Struck by Lightning, the film written by Glee star, Chris Colfer had its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. Chris is also the star and executive producer of this coming-of-age film.
Early buzz on the film is good. The first review that popped up, from Forbes Magazine, is comparing SBL to Juno and Napoleon Dynamite and expects it will be a big hit. Here’s another recap from Huffington Post. Harry Potter star, Emma Watson was in the audience and asked a question at the Q&A afterward!
Brian Dannelly directed Struck By Lightning (he helmed the wonderful 2004 movie, Saved!) and the all-star cast includes Alison Janney (West Wing), Dermot Mulroney, Polly Bergen, Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), Rebel Wilson (Bridesmaids), Sarah Hyland (Modern Family) and Angela Kinsey (The Office).
Fellow Glee stars, Amber Riley (below) and Ashley Fink were there.
There was a Q&A afterward with Chris and the cast. It appeared to be mostly Glee fans asking the questions. But a big surprise came at the end when a familiar, clipped British accent directed a question to one of the producers Robert Aguire (who plays the “fornicating exchange student). It was Emma Watson from the Harry Potter series! She’s friends with Robert, and said she enjoyed the movie very much.
Check out a video of the post screening Q&A. Chris’s reaction to Emma’s presence is hilarious. Also, some interesting responses to his thoughts on creativity and the writing process.
And if you’re wondering what the fuss is about, check out the Struck by Lightning trailer. The film begins with Chris’ character, Carson Phillps, struck dead by a bolt of lightning. Carson narrates the rest of the film, chronicling the last few weeks of his life from beyond the grave.
While the plot sounds like a real downer, but I’m hearing audience members leave the theater feeling uplifted by the ultimate message—-live every day like it’s your last. I was a BIG fan of Brian Dannelly’s first movie Saved! and of course I love Chris Colfer. Needless to say, I’m really looking forward to Struck By Lightning. I’m almost tempted to hop a train to New York to see it this week. If you’re in the NYC area, there’s a question and answer thingy with Chris and Brian at 5 pm at the Apple retail store.
http://youtu.be/Ql1c3fs20SI
