'Love, Simon' Review: Ground-Breakg Rom Featur Gay Protagonist - Variety

Contents:

• LOVE, SIMON IS A GROUNDBREAKG GAY MOVIE. BUT DO TODAY'S TEENS ACTUALLY NEED IT?
• 'LOVE, SIMON' IS A GOTDAMN LIGHTFUL ROM, AND 'S GAY AS HELL
• LOVE, SIMON: AT LAST HOLLYWOOD IS SAYG ‘I’M GAY’
• 'LOVE, SIMON' ACTOR OUT AS GAY
• IS NICK ROBSON GAY? 'LOVE, SIMON' ACTOR SETS THE RERD STRAIGHT!
• LOVE, SIMON IS A CHARMG GAY STUD MOVIE THAT MAK US HUNGRY FOR MORETEENS WILL SWOON, ADULTS WILL SIGH.BY RICHARD LAWSONMARCH 13, 2018PHOTO BY BEN ROTHSTE/TWENTIETH CENTURY FOXSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEIT’S GOG TO BE HARD TO TALK ABOUT LOVE, SIMON, THE NEW GAY TEEN ROMANTIC EDY OM FOX (YEP!), WHOUT TURNG TO A THERAPY SSN. BRIGHT AND ATTRACTIVE BOTH ST AND PRODUCTN SIGN, GREG BERLANTI’S FILM—ADAPTED OM THE BT-SELLG YOUNG-ADULT NOVEL SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA—HAS A PLEASANT BEARG. THOUGH TELLS AN EMOTNAL STORY ABOUT INTY AND G OUT, ’S AN EASYGOG MOVIE, GLOSSY AND KD AND ZILY RNY. AND YET, FOR ME, WAS ALSO A GHT EXPERIENCE, BOTH PAED AND GIDDY, CHEERG AND DISMAYG. IT’S A LOT, THIS LTLE MOVIE.WELL, MAYBE ’S NOT LTLE. LOVE, SIMON IS THE FIRST MAJOR STUD FILM ABOUT A GAY KID G OUT. WHICH IS A RATHER BIG AL, EVEN IF THE MOVIE IS JT A SPRG EDY. (AND ACTUALLY, MAYBE THAT ’S A SPRG EDY MAK A BIGGER AL.) LOVE, SIMON ARRIV POISED TO ACMODATE A LOT OF BAGGAGE, WH EACH GAY PERSON WHO SE HANGG A LTLE OF THEIR OWN ON THE MOVIE (OR, I SUPPOSE, JT CHOOSG NOT TO ENGAGE WH AT ALL). THE THKG—AND PART OF THE MARKETG STRATEGY—IS THAT LOVE, SIMON WILL OFFER AN OPPORTUNY TO HAVE A CERTA BURN LIFTED, THAT WILL DO THE HONORABLE REPRENTATNAL WORK OF LETTG SEE OUR PAST AND PRENT AND FUTURE SELV ON THE BIG SCREEN WARM AND CELEBRATORY WAYS. WE WILL SEE LOVE, SIMON AND FEEL UNTED, FALLY.AND, SOME WAYS, YEAH, I DID. THE STORY OF A 16-YEAR-OLD, SIMON (NICK ROBSON), WHO ISN’T QUE READY TO E OUT UNTIL HE BEGS AN ANONYMO E-MAIL ROMANCE WH ANOTHER CLOSETED BOY AT HIS SCHOOL, LOVE, SIMON IS EXCG HOW DIRECTLY AND WHOLLY FOC ON S GAYNS. SIMON IS MAYBE—WH ALL OF ROBSON’S BOYISH, STRAIGHT-ACTG PHYSILY AND TIMBRE—ONE OF THOSE “JT HAPPENS TO BE GAY” TYP, BUT HE IS NOHELS GAY, SOMETHG THE FILM REMDS OF, TEXTUALLY OR SUBTEXTUALLY, JT ABOUT EVERY SCENE. (I ONLY WISH A FANTASY SEQUENCE WHICH SIMON IMAG WHAT LIFE AS AN OUT GAY GUY LLEGE WILL BE LIKE DIDN’T