Ministry Of Eccentricity

Struck By Lightning:

A Good Start

I was surprised when, Struck by Lightning, the movie I have been eagerly awaiting for nearly a year now, received mixed critiques, simply because I had faith that Glee Actor and Singer, Chris Colfer, who released his first book, The Land of Stories, would not write, produce, and act in a movie that I would identify as ‘mediocre’. Well, let’s just say that Colfer proved me right. I was simply struck by lightning upon watching it!

Imagine popping up your popcorn and starting to watch the movie when your jaws drop to the floor as you realize that the movie is basically your life story? That the movie’s protagonist is nothing more than a replica of yourself? This is what I experienced watching this ingenious film.

Set in the small town of Clovis in California, this movie tells the story of Carson Philip, a teenager, who is ahead of the curve, confronted by a small town world where he simply feels out-of-place as he tries to take his journalistic genius to a place where he would fit in, a place where he can invest his talents into a career, in his case, Northwestern University. The climax is reached when Carson blackmails nearly everyone in the whole school into contributing to a literary magazine he starts to better his chances at being admitted.

Carson’s snide comments, intimidating personality along with the conflicting personalities that surround him like his best friend, Melanie portrayed by Rebel Wilson, his drunk mother played by Allison Janney, and his sick grandma portrayed by Polly Bergen make the movie an enjoyable experience that will most likely make you laugh. Everyone’s acting is just superb, especially Sarah Hyland. Chris Colfer proves he is not just playing himself as Kurt Hummel on Glee.

I was intrigued by the fact that most of the professional critics found the movie two dimensional with absolutely nothing but stereotypes. Well, simply put, that’s what high schools ARE like and this movie was just decent and honest enough to portray the truth unchanged. The movie is not the most commercial one, since it will only WOW a tiny niche who will understand and embrace Carson’s complex identity, a kind of identity that only a similar person can get.

Bravo to Chris Colfer and I wish him better luck on his next film! I eagerly await it!