Lightning Bug

Fantastic performances by all. Prepon moves boldly away from her most famous role (Donna; That 70's Show)with ease. It is sad to know that many families go through this stuff everywhere in the world. Not recommended for families with abusive situations! It was great to see the film show support for a teen with dreams outside of what the adults wanted. The DVD has a ton of extras and I was really surprised by the amount since this is an "Indy" release. I loved the ending since it kept all in their true character form. If you watch the deleted scenes you will get more out of the older brother's character and watched the "Making of" featurette for a good amount of the actors' love for this film.

A woman (Ashley Laurence) and her 2 kids leave Detroit to go live in a trailer in a small town. One of her sons, Green (Bret Harrison), aspires to become a special FX artist for horror films as well as the boyfriend of local video rental goth girl (Laura Prepon.) Mom has a bit of a drinking problem and a new boyfriend who likes to beat up on everyone, but the local religious zealots may prove to be an even bigger obstacle standing in the way of Green's dreams. "Lightning Bug" is an intense coming-of-age drama that will stay with you long after you eject it from your player. Ashley Laurence is terrific and almost unrecognizable here, channeling Mary Louise Parker southern gal from "Fried Green Tomatoes." Look for a "wink-wink" to horror fans where Laurence's character is grocery shopping and picks up a Fango with Pinhead on the cover for her kid.

A drama/thriller, set in the South, about a young boy who longs to escape the misery of his childhood and the misunderstanding of his hometown...

I have known about this film for many years, being a serious horror fan and thus a fan of both Robert Hall and Ashley Laurence (both very nice people, by the way). Not until now, with the Blu-Ray release, did I finally get around to checking it out.

Robert Hall impresses. How much of this is autobiographical and how much is not is hard to say -- I suspect it is much more dramatic than the real story. But it works here, and is legitimately frightening in a way that horror films are not -- abuse is a serious fear for many people. Spousal abuse and child abuse are sadly all too real.

The religious aspect I am uncertain about. There are obviously religious people in the South, and I think the film did a good job by showing that not everyone in town thinks Halloween is Satanic (the line for the haunted house is pretty long). I wish they had explained more about how the church was or was not Bible-based...

I had the honor of seeing Lightning Bug a couple of months ago. It is a movie that has it all. It is beautifully written and directed by the very talented, Mr. Robert Hall. It is wonderfully acted by such stars as Bret Harrison, Laura Prepon and Hal Sparks, to just name a few.

A must see for any person who has ever had a dream and strived to achieve that dream. Green (Bret Harrison) has a dream. To leave this small rural town and make it big in Hollywood. Designing and building monsters for television/movies. This story is about his hard work, dedication and loyalty to his dream, regardless of the "monsters" in that small town trying to stop him. Will he make it? Will he and his newfound love, Angevin, leave the town and all the monsters behind?

Excellent movie!

the movie starts off with Jenny Graves driving to a new small town with her 2 kids. she talks like a normal smart person but the very next scene she looks and acts like a dumb backwoods hick. i feel the movie moved along to quickly for the first quarter , all the actors except for Green Graves and his brother acted WAY over the top as dumb as a post hicks. i was almost going to turn it off.... but it improved greatly once Angevin duvet (Laura Prepon)character appeared. the story being told is OK but nothing special and in no way shape or form is this a horror movie. why is IMDb listing so many movies as horror lately? it is a drama with a small bit of thriller. 7 out of 10