END WH SIMON SAYG VOICE-OVER, “WELL, MAYBE NOT THAT GAY.” WHY NOT THAT GAY? WHY NOT MORE GAY?) IT’S THRILLG AND ALMOST SURREAL TO BE GIVEN TWO HOURS OF THIS—WHOUT ANYTHG SHAD, D, OR TRAGIC— STUD PACKAGG, CYNILLY PALIST AS MAY BE. CHERISHED AS THE SPARSE APARTMENTS AND SIMPLE PHOTOGRAPHY OF SO MANY BELOVED STRAND AND TLA RELEAS ARE, GAY STUFF LOOKS GOOD ON A BIGGER BUDGET.THE FILM’S PERFORMANC ONLY ADD TO THE MOVIE’S AFFABLE SPARKLE. THOUGH I WISH HIS SIMON READ, ANKLY, A B GAYER, ROBSON IS NO DOUBT A CHARMER, A HANDSOME GUY WHO GIV A MTED, SENSIVE PERFORMANCE. THE ACTORS WHO PLAY SIMON’S IENDS, ANTAGONISTS, AND LOVE TERTS—AMONG THEM KATHERE LANGFORD, ALEXANDRA SHIPP, LOGAN MILLER, AND KEIYNAN LONSDALE (SWOON)—ALL PROVI STRONG SUPPORT, GIVG THE MOVIE’S TEEN SOCIALIZG A CREDIBLE ENERGY, EVEN IF THE KIDS ARE A LTLE MORE VOLUBLY ELOQUENT THAN THEIR REAL-LIFE UNTERPARTS. (SNAPPY DIALOGUE THAT WORKS A WTY BOOK DON’T ALWAYS WORK ON SCREEN, SOMETHG SCREENWRERS ELIZABETH BERGER AND ISAAC APTAKER ARE HIP TO ABOUT HALF THE TIME.) AND JENNIFER GARNER AND JOSH DUHAMEL ARE CUDDLY AND GENERO AS SIMON’S DOTG PARENTS, WH GARNER PARTICULAR NAILG THE MOVIE’S MOST THOUGHTFUL, WELL-ARTICULATED SCENE.STORY-WISE, THE MOVIE MOV ALONG WELL, TELLG A SURPRISGLY TRITE TALE OF CSH AND SECRET INTI. SOME OF LOVE, SIMON‘S PLOT VELOPMENTS ARE STARTLGLY DARK—CHIEF AMONG THEM A BLACKMAILG SCHEME THAT PROV DISASTRO—AND WOULD BE NICE TO SEE THE FILM TERROGATE OR NTEXTUALIZE THAT A B MORE. MUCH OF SIMON’S ONLE ROMANCE IS JT THAT: ONLE. AND IS HARD TO DRAMATIZE E-MAILG ON FILM. SO SIMON’S RELATNSHIP TO “BLUE,” HIS INTER PARAMOUR, MAY FEEL RICHER BOOK FORM. BUT MOSTLY, THE FILM DO A GRACEFUL JOB OF ILLTRATG SIMON‘S NER TURMOIL—HIS FEAR NOT OF BEG GAY, BUT OF LIFE CHANGG TOO DRASTILLY WHEN HE ANNOUNC THAT HE IS—WHILE MATAG S SPIRED, FUNNY, HUMANE AIR. IT’S A CRGE-Y MOVIE, SO BEWARE IF YOU’RE AVERSE TO THAT SORT OF THG. (I AM, AND I SURVIVED.) B-STORI WEAVE WELL WH SIMON’S MA THROUGH-LE, AND THE MOVIE ENDS WH A SENSE OF EQUY FOR EACH OF S WELL-DRAWN KIDS. (EVEN IF LANGFORD’S CHARACTER SORTA GETS THE SHAFT. OR DON’T, SO TO SPEAK.)SO, ALL OF THAT IS GOOD. I LEFT THE THEATER A LTLE JUMPY AND LIGHTHEAD, LGHG WH A IEND ABOUT HOW SILLY AND FLHED WE FELT. LOVE, SIMON’S WELL-MEANG “FALLY!” IS A HEADY THG TO WNS, S CLOSG SCEN SO HAPPY AND AFFECTNATE THAT YOU WANT TO HUG SOMEONE. (OR