Re: [Spoiler Alert] Struck by Lightning POST-WATCHING Discussion and Reviews Thread

[sheny]

I finally watched SBL today and I'm still sobbing. I'll try to erase the beginning and the end of the movie from my memory and imagine Carson is still out there, alive doing something great.
I don't have a lot to say actually. The last scene in the counselors office when he found out that he was accepted in the college he wanted broke my heart. At least he saw the ocean. It was a good movie, it made me laugh it made me cry. I think I have a little crush on Carson now I wish I could read the book too, but Amazon lost my order. Maybe I'll buy just the audiobook.

[Ireth]

I finally saw Struck By Lightning and I was blown away (though not really surprised because I know how talented Chris and everyone involved in making this movie are) at how good it is. It really had me crying at the end-like for many of you, the part where his grandma put the scarf-blanket on his casket killed me. I really loved the script, and even laughed out loud a few times, which I rarely do when I'm watching something on the computer by myself.

One thing I'm fascinated by is how Carson can seem as unlikeable as the people he's blackmailing when he's in scenes with them (and no one is exactly a villain either, but rather they're realistic characters who are antagonists in Carson's own story), but you see how he is with his grandma, Malerie, and even his mother actually, and there's a softer, more vulnerable side to him. I really sympathised with and was rooting for Carson throughout.

[MoviesAreLife]

I found Carson likeable, which I was not expecting because so many reveiws have stated that he was a jackass. *shrug* As a sidenote, I really loved Jake Monaco's score...it felt youthful, upbeat, unusual and strangely sad at the same time which is perfect for the main character.

I really wish that the camera could have gotten in a little closer when it came to the Carson/Sheryl argument on the bench outside of the home and also when Carson had his breakdown scene after beating the Clover city limit sign. I didn't feel as connected to those scenes as I wanted to feel.

One moment that I thought was a dead giveaway was when Carson asks his mom if his acceptance letter came in the mail yet. She hides something under the stack, and shuffles through the items at the top as mutters about bills. When he leaves, she pulls the hidden item out to look at it. Then, there is a tearing sound that bleeds over from one scene into the other as we now see Carson is in the journalism classroom, tearing up a peice of paper as Claire approaches him in order to give him her work. This is called a match cut. It's a technique of editing that links two unrelated scenes together through linking them via images or sound....thematically, these two scenes are one. Anyone who has taken any sort of high school or college film class or who has been to film school now knows that, yes, Sheryl ripped up his acceptance letter. Not to mention the forshadowing in the script about Sheryl "ripping up" the old divorce papers and throwing them into the fire place. It's basic film school 101, and maybe even those who are not trained to look for these things subconsciously know that Sheryl would have betrayed her son so harshly even before she revealed it on the bench later on.

This young man will win an Oscar someday, whether it's as a filmmaker or a performer. He has a long way to go, but for someone as talented and driven as him, it's not a matter of "if", but "when".

[arina]

So my mother watched SBL yesterday, I wasn't sure what she will think of it, I didn't give her much information beforehand, just a few and I pointed out to her that I am not sure what she is going to think of the main character because he's kinda controversial and a some people are not able to stomach him. I was hoping she will like the movie but she exceeded my expectations. She really loved it (well she was mad at me I didn tell her it's sad because she was crying really hard in the end) and she didn't find Carson unlikeable at all, she totally undertood him. And she even rewatched some scenes, especially the blackmaling - it gave her a good laugh. So that made me happy - I am proud of my mom :-)

[Glorfindel]

^It seems you have a great mom with good taste.

That's nice to hear, how non-Chris fans (not biased people like us) appreciate the movie.

[arina]

^It seems you have a great mom with good taste.

That's nice to hear, how non-Chris fans (not biased people like us) appreciate the movie.

Yeah. It is! The truth is even if she did not like the movie she probably wouldn't tell me that directly because she knows the movie is important to me, but because I saw her really laugh and cry and because she really seemed excited and said she really loved it (not just liked it) and wanted to rewatch some scenes makes me think she really meant it. I want her to read TLoS as well because she loves fairytales (we both are probably kind of still children at some ways ) but she doesn't underestand english (she watched the movie with czech subtiles) so I really hope there is going to be czech version of TLoS one day.

[MoviesAreLife]

I found Sheryl to be much more sympathetic in the movie than in the book. This must've been because of Alison's portrayal.

