Here's a brief back story that I'm too lazy too write well but necessary for the understanding of what I say in my actual review of this movie:

Basically, Carson Phillips wants out of this godforsaken town he lives in, with dreams to attend Northwestern University and working at the New York Times. In his senior year, he devises a plan to blackmail students to start a literary journal that he believes will get him into the college of his dreams and his future.

This is the back story of the film, but keep in mind, if you watch this movie, there's so much more to Carson than what the overused plot summary gives above. Carson is like a lot of us: he wants to change the world, and people who want to change the world, are not just any kind of people. They're THE people. Perhaps in more symbolic terms, the black sheep, am I right?

We (I watch most movies with my family) just finished watching the movie Struck By Lightning, written by Chris Colfer. God, it was truly incredibly hard to resist the urge to punch that movie in the face. Seriously, it was awful. DON'T GET ME WRONG. I say the movie was awful, but in truth, it was probably one of the best movies I have ever seen in my life, because it made me believe in what I believe in again, if that makes any sense. It believed in that belief of writing that alluded me often so many times for fear of failure, and it caused this resurgence of ability and confidence in me that I needed at time. Basically, it believed in what I needed to believe in again.

After watching it, I kind of felt like dedicating a piece of any of my written work to Carson Phillips, the main character in the story. I mean, throughout the movie this kid talked about exactly all the things that I want to achieve, while speaking in the voice of a narrator as the ghost of his dead soul, recounting his story; recounting his dreams.

He wanted to change the world. Can you imagine? I used to think I was mentally insane for wanting to change the world, and knowing deep down that I would, because I just know that I will, not to sound conceded, but that's just the way I think, and the way one should think for change to actually happen. The notion throws me off sometimes, of course, and it is an ongoing painful obsession because when you think about it there are so many factors that can stop you, and the fact of the matter is, this is what Struck By Lighting showed me, or rather, made me feel. There are a lot of things that can stop you from changing the world, even though you're know your destined you will. And for Carson Phillips, that was a lighting bolt.

There was a scene in the beginning of the movie, where Carson describes the feeling a human gets when he/she forming an idea throughout their heart, their mind, their body. This is what he said:

"Like having a great idea, life, comes at you fast. It hits you, and tries to escape and be expressed in any way possible. In a way, it's a lot like...lightning."



















-Carson Phillips AKA Chris Colfer

You know, it's really hard to find someone who has that same insane, crazy feeling that I get when I have an idea. But Carson exposed that insanity to his best friend Malerie Baggs. And even though the lightning bolt stuff sound unoriginal, it's not, but more importantly, it's so true. When one has an idea, it takes the greatest of urges to keep that idea inside, because it does not want to stay inside; that's just not what an idea is meant to do. So if you don't say it, or act it out, then write it down. Write it down.

Sometimes I get scared out of my mind of my ideas because I feel like I would let them down. Because I don't believe I'm good enough to write them out, or actually make them into a reality. It's a problem I've struggled with for a long time.

But I'll show you Carson, what you showed me. I'll make the Writer's Club proud. If I ever start one, I promise I'll show them this movie. What you created is something all writers need to see and resonate with everywhere.

All in all, you made me realized probably one of the greatest thoughts of all time.

You can change the world, even if you're dead, as long as you know that you're destined to change it, even if you're dead, and especially if you're stuck by lighting.

Thanks Carson.