KISS SOMEONE!)MOST POPULARSARA RAMIREZ ISSU STHG RPONSE TO ANTI–CHE DIAZ PROFILEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE GILD AGE WILL GET A LOT MORE OPERATIC SEASON 2BY RICHARD LAWSONINSI ALL OF US STRANGERS, ANDREW STT AND PL ML’S METAPHYSIL LOVE STORYBY DAVID CANFIELDIT WAS A FLEETG HIGH, THOUGH. BY THE TIME I GOT HOME OM THE THEATER (O.K., MY IEND AND I HAD A UPLE OF DRKS TO LM DOWN—BUT AFTER THAT), SOMETHG HAD SOURED ME, AND THE FILM BEGAN TO TAKE ON A DARKER—OR AT LEAST MORE TROUBLED—EDGE. WHAT I’VE BEEN WRTLG WH THE PAST UPLE OF WEEKS IS HOW MUCH OF THAT IS THE FILM’S DOG, AND HOW MUCH OF IS A PRODUCT OF MY OWN STUFF. ALL THAT BAGGAGE I’D TEMPORARILY LENT TO LOVE, SIMON QUICKLY STARTED TO WEIGH ON ME AGA, EVEN FEELG A B HEAVIER THAN BEFORE.I THK HAS SOMETHG TO DO WH THE KD OF IMAGG WE GAY ADULTS ARE MA TO DO ABOUT A MOVIE LIKE THIS. “WHAT IF I’D HAD THAT WHEN I WAS A KID?” WE FD OURSELV SAYG WH AWE, WH WISTFULNS, WH MAYBE (FELY?) A PANG OF JEALOY. (AND, OF URSE, “WHAT IF I’D LIVED THAT?”) OR, AT LEAST, I DO. IT’S A BTERSWEET ACTIVY, THIS NOSTALGIA FOR A YOUTH WE WISH WE HAD, AND FOR A YOUTH WE HOPE GAY KIDS ARE HAVG NOW. BUT IS A HEALTHY ONE?OF URSE ADULTS OWE TO YOUNG PEOPLE TO TE THEM, TO PROVI FOR THEM, TO HELP CLARIFY THE EMOTNAL WORLD FOR THEM. AND, Y, A PART OF THAT DUTY MAY BE GIVG THEM A LIKABLE, SOMETIM TRATGLY UNGAY GAY TEEN EDY ABOUT A WEALTHY KID WHOSE NANCY MEYERS–IAN LIFE IS DLY DISPTED UNTIL ISN’T, AND HE’S MET WH BROAD AND UNQUTNABLY LOVG SUPPORT THROUGHOUT. JUDGG OM THE REACTN TO A RECENT TIME PIECE THAT HAD THE TEMERY TO ASK IF LOVE, SIMON’S PLEASGLY BLAND PICTN OF RELATIVELY NORMATIVE GAYNS WOULD APPEAL TO TODAY’S MORE SOCIALLY NSC TEENS (A GOOD AND FAIR QUTN WORTH ENGAGG WH BEYOND THE PIECE’S HEADLE, FOLKS), THERE SEEMS TO BE A MAND, AN EAGER ANTICIPATN FOR THIS MOVIE. SO IF LOVE, SIMON DO SOMETHG—ENTERTAS, ELAT, TRANSPORTS—FOR THOSE QUEER KIDS NEED OF , THEN ’S ALL WORTH .THERE’S STILL A PART OF ME THAT WONRS IF KIDS NOW, WH YOUTUBE AND INSTAGRAM OFFERG UP A PLETHORA OF GAY PEERS TO LOOK ON, ARE QUE AS STARVED FOR THIS MOVIE AS OLR GENERATNS WERE. BUT WHETHER OR NOT GEN Z-ERS FD SOMETHG NOURISHG AND OF VALUE THE MOVIE, WHAT ARE WE GAY ADULTS TO DO WH ? DO EVEN MATTER WHAT WE DO WH ?WHAT I’VE BEEN SORT OF DANCG AROUND HERE IS THIS: A FEW HOURS AFTER SEEG LOVE, SIMON, I FELT KDA PRSED. ALL THAT