[Glorfindel]

I found Sheryl to be much more sympathetic in the movie than in the book. This must've been because of Alison's portrayal.

Yes, I think Allison's acting had a lot to do with that, but also that in the movie we actually got to see Sheryl's struggles in scenes of her without Carson. Whereas in the book Chris could not elaborate much on Sheryl's feelings because he was writing the book as Carson's journal, so only Carson's POV and direct thoughts could be shown, and not Sheryl's or any other character's.

I'm actually re-reading SBL now (via the audiobook), and it is even more compelling to me now the 2nd time reading the book (after I've seen the movie, I guess, as I read the journal first) than it was before.
I really love it, and there are so many phrases in the book that are worth framing and hanging on the wall: encouragements and thoughts I recognize and can take to heart.

[brisallie]

I found Sheryl to be much more sympathetic in the movie than in the book. This must've been because of Alison's portrayal.

I do also like Sheryl more in the movie than in the book, but as it was mentioned by Marie is could be because her POV was more developed in the movie. Actually when I read the book I missed those scenes between Sheryl and April, but by other side I liked the teen characters were more developed. For instance it helped me a lot to understand why Vicky seems to be so apathetic.

[ColferInspired]

I saw this last year with a friend and both loved it.

I loved Carson and yes I was crying, because the ending was sad, but it was so well written.

I loved April and Shirley I went from hating to liking, then feeling sorry for her, then angry again. Chris definitely picked the right actress and wrote some wonderful stuff for the character.

I was angry that his mum ripped up the acceptance letter, and knew his death was result of someone's actions that was partly what caused it.

If she hadn't ripped it up and gave it to him he might have been in that car-park and killed, but packing for Northwestern or visiting the place.

I thought that message was brilliant, because some people don't realise how their actions can affect others. What she did was selfish, but I understood she didn't want to be alone either, so I did feel sorry for her. And with seeing that Carson would have been a success would have made her realise about her dreams she gave up.

The thing I saw Carson was a typical teen and didn't communicate with his mum all that well. Those scenes were written with a level of maturity that I normally don't see in teen films.

Chris is a brilliant writer. He wrote a wonderful script with complex characters, and made you feel for the characters. I liked it that the characters weren't written as black and white, that they had layers.

All the characters were very real and human.

[Glorfindel]

I do also like Sheryl more in the movie than in the book, but as it was mentioned by Marie is could be because her POV was more developed in the movie. Actually when I read the book I missed those scenes between Sheryl and April, but by other side I liked the teen characters were more developed. For instance it helped me a lot to understand why Vicky seems to be so apathetic.

I liked that in the book too: the other teens were much better fleshed out, probably because Carson interacted and talked more with them than he did with his mom, and he wrote that dialogue into his journal. The actions of his peers had more effect on his life at that point than his mother's actions (or at least he thought so untill his mom ripped up his admission letter), so that's why he wrote more about them in his journal.
His mom was just.....his mom, someone he was used to his entire life and who he mostly tried to avoid and live around instead of with. And that of course was part of his downfall/mistake (if you can call it that). Sheryl doing such a thing in the end came totally out of left field for him: he never calculated that in (and why would he have?).
Brilliant writing.

I thought that message was brilliant, because some people don't realise how their actions can affect others. What she did was selfish, but I understood she didn't want to be alone either, so I did feel sorry for her. And with seeing that Carson would have been a success would have made her realise about her dreams she gave up.

The thing I saw Carson was a typical teen and didn't communicate with his mum all that well. Those scenes were written with a level of maturity that I normally don't see in teen films.

Chris is a brilliant writer. He wrote a wonderful script with complex characters, and made you feel for the characters. I liked it that the characters weren't written as black and white, that they had layers.

All the characters were very real and human.

Exactly.

[ColdFlame96]

^I also noticed this. In the movie, I didn't really connect with any of the characters, except maybe Carson, because they were still living in their stereotypical bubbles. The only one who alluded to a different dream than she'd been living was Claire. However, in the book, we learned a lot more about every other character. Then again, Chris did say they had to cut quite a bit from the movie so that might explain it.

[brisallie]

...
His mom was just.....his mom, someone he was used to his entire life and who he mostly tried to avoid and live around instead of with. And that of course was part of his downfall/mistake (if you can call it that). Sheryl doing such a thing in the end came totally out of left field for him: he never calculated that in (and why would he have?).
Brilliant writing.

