Director
Greg Berlanti
(LIFE AS WE KNOW IT)
Stars
Nick Robinson (JURASSIC WORLD), Josh Duhamel, Jennifer Garner, Katherine Langford (13 REASONS WHY)
On the surface Love, Simon shapes as a stereotypical teen romance movie, however this time the protagonist happens to be gay. Whilst that detail doesn’t seem like such a big deal in 2018, given the absolute dearth of mainstream romance movies with gay lead characters, this is a significant achievement for queer cinema. Anyone who has seen a lot of ‘gay movies’…and no I don’t mean the likes of ‘Oklahomo’ or ‘A Few Hard Men’…I mean your usual D grade, independent fare that you might catch at a film festival or late at night on SBS, you will know the types of movies that queer audiences have become accustomed to. Usually it’s a terrible script with some questionable acting, all of which you sit through to catch a small glimpse of non-heteronormative life portrayed on film. Granted we have had more quality queer stories being shown in the past 10-15 years; think Brokeback Mountain, Moonlight and Freeheld, but most of those portray really depressing aspects of queer life, or as in the case of Carol or Call Me By Your Name, they’re more dramatic, artistic pieces. What has been uncommon are your generic, feel good genres with a gay spin, and hopefully the response to and success of Love, Simon will change all that.
Set in the suburbs of Atlanta, Love, Simon tells the story of a 17 year old boy (Simon…obvs) played by Nick Robinson. Simon has an ordinary group of friends, a loving family, is a decent student and also happens to like dudes. Through an online school gossip forum, Simon discovers that another student at his school is also gay. The two begin emailing one another and an anonymous romance begins to blossom. At the background of all this, Simon is also trying to keep his sexuality hidden from his friends and family which becomes increasingly difficult when a fellow student learns of his email relationship and threatens to expose it to the whole school. What follows is your typical series of poor choices, redeeming moments and a quest to land his mystery man by the end of the movie….kind of like a gay Never Been Kissed…minus the adult pretending to be a student thing.
What this film does better than most of its genre is it blends a warmth and sincerity into the archetypal storytelling. I cried genuine tears more than once in this movie, and unlike the time I cried watching Made of Honor…I’m not even ashamed. It also doesn’t fall into the trap of stereotyping young gay characters; it shows different kinds of gay where not all of them are ‘fabulous’. What I love most though is that more than anything else, Simon is loved and supported by those closest to him. Sure there’s some bullying from school mates (which is true to life) but overall people get around him like it’s nothing, which is far more reflective of the society we now live in. Being gay and coming out will always be a trying time for any teen, regardless of how accepting we all become, as gay will always be the minority. But as this film shows, it no longer has to be life shattering declaration that it was once seen to be. Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel are excellent as Simon’s parents. Their reaction and interaction with their son is nuanced and realistic and thankfully doesn’t revert to an overly saccharine, after-school special type event. Tony Hale (VEEP, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT) also brings light relief as the enthusiastically oversharing Vice Principal. But mostly the film is made by the brilliance of its lead. Nick Robinson is magnificent as Simon. You grow to love with him, feel his anguish and heartbreak and ultimately relief. A character you’re cheering for, even when his choices are questionable. He takes you on this journey and by the end of it, you’re thoroughly grateful he did.
Coming of age films seem to be the rage at the moment, going by the success of Lady Bird and Call Me By Your Name, but for me, Love, Simon eclipses both in terms of pure enjoyment. Maybe it’s the bias in my relatability to this film, but I left the cinema last night with a warm heart and a satisfaction that I don’t often get from this type of movie. A pure film that should be embraced by teens and adults alike.
4.5 stars
Trailer
LOVE, SIMON
Reviewed by Jell for Moviedoc
Moviedoc 
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