SWEET LONGG FOR A TEENAGEHOOD I NEVER HAD—AND A MOVIE THAT I NEVER GOT—HARNED TO A REGRET, A BTERNS. THE SAME GO, SOME WAYS, FOR CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, THOUGH THAT FILM’S MEDATIVE WHISPERS HAVE PROVEN A MORE LASTG BALM THAN LOVE, SIMON’S QUICK AND CLUMSY BURST OF POIGNANCY. I THK I MIGHT JT BE A LTLE TIRED—FOR THE MOMENT—OF THKG MELANCHOLILLY ABOUT WHAT ULD HAVE BEEN, TIRED OF TILLG THE EARTH OF MY TEENAGE YEARS AND IMBUG WH THE FANTASI, AND THEN ASSUMG THAT MEANS I’VE BEEN FULFILLED, THAT I’VE BEEN SATISFYGLY REPRENTED CEMA.MOST POPULARSARA RAMIREZ ISSU STHG RPONSE TO ANTI–CHE DIAZ PROFILEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE GILD AGE WILL GET A LOT MORE OPERATIC SEASON 2BY RICHARD LAWSONINSI ALL OF US STRANGERS, ANDREW STT AND PL ML’S METAPHYSIL LOVE STORYBY DAVID CANFIELDLOVE, SIMON IS NOT BEG MARKETED TO GAY ADULTS EXPRSLY, BUT PLENTY OF GAY ADULTS WILL SEE —HUNGRY FOR THIS FIRST MOVIEGOG EXPERIENCE, THE ONE LARGELY NIED TO THEM AS KIDS. WHICH IS GOOD. I HOPE THEY LOVE , AND THAT S TEND DIENCE OF TEENS LOV , AND THAT THE MOVIE MAK A BOATLOAD OF MONEY. AND I HOPE SOME OF THAT MONEY WILL THEN BE ED TO MAKE STUD MOVI ABOUT, AND FOR, GAY ADULTS, AND GAY OLD PEOPLE, AND GAY PEOPLE WHO ARE GAYER THAN NICK ROBSON, AND GAY MOVIE CRICS STARG DOWN THE BARREL OF THEIR 35TH BIRTHDAY. ALL KDS OF GAY PEOPLE!I—AND MANY OTHERS, I’M SURE—ULD BENEF OM A REMR THAT GAY LIV ARE NOT SOLELY FED BY PRIMAL DISVERY, THAT THEY EXIST LONG PAST FIRST BLH. FIRST BLH ARE GREAT, AND WE’VE BEEN BLSED WH SEVERAL GOOD FILMS ABOUT THEM RECENTLY, CLUDG LOVE, SIMON. BUT AS MUCH AS LOVE, SIMON’S WNG, IF SLIGHTLY BOWDLERIZED, G-OUT STORY IALLY MA ME YEARN FOR AN ALTERED YOUTH, ’S SCE MA ME YEARN EVEN MORE FOR STORI THAT REFLECT MY GAY LIFE TODAY, OR MY GAY LIFE AS MIGHT BE YEARS OM NOW. (AND YOUR GAY LIFE, AND YOUR GAY LIFE, AND YOUR GAY LIFE.) HERE’S HOPG FOR THOSE MOVI THE NEAR FUTURE. THK OF THIS WAY: IF THOSE FILMS GET MA NOW, THEY’LL BE THERE WAG FOR TODAY’S TEENS—SOON TO BE SMTEN WH SIMON—WHEN THEY EVENTUALLY GET OLR AND GROW HUNGRY FOR SOMETHG MORE. DO FOR THEM, HOLLYWOOD. AND FOR , TOO.RICHARD LAWSON
• WHY DID TAKE SO LONG FOR HOLLYWOOD TO MAKE A GAY TEEN STORY LIKE 'LOVE, SIMON'?
• LOVE, SIMON? DON’T LOVE, SIMON?: A DEBATE ON THE LTLE GAY MOVIE THAT COULD
• ‘LOVE, SIMON’ STARS SAY GAY TEEN ROMANCE WILL SAVE LIV