I'm sure Carson really loved his mom, because despite of everything she's his mom. But I guess there was a moment that taking care of her was only part of his daily routine, and deeply inside he knew he couldn't do more for her. So is better to move on. And sadly he didn't notice how much affected that to Sheryl, because she never showed any signal that she didn't want Carson to leave, at least not openly. For instance, the scene in which both are in the backyard at night and she told him he's young and naive, it sounded like she was being supportive, but for me it was like "He's just a dreamer who believes his gonna make it. But probably not". So I guess Sheryl didn't freak until the letter got, because is was the proof that he was actually leaving. And you know, that something I've perceived from some parents, they tell their kids they are happy they're independent and have their own place to live, but the day they're leaving, they cry.

[Glorfindel]

^They cry but usually they don't sabotage their kid's future.
And yes, Carson loved his mom and took care of her, but he wasn't really invested or interested in her anymore, because she seemed not interested in him anymore. To Carson Sheryl was one of the people/things that were part of small town Clover, the place he hated so much and which he would leave behind. And even though he was worried about his mom (as he told his grandmom) he also knew that whatever he did was not going to change her from wasting her life, so he sort of disconnected from her.

Part of what you wrote, about Sheryl thinking that Carson was simply dreaming, overreaching, and would never make it in the big world, is very recognisable to me. My family didn't believe in me either when I wanted to study to become a singer. And though they never deliberately sabotaged me, they passively sabotaged me by not supporting me or helping me when I was just a teenager, and by undermining my confidence by saying I was not talented or strong enough. Because of that lack of support it took me several more years before I had enough money and independency to go study what I knew I wanted since I was about 10.

Maybe that's why SBL had such an enormous impact on me. Very different circumstances than Carson, but similar experiences. When Carson tells Claire that someone has to be a ballerina, or a Nobel Prize winner etc. so why not them, I knew exactly what he meant by that.
In the last chapter of the book, right before he dies, Carson comes to the conclusion that no matter what happened next he would never let circumstances bring him down, not without turning it somehow into something beneficial. And then he added this:

"I will never let anyone make me feel anything I don't want to feel again or rob me of the passions that make me who I am."

[MoviesAreLife]

Alison's portrayal of Sheryl gave her these human moments. For example, when she told him she threw his letter away, she almost sounded apologetic. She gave me a "I know it sucks, but please don't be mad. I did this for your own good" type of vibe during the confession. And poor Carson. In the journal especially, he really thought she was on his side and watching the mail carefully so she could give him that letter ASAP in case he didn't get to the mail first. Of course, she was watching the mail for an entirely different reason.

I HATE it when parents try to knock down their kids' self esteem and dreams. Mine did so to me (I won't go into detail) and I'm sorry yours also did that to you, Marie. It sucks. I wish they wouldn't do that. Who are they really trying to help, here? Their offspring or themselves? Even Lea Michele's mom told her she couldn't sing. Thank God that Chris Colfer's parents didn't discourage him.

[Glorfindel]

I didn't know that about Lea's parents. Wow.
And yes, thank God that with all the bad experiences Chris had in school and also in his family life (with his sister being so sick) he had the love and support of his parents and family.

As a parent myself I can't understand why parents would discourage their own children so, like some do. I can understand them being concerned and worried, and careful. I can understand them being afraid of letting their kid go. I can even understand them not having all faith and confidence in their children's talents (as I have seen many kids who think they are the best singer in the world but who don't have the real talent it takes, plus parents endulging them in a fantasy that can never come true, so some healthy realism could be welcome).
But if a kid really wants something and seems to have the talent, or at least the drive and focus that might get him/her a far way along the road regardless, and is willing to do the work, I can't understand parents who would deliberately or passively try to hold their kid back, despite their own fears.
But there is a lot of things in the world I can't understand, so.....

To quote another Chris Colfer line: “There’s nothing wrong with you. There’s a lot wrong with the world you live in.”

[MoviesAreLife]

I guess some parents think they are "protecting" their kids from crushing disappointment from failing in their dreams if they convince them to not even try, especially if the dreams seem really hard to reach. But I am also sure of a darker motive...one that they (the parents) themselves may not even be consciously aware of. The success of the kid will remind the parent of their own failure to reach their dreams and hurt their ego. They all say that "I want my kid to do better than I ever did," but I think that comes with limits. Generations after generations of parents crush the dreams of their kids...current parents had their own parents discourage their dreams, and then they turn around and crush the dreams of their kids. It's sad. It reminds me of how child abuse is passed down from generation to generation.

