Love, Simon

Release date: March 29, 2018
Running Time: 109 Minutes
Director: Greg Berlanti
Starring:  Nick Robinson, Jennifer Garner, Josh Duhamel and Katherine Langford. 
Links: IMDb | Rotton Tomatoes | Fox

 

Love, Simon:

Thank you to Student Edge and 20th Century Fox for the advance screening of Love, Simon. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the movie. 

I’ve had the opportunity of seeing Love, Simon twice and gosh both times I was left crying, smiling and laughing all at the same time. It’s the type of movie that is heartbreakingly truthful, beautiful and hits you in the right places. 

Love, Simon based on the novel by Becky Albertalli Simon vs the Homo Sapien Agenda, follows Simon (Nick Robinson) as he navigates his last years in high school. And he is keeping a massive secret from everyone in his life – he is gay. After becoming ‘pen-pals’ with a closet gay guy from school, he starts to let himself feel free. But when his secret is threatened, Simon has to come to terms with himself and tell the truth. 

I loved, loved, loved this movie with everything in me. It’s so real and heartbreaking but also everyone should watch it. It’s of the first YA movies that really does focus on being part of the LGBT+ community and I think it was done really well. It was really great to see a coming out story of a current teen on the screen. It’s so rare and I think that it was done justice 

I adored Nick Robinson as Simon. He is this very shy person that is hiding a secret that hurts him. He doesn’t know what his family will think, or his friends and that scares the shit out of him. While not part of the LGBT+ community (that is known) he really does encompass the coming of age story really well. But it isn’t all sunshine and daisy and it hurt to watch.  Love, Simon really does show some of the harsh reality of coming out and while heartbreaking, I thought that it was done really well. 

Along with his parents played Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel, Simon has really good friends support system. Leah (Katherine Langford) and Nick (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.) have been his friends for years and Simon is terrified to tell them the truth. And even though Abby (Alexandra Shipp) is new to this friendship group, she fits in with these amazing misfits. It was both heartbreaking and beautiful to see this friendship group. And it was so hard to see Simon struggle with who he was when it came to telling people. 

After a boy from their school comes out as gay anonymous on their social media platform, Simon strikes up a friendship with him. Which was done so well? Unless you have read the book, you wouldn’t have a clue who Blue is. Simon eventually falls in love with Blue, without knowing who he is. And when everything hits the fan – oh gosh it broke my heart. 

Love, Simon also deals with the darkness of not wanting people to know. It’s was really hard to watch it, but it’s also so important to show it. Love, Simon looks out the reactions from classmates, family, and friends. There are still horrible people in the world and this movie does show that. 

The acting in Love, Simon was fresh, youthful and put a smile on my face. It just fit perfectly with the essence of the movie. We didn’t have all 30-year-olds playing teens and that was great to see for once. The movie felt very real. I also really liked how Love, Simon was filmed. I do not expect, but like the acting like the acting. It was fresh and just worked so well with the book. I loved the scenes with Blue and how the viewers also spent the whole time trying to work out who he is. 

Overall, Love, Simon is a coming of age novel for the current teen. It’s a heartbreaking but beautiful novel that really pulls at your heartstrings. Love, Simon is such an important movie for everyone to watch. For teens, for parents for every adult out there. It made me cry, laugh, and I left with a smile on face both times. I cannot wait to go watch it again. 

Have you watched Love Simon? What did you think of it? Are you planning on checking it out? Let’s Chat!