LOVE, SIMON IS A GROUNDBREAKG GAY MOVIE. BUT DO TODAY'S TEENS ACTUALLY NEED IT?

The new movie Love, Simon reprents somethg new: a look at what ’s like to be a gay teen that’s as slick and mastream as n be, like any other YA romantic edy. As his profile at school evolv, he’s mocked for beg gay by the jocks, but elsewhere his search for a boyiend is met wh a zealo enuragement that saps the movie’s tensn.

Plenty of gay kids are supported by those around them, but how many are appld and rooted on by the school en masse, as Simon is, as they seek love?

'LOVE, SIMON' IS A GOTDAMN LIGHTFUL ROM, AND 'S GAY AS HELL

A tone that feels overdue–the first mastream teen edy foregroundg a gay character–may have been outpaced by real life. Can a love story centered around a gay teen who is very refully built to seem as straight as possible appeal to a generatn that’s boldly reventg genr and sexualy on s own terms? There’s no reason that the first gay romantic edy for young viewers necsarily need to look so much like the pat, flat rom-s wh which today’s teens are barely faiar.

The culture, even a ago, was awash anti-gay rhetoric and msagg, om shows like The Office to movi like The 40-Year-Old Virg. (The former relentlsly teased s lone queer office drone; the latter, a liberal-md edy, psed the actn for a lengthy sequence of mean gay jok. Love, Simon feels like a film rpondg to an entirely different culture, like one which gay marriage was never legalized.

LOVE, SIMON: AT LAST HOLLYWOOD IS SAYG ‘I’M GAY’

That cisn both acknowledged that equaly for gays had won the day and opened the door for far more tertg and challengg fights, on the next generatn will lead.

'LOVE, SIMON' ACTOR OUT AS GAY

The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, the upg film follows our tular hero as he strik up a secret, anonymo romance wh Blue, the cyber-psdonym of another closeted guy who jt so happens to also go to his high school. Director Greg Berlanti’s first feature film was 2000’s The Broken Hearts Club, a movie that remaed disproportnately important to my teenage self for a long time bee of s portrayal of real, multifaceted gay love.

I was like, “I’m dog this film wh a gay director, his fay is on set, we’re all so supportive, the film is about a gay love story, and I still don’t know how to be myself. Tolerance has s mercial benefs; a gay film need no longer appeal exclively to small or specialised when Betiful Thg opened 1996, the UK age of nsent for gay men had only recently been lowered om 21 to 18 (still two years higher than the heterosexual one). Lbians and gay men were banned om servg the armed forc, the sid Sectn 28 was seven years away om beg repealed while phras like “civil partnership” and “marriage equaly” were as unfaiar then as “social media” and “trigger warng” Get Real, a Brish g-out movie that followed two years after Betiful Thg, feel-good material still had to acknowledge the possibily of vlence and homophobia.

IS NICK ROBSON GAY? 'LOVE, SIMON' ACTOR SETS THE RERD STRAIGHT!

Photograph: RONALD GRANTThe -stigmatisatn of homosexualy has removed om drama one of s olst standbys: the threat of ostracisatn and social .