[Glorfindel]

^Yes, it's a pattern that's very hard to break, even when the parent who's limiting their child now suffered from the same thing when they were a child themselves and therefore should know better. It takes a strong person to break that chain in the family.

[MoviesAreLife]

And then, of course, there is the opposite: stage parents. Parents who force their own dreams into their kids and who force the kids to live out their dreams. I don't know what's worse: discouraging parents or stage parents.

Just plain encouraging parents who are supportive of their kid's dreams, no matter what they are, are the best kind.

[Glorfindel]

And then, of course, there is the opposite: stage parents. Parents who force their own dreams into their kids and who force the kids to live out their dreams. I don't know what's worse: discouraging parents or stage parents.

Oh God, stage parents are horrible. I've had to deal with a few of them in my career, and they just won't listen to any reason. Sometimes the kid feels the same way as them (thinking they are the best of the best), sometimes the kid doesn't really want what their parents want, but is afraid to tell them that.
Ha, my daughters and I watched an episode of "Toddlers and Tiaras" the other day. Poor kids. There was one mom who had a lot of (creepy) porcelain dolls and she wanted her daughter to be a doll too. She even used the dolls as 'judges' to give the kid points for her performance. Creepy!

Just plain encouraging parents who are supportive of their kid's dreams, no matter what they are, are the best kind.

Exactly.

[MoviesAreLife]

That show is so creepy! I wonder if they are told to play up on the creepy factor for the cameras?

[brisallie]

I didn't know that Lea's mom told her that. When she commented that? Probably it was when Lea was a child and was starting in Broadway, but you have to be so careful with your words when it comes to children. Sometimes is hard for them to forget something that their parents have told them.

And personally I feel connected with the movie because my parents are divorced as well, and as Carson I don't have a close relationship with my dad. He's been pretty much absent.

And as regards as Chris, I'm also glad he has such a wonderful family that always been there for him.

[Glorfindel]

Brian Dannelly tweeted a link to a dvd/blu-ray review of SBL:

Struck By Lightning (Blu-ray)
New Video // Unrated // May 21, 2013 // Region A
List Price: $29.95 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
Review by Francis Rizzo III | posted May 20, 2013



Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Saved!, Brian Dannelly
Likes: Chris Colfer, dark coming-of-age films, Rebel Wilson
Dislikes: High-school social dynamics
Hates: Most parents I meet


The Movie
Every time I watch another movie or TV show about life in high school, it makes me wonder if I attended some sort of idyllic paradise of education or if society has crumbled to the point where high school is akin to a stint in prison. In my school, the most popular kids were in the honors program AND sports teams, and no one seemed to have a miserable time (outside of a select few who were doomed no matter their forced location for most of the day.) But based on most such productions these days, high school is hell with a lunch period. That's certainly the case with Carson Phillip's experience with secondary education, as his short-lived torture at the hands of the unenlightened, the bulk of Struck by Lightning, shows.

Written by and starring Glee's Chris Colfer, this film is certainly not a feel-good film by any stretch of the imagination, especially when you consider that the star of the show bites it before the title of the film is even shown. From there, we jump back a bit to see what his life was like before his untimely passing, and learn that, between his awful parents and terrible schoolmates, maybe getting zapped by Zeus wasn't the worse thing to happen to him.



As directed by Brian Dannelly, who returns to feature film for the first time since his terrific Saved!, all the negative energy aimed at Carson results in some engaging moments, as he rages against the machine and battles the happily mediocre of his town, with no support from anyone in a position of authority, be it his pill-popping mom (Allison Janney), his absentee dad (Dermot Mulroney), the useless guidance counselor (Angela Kinsey) or his angry principal. The great thing is, Carson is not a sympathetic character in any way, always picking fights and actively insulting people to their faces, so you're not encouraged to side with him from the start. Anything you feel for him is purely a result of his experiences and your ability to relate to them. He is basically an anti-hero, and serves as a cypher for the brevity of existence and the importance of making the most of it.

