20th Century Fox
As lead character Simon Spier (Nick Robinson), he has a ‘big ass secret.’ And just so we won’t lull anyone into this review under false pretenses, that secret is that he is gay. If you have a problem with that, then feel free to check out our other reviews. But, if you do have a problem with that, perhaps Love, Simon is a movie you need to see with some great urgency because there are lessons to be learned, but in a gentle, charming, amusing way. No hammers over the head here to push a ‘gay agenda.’
Simon is an average high school student. He’s got a great set of parents, a sister he loves (although he’d never say that to her face), and a group of great friends. But he’s got that secret that he represses. And then one day one a local social media gossip site, someone at Simon’s school posts a message about his own secret, but uses the alias Blue. Immediately identifying with Blue, Simon emails this person hoping to be able to share his own secret as well. The two do strike up a friendship, with Simon using his own alias (Jacques) but he becomes obsessed with learning Blue’s identity.
Interrupted by the principal while emailing Blue from the library computer, Simon accidentally leaves his email account open and fellow student Martin (Logan Miller) decides to take a few screenshots to bring to Simon’s attention. All he wants is for Simon to help him get with Abby and he’ll never reveal the secret. This forces Simon to juggle with his friends’ emotions, shifting the budding romance between Nick and Abby to Nick and Leah, completely oblivious to the fact that Leah is in love with him. But when it becomes clear, and quite embarrassing, that Abby is only interested in being a friend to the odd, obnoxious Martin, he takes his hurt feelings out on Simon and posts the emails online, driving a wedge between Simon and his friends and even scaring Blue away. And then he has to deal with his own family, mend fences with his friends and try to win Blue back.
Love, Simon is nothing if not charming and sweet. All of the performances are just spot on with all of the teens really coming off as natural, even if the entire situation seems just a little too good to be true. We have come a long way as far as LGBT rights and acceptance of LGBT people until recently as the tide has once again begun to turn the other way due to the people we currently have running this country. But it was still encouraging to not hear groans from the audience with the moment of a same sex kiss. That’s progress! The question that really lingers after the movie is can LGBT youth in smaller, less progressive areas relate to this film? Would their own coming out be as easy and accepted as Simon’s, or would a vicious outing do them more harm emotionally or physically? Simon is taunted in school after his outing (as is the one already out gay student who really pays the bullies no mind), but it’s mild compared to what a teen may experience in real life.
And perhaps that’s why Love, Simon is a movie that needs to be seen by everyone. To Simon’s friends, it’s no big deal that he’s gay. They’re angry that he manipulated them to hide his secret instead of just being honest with them. His parents are the parents any gay kid would want, and his mother (played by Jennifer Garner) has a lovely moment telling him he’s still the same person he’s always been. It was a sweet moment but if you’ve seen Call My By Your Name, it’s completely overshadowed by the brilliant, similar scene with Michael Stuhlbarg. In any case, it’s a nice moment that makes you hope that all parents would react in the same way (which, unfortunately, they do not). In fact, we’re left to wonder if dad Jack (Josh Duhamel), who thinks nothing of tossing out a few gay jokes all in fun, isn’t going to completely shut out Simon by his initial reaction. It won’t get that dark though.
Besides all of the performances (and Natasha Rothwell steals every scene she’s in as drama teacher Ms. Alrbight), the film does a great job in keeping us all guessing as to who Blue really is. Every time we, and Simon, think he’s found Blue — from his friend Bram to the dishy Waffle House waiter Lyle — the rug is pulled out from under us and we all get to guess again. It’s a great plot device that really keeps us invested in Simon’s story. And I’d be remiss if I failed to mention the great soundtrack with a collection of songs curated by Jack Antonoff.
Love, Simon may present a world in which coming out is all sunshine and rainbows, but it is a movie that should be seen to help create a world of sunshine and rainbows and acceptance. A person’s sexuality does not define who they are (as demonstrated by a fantasy sequence in which Simon wonders how it would be if people had to come out as straight). Love, Simon can teach us all some valuable lessons while entertaining us at the same time.
Love, Simon has a run time of 1 hour 49 minutes and is rated PG-13 for thematic elements, sexual references, language and teen partying.
Share this post