LOVE, SIMON IS A CHARMG GAY STUD MOVIE THAT MAK US HUNGRY FOR MORETEENS WILL SWOON, ADULTS WILL SIGH.BY RICHARD LAWSONMARCH 13, 2018PHOTO BY BEN ROTHSTE/TWENTIETH CENTURY FOXSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEIT’S GOG TO BE HARD TO TALK ABOUT LOVE, SIMON, THE NEW GAY TEEN ROMANTIC EDY OM FOX (YEP!), WHOUT TURNG TO A THERAPY SSN. BRIGHT AND ATTRACTIVE BOTH ST AND PRODUCTN SIGN, GREG BERLANTI’S FILM—ADAPTED OM THE BT-SELLG YOUNG-ADULT NOVEL SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA—HAS A PLEASANT BEARG. THOUGH TELLS AN EMOTNAL STORY ABOUT INTY AND G OUT, ’S AN EASYGOG MOVIE, GLOSSY AND KD AND ZILY RNY. AND YET, FOR ME, WAS ALSO A GHT EXPERIENCE, BOTH PAED AND GIDDY, CHEERG AND DISMAYG. IT’S A LOT, THIS LTLE MOVIE.WELL, MAYBE ’S NOT LTLE. LOVE, SIMON IS THE FIRST MAJOR STUD FILM ABOUT A GAY KID G OUT. WHICH IS A RATHER BIG AL, EVEN IF THE MOVIE IS JT A SPRG EDY. (AND ACTUALLY, MAYBE THAT ’S A SPRG EDY MAK A BIGGER AL.) LOVE, SIMON ARRIV POISED TO ACMODATE A LOT OF BAGGAGE, WH EACH GAY PERSON WHO SE HANGG A LTLE OF THEIR OWN ON THE MOVIE (OR, I SUPPOSE, JT CHOOSG NOT TO ENGAGE WH AT ALL). THE THKG—AND PART OF THE MARKETG STRATEGY—IS THAT LOVE, SIMON WILL OFFER AN OPPORTUNY TO HAVE A CERTA BURN LIFTED, THAT WILL DO THE HONORABLE REPRENTATNAL WORK OF LETTG SEE OUR PAST AND PRENT AND FUTURE SELV ON THE BIG SCREEN WARM AND CELEBRATORY WAYS. WE WILL SEE LOVE, SIMON AND FEEL UNTED, FALLY.AND, SOME WAYS, YEAH, I DID. THE STORY OF A 16-YEAR-OLD, SIMON (NICK ROBSON), WHO ISN’T QUE READY TO E OUT UNTIL HE BEGS AN ANONYMO E-MAIL ROMANCE WH ANOTHER CLOSETED BOY AT HIS SCHOOL, LOVE, SIMON IS EXCG HOW DIRECTLY AND WHOLLY FOC ON S GAYNS. SIMON IS MAYBE—WH ALL OF ROBSON’S BOYISH, STRAIGHT-ACTG PHYSILY AND TIMBRE—ONE OF THOSE “JT HAPPENS TO BE GAY” TYP, BUT HE IS NOHELS GAY, SOMETHG THE FILM REMDS OF, TEXTUALLY OR SUBTEXTUALLY, JT ABOUT EVERY SCENE. (I ONLY WISH A FANTASY SEQUENCE WHICH SIMON IMAG WHAT LIFE AS AN OUT GAY GUY LLEGE WILL BE LIKE DIDN’T END WH SIMON SAYG VOICE-OVER, “WELL, MAYBE NOT THAT GAY.” WHY NOT THAT GAY? WHY NOT MORE GAY?) IT’S THRILLG AND ALMOST SURREAL TO BE GIVEN TWO HOURS OF THIS—WHOUT ANYTHG SHAD, D, OR TRAGIC— STUD PACKAGG, CYNILLY PALIST AS MAY BE. CHERISHED AS THE SPARSE APARTMENTS AND SIMPLE PHOTOGRAPHY OF SO MANY BELOVED STRAND AND TLA RELEAS ARE, GAY STUFF LOOKS GOOD ON A BIGGER BUDGET.THE FILM’S PERFORMANC ONLY ADD TO THE MOVIE’S AFFABLE SPARKLE. THOUGH I WISH HIS SIMON READ, ANKLY, A B GAYER, ROBSON IS NO DOUBT A CHARMER, A HANDSOME GUY WHO GIV A MTED, SENSIVE PERFORMANCE. THE ACTORS WHO PLAY SIMON’S IENDS, ANTAGONISTS, AND LOVE TERTS—AMONG THEM KATHERE LANGFORD, ALEXANDRA SHIPP, LOGAN MILLER, AND KEIYNAN LONSDALE (SWOON)—ALL PROVI STRONG SUPPORT, GIVG THE MOVIE’S TEEN SOCIALIZG A CREDIBLE ENERGY, EVEN IF THE KIDS ARE A LTLE MORE VOLUBLY ELOQUENT THAN THEIR REAL-LIFE UNTERPARTS. (SNAPPY DIALOGUE THAT WORKS A WTY BOOK DON’T ALWAYS WORK ON SCREEN, SOMETHG SCREENWRERS ELIZABETH BERGER AND ISAAC APTAKER ARE HIP TO ABOUT HALF THE TIME.) AND JENNIFER GARNER AND JOSH DUHAMEL ARE CUDDLY AND GENERO AS SIMON’S