Struck by Lightning is a 2012 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Brian Dannelly and written by and starring Chris Colfer.

On 20 November 2012, Colfer released a young adult novel based on the film, titled Struck by Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal.

[4] The film received mixed reviews with criticism going to the character of Carson, but praise for Colfer's screenplay and the performances of the cast.

As Carson is finishing up the school paper at night, he catches wealthy student Nicholas Forbes and the drama club president Scott Thomas kissing.

When Malerie believes others will join as Carson got Scott and Nicholas to write for the school paper, he tells her about the blackmail.

The writer's club float has to be removed from the homecoming parade, after the cheerleaders take their assigned car.

Feeling humiliated, Carson and Malerie blackmail several of their peers into writing for the literary magazine: school paper members, the yearbook president, Vicki, and faux foreign exchange student, Emilio.

During a meeting with the other students and Coach Walker, Carson extorts agreements that everyone must offer something to put in the magazine to keep their secrets safe.

Carson has Claire and Coach Walker get each cheerleader and football player to submit something, to make the issue more popular among the student body.

The most common complaint from reviewers was the fact that Colfer's character came off as too arrogant and cynical, and didn't manage to be likeable.

[16][17][18][19] Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave the movie a B−, writing, "After his lofty aspirations to write for The New Yorker are cut painlessly and semi-amusingly short by a freak encounter with lightning, Carson looks back on his so-called life with the gently rueful wisdom that is frequently granted young dead people in flashback tales like this one.

There are some real stresses in the fellow's life, many caused by his mess of a drunken single mom (an affecting Allison Janney).