even director Brian Dannelly (Saved!) can get a first-rate cast, including a priceless Allison Janney as Carson's divorced, boozy mother, to transcend Carson's ego. You find yourself trying hard to root for and feel for Carson, but Colfer does most of that for you.

Pointless, with an extremely unlikeable lead, "Struck by Lightning" was a pain to watch.

Chris Colfer has 2 jobs here. as an actor and a scriptwriter. and both are intriguing and promising. at least for me.

A dark comedy with lines that were hard to handle.
Colfer's character wasn't in the least bit charming, and he should have been since you want to root for the guy who has been bullied. However there is nothing going for him, and it is almost like he dug his own hole. Be smart, and be kind. Otherwise no one is going to like you.
That being said, the message would have been better if the character had more levels. He just had one, and that was pissy. That made the message he was trying to show hallow and shallow.
Better luck next time.

Smart movie. Somebody with brains wrote this plot.

The movie succeeded only in that after I watched it I wish I had been Struck By Lightning.

I will start off this review by saying what was not good about the film: its failure to grab the viewer's attention (I had to wait for the first half to be over before things began to pick up), the obvious similarities to many other high school dramedy films (Easy A, Pitch Perfect, To Save a Life), and Colfer's (at times) unnecessarily overdone performance. Now, to the good: despite Colfer's over-performance, it was still a well-done performance nonetheless. Also, Rebel Wilson's awkward, but successful role was worth watching. And finally, the film managed to properly portray how hard life can (or will) get for many aspiring for a hopeful future, which is something that many other high school movies don't do. This film is by far not for the record books, but still shows how diverse Colfer's performance can get compared to his role as Kurt Hummel on Glee.

amazing writing, acting and so funny/sad:) loved it

I thought the movie was boring and self serving. Just unrelentingly depressing.

Struck by lighting can be described as simply a dark but inspirational teen angst type of film that can be categorized with The Perks of being a Wallflower and The Breakfast Club.

Glee's Chris Colfer plays Carson Phillips, a senior at Clover High School who is determined to make something of himself as a journalist having come from a depressing family in a small town. At the hopes of getting into his dream college by impressing them at what he can really do with his talents, Carson blackmails a random bunch of students into writing submissions for the high school's first ever literary magazine.

The film begins with the climax, Carson getting struck by lightning in the result of his death, but then the film tracks back in time for Carson to reflect on his senior year and how it lead up to his untimely death.

As for his first film screenplay, Colfer did a beginners job as in he did ok but in the future he needs to create some balance between genres he chooses to use in his screenplays and he needs to create more depth to each character.

This film actually screams straight to DVD or limited release.

Another thing, Rebel Wilson has a terrible American accent; I could still hear some Australian in her.

Overall, a great beginning to, I hope, a career in writing and possibly directing. I would love to see more by Chris Colfer. He already has two children's books out.

Struck By Lightning, I give you a 60%.

Chris Colfer's Writing debut is awesome. The storyline is filled with clichés, i know. But he uses them for satire and critic. Its a Story with emotion and sentimentalism, with very clever jokes from Colfer's and Wilson's Characters, an amazing and heartbreaking performance from Allison Janney. It's not a movie for everyone but it's very enjoyable

Rented this and loved it better then " What's Eating Gilbert Grape." Must see .

I think what made this movie amazing was how 2 dimensional the supporting characters were. It helps the viewer stay focused on the message rather than the personal drama which in the end is irrelevant to what the movie was about. I think Colfer has a great future and I look forward to seeing more of his work.