Based on the novel for young adults Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, Love, Simon follows Creekwood High School senior Simon Spier, a young teen with an idyllic life both at home with his mother and father (Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel), and at school with his friends Leah (Katherine Langford), Abby (Alexandra Shipp), and Nick (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.). Despite everything appearing copacetic on the surface, Simon is struggling internally with a secret he feels he can share with no one: his homosexuality. When an anonymous fellow student with the alias “Blue” on his school’s gossip website CreekSecrets posts about his own struggles with being closeted, Simon takes a chance and sends a reply admitting to his status as a fellow gay teen afraid to face his truth. As Blue and Simon connect and grow closer through their use of one another as confidants, Simon must uncover the identities of two people, Blue and himself.
Love, Simon portrays the confusion that surrounds the exploration of your own identity and the loneliness of finding the answer but having no one to share it with. In Blue, Simon finds someone that can relate to his plight and figuratively walk alongside him as he chooses the path he will take. Humans are social creatures with an innate need for companionship. This need for connection is made doubly important in our culture during the formative teen years where young adults are left to figure out both themselves and the world at large simultaneously. This delicate juggling act is made even more volatile when holding onto a secret like Simon’s and the way it slowly eats away at him, and eventually his relationship with his friends, is a sort of cruel reinforcement; where his internal feeling of loneliness due to his being closeted leads to literal loneliness for a short time. As the film unfolds and Simon pines for Blue, each person he crosses paths with that says something remotely tangential to a subject Blue has broached in conversation becomes a suspect and possible identity for the mystery pen pal. This constant back and forth is indicative of the confusion over what role his sexuality should play within the rest of his life extending to his entire view of, and interactions with, the world around him, including his friends. When the very foundation of who you are stands upon shaky ground, nothing surrounding you can be stable either.
As society has made strides in its acceptance of the LGBTQIA community, with the tolerance of school-aged kids having gone even further, Love, Simon represents another step forward as a coming of age teenage romance film with an LGBTQIA character at the forefront as its lead. Seeing someone onscreen in a similar circumstance combating similar struggles with finding themselves and navigating a real world that feels so big and daunting in light of what they find can have an indelible effect on young viewers who may be afraid to be who they are. The issue of representation in film, and society at large, remains a hot button issue. The images that society takes in through media can have an indelible effect on how people view themselves and how we view others and a well-made film that cultivates empathy for any of the marginalized is a welcome bit of progress. That some lonely teen fighting with themselves and the world around them can feel seen and heard, and that someone who is not on the margins of society can feel a touch more supportive of someone who is, is a mark that every film hopes to make.
As someone whose only interaction with the world of high school is limited to what I hear and read in the news, the existence of CreekSecrets, seemingly with the full knowledge of the adult teachers and administrators in the school, was a perplexing problem in the film that stood out for me. A tool so ripe for bullying being allowed to continue to run seems unrealistic, particularly in light of the fact that said bullying had been occurring. The film also can be slightly cliché at some points in terms of its adherence to romantic comedy story beats and tropes. This could bother a more “high-brow” viewer but the high points of the film and the themes it explores overcome some of its more mundane aspects.
Nick Robinson shines in his performance as the film’s lead. Of the group of friends, I came away most impressed with Alexandra Shipp as Abby, with her really standing out during her time onscreen. Tony Hale and Natasha Rothwell portray Creekwood High’s vice principal Mr. Worth and theater teacher Ms. Albright respectively and both excelled as comedic relief in a film that is as funny as it is weighty and serious. Rothwell especially was very entertaining and funny each time she appeared and provided once comedic but serious performance during a particularly tough moment for Simon.
Love, Simon is a heartfelt, thoughtful film that puts viewers on the shoes of a young teen trying to figure out who he is and who he can be in a world he has yet to truly understand in full. It’s lead actor Nick Robinson ably carries the bulk of the weight of the film while the supporting cast does its part to complement he and the plot as needed. Director Greg Berlanti’s debut behind the camera shows promise with his ability to tell a story that is paced well, balance both drama and well-timed humor to keep viewers engaged and entertained, and draw from his actors the requisite performances to execute the story he is telling. I particularly enjoyed how Berlanti executed a ferris wheel extended metaphor we are presented with at the beginning of the film that comes full circle at its conclusion. Love, Simon’s story can be a little straightforward and follow familiar rom-com, high school movie beats at times, but the way it piques the viewer’s interest in finding out Blue’s identity and seeing a satisfying ending for Simon helps to make it more palatable. Love, Simon is an entertaining time at the movies and also, hopefully, a signal to other young people like Simon that it can and does get better.
Image: 20th Century Fox
