Love, Simon
Dir: Greg Berlanti
2018
****
It really annoys me that ‘Gay & Lesbian’ is now regarded as a film genre. Films that include gay characters of course aren’t regarded as ‘Gay & Lesbian’, it is only when the characters are linked romantically. So such films should be put in the ‘Romance’ sections of the video shop and ‘Gay & Lesbian’ should remain a category in ‘Private shops’. Love, Simon should be regarded as just another high school teen romance, and in a perfect world it would. The truth is video shops and private shops don’t exist anymore and the world needs films like Love, Simon. I’m trying to think of a past film like it. Back in the 80s there were gay characters in high school films but they were either unfortunate stereotypes or sub-characters – generally both. I want to see films that include everyone but don’t have to push the fact. Story should always be key to a film, people’s colour, creed and sexuality shouldn’t have to be scrutinized before it is told. We’re getting there, I hope but for now there is no more an important film than Greg Berlanti’s 2018 comedy-drama. Based on the novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, the story follows Simon Spier (Nick Robinson), a gay high school boy who hasn’t come out yet, living in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. He is close to his parents Emily and Jack (Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel) and sister Nora (Talitha Bateman), as well as three best friends, Nick and Leah (Jorge Lendeborg Jr. and Katherine Langford), whom he has known most of his life, and newcomer Abby (Alexandra Shipp). One day, Leah informs Simon about an online confession of a closeted gay student at their high school, known only by the pseudonym "Blue". Simon begins communicating with Blue via email using the pseudonym "Jacques". The two confide personal details and form a connection. However, their emails are accidentally discovered by another student, Martin, who is infatuated with Abby. After learning his secret, Martin blackmails Simon by threatening to make his emails public unless he agrees to help Martin win over Abby. Simon begins to suspect that his classmate Bram is Blue. At a Halloween party, Simon attempts to connect with Bram but later walks in on him making out with a female student. Simon lies to Nick, telling him that Abby has a boyfriend in college. Leah walks an inebriated Simon home, where she speaks vaguely about how she feels that she is fated to love one person very intensely; Simon believes she is referring to Nick. Simon meets up with Abby and Martin at a local diner after he convinces them to practice lines together for an upcoming musical. Simon bonds with their server, a classmate named Lyle, and believes that Lyle may be Blue. That night, Simon comes out to Abby and is relieved when she reacts positively. At a school football game, Simon crosses paths with Lyle; before he can summon the courage to ask if Lyle is Blue, he finds out Lyle is interested in Abby. An upset Simon tells a pestering Martin to either "go big or go home" when courting Abby. Martin interrupts the national anthem and publicly declares his feelings for Abby. When Abby admits she does not share his feelings, Martin is humiliated and becomes the subject of intense ridicule. On Christmas Eve, to distract people from his own humiliation, Martin outs Simon by posting his emails on the school gossip site. Simon's sister Nora tries to comfort Simon but he shuts her out and does not return his friends' frantic texts and calls. Simon comes out to his parents on Christmas morning, to their surprise but acceptance. After the holidays, Nick and Abby, now a couple, angrily confront Simon about the lies he told and learn that he had tried to keep them apart due to Martin's blackmail. Leah confesses to Simon that she was in love with him, not Nick, and is upset he came out to Abby first. After being rejected by his friends, Simon receives a final email from Blue, who is upset that their emails have been leaked. Blue tells Simon that they should stop speaking and deletes his email account. Simon is devastated, having lost his friends as well as the mystery pen-pal he has fallen in love with. In the cafeteria, Simon and an openly gay student, Ethan, are mocked by two classmates. Ethan and Simon bond over the difficulties they have faced coming out. After his parents reach out and comfort him, Simon apologizes to Leah. Simon posts a confession on the gossip site apologizing to his friends, seeking out Blue and asking him to meet at the school carnival. After the school musical, Leah, Nick and Abby make amends with Simon and invite him to go to the carnival with them. Waiting for Blue at the carnival, Simon rides the Ferris wheel, drawing a large crowd of peers. When Simon runs out of tickets, Martin, making amends for his behavior, buys him one more ride. Just before the ride begins, Bram sits next to Simon, revealing himself as Blue; the kiss Simon saw with the female student was a drunken misunderstanding. They ride the Ferris wheel together and kiss as their friends cheer them on. Simon's life gradually returns to normal and he begins a relationship with Bram. While picking up his friends and boyfriend for school, Simon suggests that they forgo their usual morning routine and instead "go on a little adventure". It is a sweet film with a happy ending and I can’t help but think this is the new John Hughes. However, John Hughes films are what we all wanted life to be like in the 80s, rather than the reality. It’s great that Simon is painted as the victim as this never helps anyone become accepted properly. I remember friends at school who were gay, they never came out because they didn’t need to and they were never bullied as they were old friends of everyone, including those who were most likely to bully. Funny really, as I went to a rough school and people got beaten up for all sorts of reasons, being gay just wasn’t one of them. However, it happens a lot and bullying doesn’t just have to be physical. I hate to think what kids go through these days with the importance of having an online presence and I often think they have it harder these days, even though technology is meant to make things easier. Love, Simon is an ambitious film and it gets through a lot in a relatively short time. It certainly isn’t as sugar-coated as a John Hughes film but my only criticism is that it isn’t quite as grounded as it could be and I wasn’t convinced by Simon’s friends or parents – although I thought Nora was well written and beautifully subtle and the narrative worked exceptionally well (unlike most teen-dramas). Still, what might not have worked for my generation has clearly had an impact on the one intended here and I’m glad it will be available for my child – whether my child is homosexual or heterosexual – as the real magic and beauty of Love, Simon is that it is a film for all and why I believe it belongs firmly in the romance section.