“I knew you had a secret. These last few years, more and more, it was almost like I could feel you holding your breath.”
Love, Simon, based on the novel by Becky Albertalli, tells the story of a young man named Simon Spier, who struggles with the idea of coming out as a gay man to his family and friends. When a fellow male student on social media anonymously reveals to be a closeted gay man at school, Simon befriends him through anonymous emails, further inspiring Simon to go on a journey in truly finding himself and coming out to those he loves.
I didn’t know what to think about this movie. To be honest, I didn’t know much about it. And seeing how it had a couple of characters from 13 Reasons Why in the film, I thought, “oh no, it’s one of these films.” I thought it would be just another teeny-bopper, coming of age, sappy movie. Long story short, I had no desire to really see it. But it fit into my schedule, so I thought I’d give it a try. I’m glad I did. Love, Simon one of the most surprising movies I’ve ever seen. By surprising, I mean that it happily changed my mind. The acting in this film is realistic and meaningful. The actors, when hearing their names read, don’t make you go “damn, they’re good!” You won’t find a Meryl Streep in this film, but these actors are great nonetheless. Nick Robinson, who plays Simon, is excellent. He’s quiet, shy, and plays Simon with such vulnerability. Each step of the way, you sympathize so much for what he’s going through. Your support for this character never waivers, and I believe that Robinson’s brilliant portrayal of Simon added to the love that the audience will have for him. As for Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel, man, 
I was surprised once again. There are two separate scenes where Garner and Duhamel must give these speeches, and in essence, those two scenes can break hearts of stone. The lines that these two deliver remind me very much of Michael Stuhlbarg’s scene at the end of Call Me by Your Name. The movie rests on the shoulders of Simon and his friends, which they each lend a hand in making this movie great. Although I do have some issues in the storyline of the friends.
There are a few moments that rubbed me the wrong way in this film. One moment is when Simon is publicly bullied, and I felt that it wasn’t properly taken care of. If fact, there were numerous times when people were bullied, and the bullies never faced any serious repercussions. But one situation, in dealing with the friends, came up towards the end of the film. In my opinion, it wasn’t handled the right way. It made no sense for the situation to be handled the way it was and it really put a damper on the ending of the movie. Maybe I’m being a little too nitpicky, but I felt as though the author or whomever needed a confrontation, so they added in this as a way of furthering the plot. It just didn’t work for me, but more importantly, it made me sad.
Love, Simon is a film that will have you laughing, crying, smiling, and rooting right along with the others in the audience. This is a feel good movie, that mildly boarders on being cheesy, but without going overboard. This is a film that will resonate will many people. Whether you’re a gay person wanting to come out, or maybe you’re a straight person who wants to dream big. Sometimes having the support of your family and friends can mean the whole world.
Love, Simon
Directed by: Greg Berlanti
Starring: Nick Robinson, Jennifer Garner, Josh Duhamel, Katherine Langford, Alexandra Shipp, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., and Tony Hale
Rating:
Little Movie Reviews 