Hi everyone!
Today’s film has been on my list for a while, after receiving high praise from many of my fellow podcasters out there. It’s been a great thing to see the explosion in mainstream LGBTQ films, both inside and outside the United States. For a few other reviews, check out “Moonlight” (Episode #037), “Alex Strangelove” (Episode #160), “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women” (Episode #163), the incredible “BPM” (Episode #185), and “Disobedience” (Episode #248). You can check out all our LGBTQ films by searching on the LGBTQ blog tag at onemoviepunch.com. We’ll post a link in the show notes.
Link: http://onemoviepunch.com/home/tag/lgbtq
Subscribe to the podcast for the latest reviews.
Connect with us over social media to continue the conversation.
Here we go!
/////
Today’s movie is “Love, Simon”, the romantic dramedy directed by Greg Berlanti and written for the screen by Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker, based on the novel “Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda” by Becky Albertalli. The film follows Simon Spier (Nick Robinson), who hides the fact that he’s gay from everyone in his town, including his family. When he falls in love with a boy named Blue online, he must come to terms with himself, his family, and his friends, before he’s outed by a fellow student with ulterior motives.
No spoilers.
I believe we’re heading towards a more pluralistic and accepting society, despite all the evidence to the contrary. I know we have a long way to go, but I think we’re getting there slowly and surely. Thirty years ago, hateful language about LGBTQ individuals was a social norm, and even media acceptance of the LGBTQ community has recently emerged from the permissive tokenism of most LGBTQ roles on the big and small screen. One way I know we’re heading in the right direction is the explosion of films about the LGBTQ experience with real, complex, and relatable characters, exploring multiple facets of the life and community, from both the inside and the outside. The films show, on the one hand, how normal life is for most LGBTQ individuals, who aside from their form of sexual attraction, or sexual expression, live generally normal lives. And on the other hand, how the lives of some or all LGBTQ individuals is radically different, whether that’s the uniqueness of local communities like San Francisco and Denver, or the unique struggles of homophobic violence, or the unique real or perceived need to come out to the community about their sexual preference or expression.
“Love, Simon” tackles this last cultural rite with a brilliant montage of Simon’s friends coming out as heterosexual to their parents, each expressing a reaction that mirrors the multiple ways that parents react to LGBTQ children coming out. I loved that perspective as much as I loved a similar segment in last year’s “Alex Strangelove” (Episode #160), which asked why someone needs to identify as either completely gay or completely straight, instead of bisexual or pansexual. It makes me wonder, as we move towards that more pluralistic society, whether the whole genre of coming out movies and films containing coming out scenes will seem old-fashioned and outdated, not because we’ll be living in some sort of sexual paradise, but that we won’t expect teenagers and young adults to fit some perceived notion of sexuality. I look forward to the day when we don’t need coming out stories, but until then, I hope to see many more stories like today’s film.
I’m a huge fan of Greg Berlanti. My television queue has every show he’s currently producing for the CW, including the expanding and changing Arrowverse, and the edge-pushing reboots of “Riverdale” and “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”. With the last two in particular, Berlanti has found a way to target two generations of audiences, including today’s teenage youth and their parents, with inspirational casting like the late Luke Perry and Molly Ringwald recalling their own youth, at least for suburban kids of the time. It’s a scale that has earned him one of the largest paychecks in the television business, and Berlanti brings this same brilliant fusion to “Love, Simon”.
I’ve watched countless teen dramedies in my years, everything from the films of John Hughes through to the latest crop of Netflix Original films clearly not intended for my generation, although my daughter tends to love them quite a bit. Berlanti translates the adapted source material into a film that echoes previous films, blending in today’s musical hits when appropriate, but also using generation-spanning scores during classic shots like pulling up to school or picking up friends or the inevitable house party. It can feel a bit derived at times, but that’s going to be necessary to speak to multiple generations.
Berlanti doesn’t stop there, though, and keeps a very safe tone throughout the entire film. Simon’s coming out remains the focus, and while it is a very difficult issue for him to deal with, the environment around him feels incredibly safe. Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel are excellent, loving, and accepting parents, who might make mistakes, but whom we can never mistake their love for each other and for their children. His friends Leah (Katherine Langford), Abby (Alexandra Shipp), and Nick (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.) are perfect supports, each playing a different role to help Simon navigate his self-discovery, and being rightfully angry when Simon presumes too much, or sacrifices his principles to save himself embarrassment.
And let’s not forget about Nick Robinson’s performance as Simon, who shows just the right amount of anxiety, and never, ever falls into tokenism, whether that’s stereotypes about being a gay male, or the portrayals of the almost neurotic behaviors of closeted individuals. There might be conflicts, but you never feel like they wouldn’t support Simon until the day he dies, and especially through his rite of passage. If we’re going to still expect this rite of passage for our children, then I hope everyone has the same kind of safe environment in which to express themselves, especially when it comes to something as important as one’s identity.
“Love, Simon” is an excellent coming out story, adapted from an excellent novel, and speaking to multiple generations effectively. A well-chosen cast maintains a safe atmosphere, as the lead character navigates a difficult rite of passage. Fans of LGBTQ films, or folks looking to understand the suburban coming out experience in a safe environment, should definitely check out this film.
Rotten Tomatoes: 91% (CERTIFIED FRESH)
Metacritic: 72
One Movie Punch: 9.4/10
“Love, Simon” (2018) is rated PG-13 and is currently playing on HBO Now.
