We like to pretend our lives are difficult and maybe even twisted. Because at a school like ours, students juggle academic challenges and peer pressure with their own personal commitment to excellence.

The same is true of Carson Phillips. In the movie “Struck By Lightning,” directed by Brian Dannelly and based on actor Chris Colfer’s book, “Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal,” Carson, played by Colfer himself, is a student like you — only slightly more diabolical. Carson blackmails his peers to gain support for his literary magazine and makes enemies, including the principal, in the process. Although his seemingly self-serving aspirations to become a world-famous journalist appear to be too much for his small town, he remains optimistic.

For a movie with over-the-top quirks, “Struck By Lightning,” manages to remain insightful. Investing little time in theatrics and more in a compelling script, Colfer motivates an audience amidst the years of teenage struggle to fight for their aspirations.

One of the many merits of the movie lies in the fact that the script easily relates to its target audience. The central character, Carson, is dynamic and universal. He talks back to his mother, Sheryl, played by Allison Janney, reads stories to his sick Grandma, and laments his parents’ failed relationship and his mother’s post-divorce alcoholism. Despite his own share of grievances, however, Carson maintains his drive to excel.

Adding comic flair to an otherwise reflective script, the institution of high school is depicted as, in Carson’s words, “society’s bright idea to put all its aggressive and naive youth into one environment to torment and emotionally scar each other…for life.”

Despite Carson’s cynicism, which is not entirely convincing due to its oversimplification of a high school environment, the film veers away from typical teenage dramas to entertain audiences. Quirky interactions between Carson and his socially awkward sidekick Malerie, played by Rebel Wilson, add humor to the plot as Malerie –– in vain –– tries to impress Carson with her writing, most of which involves a plagiarized phrase from Charles Dickens’ The Tale of Two Cities.

Though the script lacks a strong supporting cast, overemphasizing Colfer’s role at times, Janney’s portrayal of a struggling alcoholic and parent builds to a moment of dark humour between her and Carson. In a scene at the dining table Sheryl suggests that Carson needs antidepressants. Carson quickly retorts, “No way. You’re already medicated enough for the both of us.”

The movie’s strongest performance is delivered by Colfer himself, who plays the role of Carson effortlessly. The character is a figment of Colfer’s imagination, but time and again, the impassioned motivator behind the script stands out. “Struck By Lightning” evokes passion and the desire to exceed. Carson’s interactions with his peers, like his efforts to motivate Malerie to tell her own stories, reveal his desire to inspire students like us to pursue our dreams as well.