If you aren’t talking about Love, Simon right now, you’re doing something wrong. When my friends and I made the pilgrimage (and yes, it was a pilgrimage) to finally see it, I couldn’t wait to tell every single detail to everyone I spoke to for the next week. Thankfully I’ve gotten most of that out of my system, so you need not fear drastic spoilers here, but I still need to let the world know four great reasons to love Love, Simon.
1. It’s Funny
I was certainly not expecting to actually get stitches from laughing, but surprise! The cast of Love, Simon went above and beyond with their easy chemistry and witty banter. In other films banter always seems overly-sassy or far too contrived; rarely have I seen such natural flow between characters during dialogue. Props to Nick Robinson (Simon), Katherine Langford (Leah), Alexandra Shipp (Abby), and Jorge Lendeborg Jr (Nick) for recapturing the exact atmosphere of my high school friendships. Add to that the surprise musical dance number? Priceless.
2. It’s Relatable
There are so many things in this film to relate to, from the principal who tries way too hard to be friendly and constantly bemoans his students’ reliance on their phones, to the cringe-worthy school production of Cabaret. But by far the most important thing is that Simon’s journey is something that many LGBTQ+ people can relate to. Love, Simon provides an opportunity for a queer love story to be front and centre instead of an under-developed subplot.
3. It’s Heartwarming
Without giving anything away, I have to say that the film’s climax had me cheering in the middle of a public cinema — along with all my friends, of course (apologies to anyone who was watching there with us). It wasn’t just the beautiful love story that warmed my frozen, cynical, student heart though. Besides the romantic resolution, it was Simon’s supportive relationships with his friends and family that carried me through the film. The moment when they ordered five iced coffees instead of four? I cried tears of happiness.
4. It’s Groundbreaking
Rarely are viewers treated to a big-budget film that features an LGBTQ+ plot and character as the central storyline. Audiences usually have to turn to independent films to find what they are looking for. Not to diminish independent films, but there is no denying that a big-budget film can reach more viewers more easily, and that is critical for stories like Love, Simon. For decades films have elected to portray queer characters in tragic circumstances, if they feature them at all. More recently films have consented to include more queer characters, but they are often relegated to the stereotype of the Gay Best Friend. To have a gay main character in a film that is more lighthearted coming-of-age story than angsty tragedy is a wonderful thing, and I certainly hope we will be seeing an increase in similar themes for future films.
So for all members of humanity, I highly encourage you to get out and see Love, Simon as soon as possible. Don’t worry, I won’t be causing a ruckus in the cinema this time, but I can’t guarantee that you won’t.
Photo credits: twitter.com @lovesimonfilm, variety.com, huffingtonpost.ca, cinemablend.com, empirecinemas.co.uk,