Sincerity of “Struck by Lightning” strikes audiences

By Grace Calhoun,

It was “enlightening, get it?” said Chris Colfer: actor and writer of the dramatic comedy film “Struck by Lightning.”

Indeed it was, for me at least. Colfer’s first movie debut was bitingly sarcastic, clever, and emotional. Not sure how he did it, but Colfer did a great job.

“Struck by Lightning” documents the protagonist Carson Phillips’ (Colfer) senior year at Clover High School. From the movie’s get-go, it’s clear that Phillips is destined to break out of his small yet suffocating hometown. Phillips aspires to be great: editor-of-the-New-Yorker-type great.

In the journey to seize his dreams, Phillips has a major short-term goal: to get accepted into Northwestern University. To impress Northwestern, he starts a literary magazine, and blackmails all the high-school clichés (cheerleaders, jocks, drama kids…) into writing for his magazine. So the story goes.

If you liked Chris Colfer as “Kurt” in the renowned television show “Glee,” do yourself a favor and watch “Struck by Lightning” now. He’s the same witty, sassafras we all know from Glee, but with less of the theatrics and more intellect.

Although I didn’t realize it was happening at the time, I found that “Struck by Lightning” tugs on the heartstrings a little, and it might even cause watery eyes. Something about the movie’s interpretation of high school is very honest. Maybe not the traditionally mean cheerleaders or the classic student-teacher affair, but Phillip’s emotions, aspirations and actions are all sincerely and genuinely real.

It’s just simply enlightening, or so Colfer hopes, “I hope it opens people’s eyes to themselves and their potential,” he said.

Thank you, Chris Colfer. It most definitely did.