Considering Colfer's fame as one of Glee's stars, it would have been easy for him to carry over much of his character Kurt, and to be honest, it probably would have worked, since both characters are intelligent outcasts who are misunderstood and abused by their small towns. But some slight changes avoid the feeling that he's resting on his laurels, not the least of which is the absence of sexuality as a defining characteristic. Nothing about Carson is declared in this matter, and yes sexuality is a plot point for some of his classmates, but it's not important to Colfer's character, which is important if Colfer is to shake free of Glee. I'm not saying people are going to buy him as a soldier of fortune anytime soon, but he's more than the fey fashionista he's become best known for.

Like with Saved!, also set amongst the high-school set, Dannelly balances heartbreaking drama with biting, dark humor, though it doesn't have the satirical themes Saved! offered with its religious storyline. Here it's more of a character study, a lesson in misery, powered by all the talent in front of the camera, which in addition to Janney's crushing portrayal of broken dreams includes Christina Hendricks as a woman in over her head and the increasingly great Rebel Wilson, who portrays Carson's camera-toting friend-in-failure and delivers what may be the most crushing moment of a film that heaps them on you. The odd thing is, despite the struggles it depicts, in the end, it's actually a bit uplifting, which is a feat and a testament to a job well done all-around.



The Disc
A one-disc release, this film arrives on a single Blu-ray Disc in a standard-width keepcase (inside a slipcover that repeats the cover art.) The disc has a static menu with options to watch the film, select scenes, adjust languages and check out the extras. Audio options include English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 tracks, while subtitles are available in English SDH.

The Quality
The 1080p, AVC-encoded transfer here delivers a clean image with no notable defects and nice level of fine detail, but it can come off as a bit soft, and the colors are a bit muted in spots (most likely a style choice.) Black levels are solid, and there are no issues with digital distractions.

Struck by Lightning doesn't offer the most energetic audio you've ever heard, powered mainly by low-key dialogue, but the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track still manages to be a let-down. The dialogue is clean, but it's limited to the center channel, and the surround speakers don't have a lot to do, offering some minor enhancement on the music and the rare sound effect (notably the title moment.) Otherwise, the surrounds are basically dead.

The Extras
The bulk of the extras arrive in a pair of extensive scene reels, one for deleted/alternate scenes (17:14), the other for bloopers, or at least what are termed bloopers (17:19.) The deleted scenes actually bring more of the dark humor the film could have used more of, along with more of Mulroney's character, including an outburst best left out, as the character would have never recovered. Also in there are variations on alternate endings that, though interesting, never would have worked, because they are far too touch-feely/after-school special to work in concert with Carson's caustic attitude and the film's overall downbeat feel.

The poorly-labeled blooper reel is more like an improv reel, as you get to see the actors riff, and yes, occasionally break, but it's mostly about pushing scenes to their limits, with Janney and Wilson making the most of the opportunity (natch.)

Wrapping things up are a pair of short featurettes, one a brief set of interviews with Colfer and Dannelly (2:16) where they talk about the start of production and how they came together on the film, while the other is "Story Behind the Scene" (2:16), with Dannelly talking about the experience of filming the scene where the cops inform Janney about her son's death. It's a good concept, but too short to get into much detail.



The Bottom Line
Knowing Dannelly was behind the camera on this film made it pretty certain it would at the very least be made well, but Colfer's writing and ability as a lead were unknown quantities. Fortunately, both sides held up their ends of the bargain well, aided by a star-studded cast, and the Blu-ray presentation and bonus features are good, if not great. It'll be interesting to see what Colfer comes up with next, but Dannelly definitely needs to make sure eight years don't pass before his next film.

[ColdFlame96]

^I like seeing intelligent, constructive reviews like this and I mostly agree with it. Carson is really not a sympathetic at all, and that's kind of why I liked him. It wasn't a cliche high school film with an underdog that you feel sorry for. I did feel sorry for him, but not until the end. This may seem weird, but I like characters like him. Anti-heroes are so interesting and have a lot of layers that no one sees yet. It's always fun delving into their minds. I do wonder, since Chris said he wanted to be more like Carson, does that mean he considers himself an anti-hero?

[Delight]

Wait a minute... I don't recall seeing these featurettes (i.e. interviews+ story behind the scenes) or subtitles in my Blu-Ray copy of SBL. I'm starting to wonder if maybe the lack of these features apply only to the DVD/Blu-Ray released in Australia.

Drat.

This situation is reminding me of the UK version of TLOS, which was published without the map.

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