Chris Colfer’s self-written movie Struck by Lightning perfectly captures a teen’s struggle to balance his dysfunctional family, manage the school newspaper, and get accepted into college.

Within the first five minutes of the film, Carson Phillips (Colfer) is struck by a bolt of lightning in his school’s parking lot and killed. In his afterlife, Phillips recounts his experience as a struggling high school student.

From day one, Phillips believes that he is destined for things greater than his life in Clovis, California. He spends the majority of high school working to get accepted into his top choice college, Northwestern University. In attempt to start something new, Phillips blackmails the popular kids in his school and forces them to write for his newly formed Literary Magazine. However, his life takes a turn for the worse when his guidance counselor reveals to him that he was initially accepted into Northwestern University, but later rejected because he did not respond to his acceptance letter.

The most heartbreaking moment of the movie occurs when Phillips visits his grandmother, who has Alzheimers, in attempt to find consolation. His grandmother yells at him because she does not know who he is and wants him to leave. Phillips exits the hospital in tears.

Throughout the movie, Phillips has to deal with his alcoholic mother and estranged father. His mother, Sheryl, is played by Allison Janney, who portrays an infuriatingly clueless mother flawlessly. Phillips’ dad, Neal (Dermot Mulroney), also contributes to the sympathy viewers will feel towards Phillips.

Struck by Lightning is an extremely touching movie that anyone can easily relate to. From start to finish, the film captures all the emotions of a high school student doing everything he can to live a successful life. Anger, disappointment, sadness, and sparkles of happiness scattered throughout the plot make Struck by Lightning one of the most realistic depictions of life in general.

The beginning of the film makes it clear that this movie is not a simply happy one.

“I feel like hard times and sadness become an experience, and hardships are an experience which you learn from,” Colfer said in an online interview with TalonWP and other high school journalists, when asked about his decision to write such a movie.

Struck by Lightning will be released theatrically this week. It is a must-see for high school students and parents alike.