Striking his way into the film world, young actor Chris Colfer is definitely one to watch out for. Making his debut into the world of fame through the musical comedy Glee, Colfer has decided to try his hand on the other side of the camera with screen writing with the teen comedy Struck by Lightning.
This electrifying film follows the life of high school reject Carson Phillips, played by Colfer, who’s in his senior year and trying to get into the College of his Dreams, Northwestern University, where he hopes to graduate and become a bestselling New York Times author. However, escaping the town he grew up in and learned to hate along the way is proving much harder than he first thought.
In an attempt to achieve his dreams, Carson decides that writing a literary magazine is the only way to do this. This doesn’t go down too well with his with his shallow peers. So Carson brings out his true mischievous side, and blackmails half the school in order to get entries for his magazine along with his sidekick, Malerie Baggs (Rebel Wilson, the star of Pitch Perfect).
Carson’s home life isn’t running smoothly either. Living with his divorced, jobless, forever drunken and drugged up mother (Allison Janney), who walks the town in her pyjamas and steals from shops isn’t a stroll in the park. Aren’t parents supposed to be responsible and watch over their children, or is it the other way around? Just as things are starting to look up for Carson, Dad (Dermot Mulroney), decides now is the time to take an interest in his life, after years of neglecting his son. Then to top it all off, we follow Carson’s heart-clenching relationship with his Alzheimer’s ridden Grandma. The only person that ever supported him in his dreams, his number one fan, can’t even remember who he is thanks to the memory stealing disease.
After hearing that comedic genius, Rebel Wilson (Malerie Baggs), and sweetheart Polly Bergen (Grandma) were cast, I knew straight from the off this film would be the perfect balance of witty, teen comedy and unbearable heartbreak, both bringing tears to my eyes for opposite reasons. They turned what was sure to be ‘just another film’ that explores teen problems into something truly inspirational to anyone who watches it.
This fast-moving film won’t fail to impress with its whimsical one liners. It’s the perfect tribute to all us struggling and stressed college students. For Colfer’s first film, it’s safe to say there’s a future here for him, unless extremely rare natural disasters are anything to go by. Even though there are improvements to be made, I’m sure they’ll be ironed out as he gains experience in this field, so it’s definitely worth keeping your eyes peeled for him in the near future.
Director: Brian Donnelly
Screen writer: Chris Colfer
Running time: 90 minutes
Released: 11/01/13