DOTG PARENTS, WH GARNER PARTICULAR NAILG THE MOVIE’S MOST THOUGHTFUL, WELL-ARTICULATED SCENE.STORY-WISE, THE MOVIE MOV ALONG WELL, TELLG A SURPRISGLY TRITE TALE OF CSH AND SECRET INTI. SOME OF LOVE, SIMON‘S PLOT VELOPMENTS ARE STARTLGLY DARK—CHIEF AMONG THEM A BLACKMAILG SCHEME THAT PROV DISASTRO—AND WOULD BE NICE TO SEE THE FILM TERROGATE OR NTEXTUALIZE THAT A B MORE. MUCH OF SIMON’S ONLE ROMANCE IS JT THAT: ONLE. AND IS HARD TO DRAMATIZE E-MAILG ON FILM. SO SIMON’S RELATNSHIP TO “BLUE,” HIS INTER PARAMOUR, MAY FEEL RICHER BOOK FORM. BUT MOSTLY, THE FILM DO A GRACEFUL JOB OF ILLTRATG SIMON‘S NER TURMOIL—HIS FEAR NOT OF BEG GAY, BUT OF LIFE CHANGG TOO DRASTILLY WHEN HE ANNOUNC THAT HE IS—WHILE MATAG S SPIRED, FUNNY, HUMANE AIR. IT’S A CRGE-Y MOVIE, SO BEWARE IF YOU’RE AVERSE TO THAT SORT OF THG. (I AM, AND I SURVIVED.) B-STORI WEAVE WELL WH SIMON’S MA THROUGH-LE, AND THE MOVIE ENDS WH A SENSE OF EQUY FOR EACH OF S WELL-DRAWN KIDS. (EVEN IF LANGFORD’S CHARACTER SORTA GETS THE SHAFT. OR DON’T, SO TO SPEAK.)SO, ALL OF THAT IS GOOD. I LEFT THE THEATER A LTLE JUMPY AND LIGHTHEAD, LGHG WH A IEND ABOUT HOW SILLY AND FLHED WE FELT. LOVE, SIMON’S WELL-MEANG “FALLY!” IS A HEADY THG TO WNS, S CLOSG SCEN SO HAPPY AND AFFECTNATE THAT YOU WANT TO HUG SOMEONE. (OR KISS SOMEONE!)MOST POPULARSARA RAMIREZ ISSU STHG RPONSE TO ANTI–CHE DIAZ PROFILEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE GILD AGE WILL GET A LOT MORE OPERATIC SEASON 2BY RICHARD LAWSONINSI ALL OF US STRANGERS, ANDREW STT AND PL ML’S METAPHYSIL LOVE STORYBY DAVID CANFIELDIT WAS A FLEETG HIGH, THOUGH. BY THE TIME I GOT HOME OM THE THEATER (O.K., MY IEND AND I HAD A UPLE OF DRKS TO LM DOWN—BUT AFTER THAT), SOMETHG HAD SOURED ME, AND THE FILM BEGAN TO TAKE ON A DARKER—OR AT LEAST MORE TROUBLED—EDGE. WHAT I’VE BEEN WRTLG WH THE PAST UPLE OF WEEKS IS HOW MUCH OF THAT IS THE FILM’S DOG, AND HOW MUCH OF IS A PRODUCT OF MY OWN STUFF. ALL THAT BAGGAGE I’D TEMPORARILY LENT TO LOVE, SIMON QUICKLY STARTED TO WEIGH ON ME AGA, EVEN FEELG A B HEAVIER THAN BEFORE.I THK HAS SOMETHG TO DO WH THE KD OF IMAGG WE GAY ADULTS ARE MA TO DO ABOUT A MOVIE LIKE THIS. “WHAT IF I’D HAD THAT WHEN I WAS A KID?” WE FD OURSELV SAYG WH AWE, WH WISTFULNS, WH MAYBE (FELY?) A PANG OF JEALOY. (AND, OF URSE, “WHAT IF I’D LIVED THAT?”) OR, AT LEAST, I DO. IT’S A BTERSWEET ACTIVY, THIS NOSTALGIA FOR A YOUTH WE WISH WE HAD, AND FOR A YOUTH WE HOPE GAY KIDS ARE HAVG NOW. BUT IS A HEALTHY ONE?OF URSE ADULTS OWE TO YOUNG PEOPLE TO TE THEM, TO PROVI FOR THEM, TO HELP CLARIFY THE EMOTNAL WORLD FOR THEM. AND, Y, A PART OF THAT DUTY MAY BE GIVG THEM A LIKABLE, SOMETIM TRATGLY UNGAY GAY TEEN EDY ABOUT A WEALTHY KID WHOSE NANCY MEYERS–IAN LIFE IS DLY DISPTED UNTIL ISN’T, AND HE’S MET WH BROAD AND UNQUTNABLY LOVG SUPPORT THROUGHOUT. JUDGG OM THE REACTN TO A RECENT TIME PIECE THAT HAD THE TEMERY TO ASK IF LOVE, SIMON’S PLEASGLY BLAND PICTN OF RELATIVELY NORMATIVE GAYNS WOULD APPEAL TO TODAY’S MORE SOCIALLY NSC TEENS (A GOOD AND FAIR QUTN WORTH ENGAGG WH BEYOND THE PIECE’S HEADLE, FOLKS), THERE SEEMS TO BE A MAND, AN EAGER ANTICIPATN FOR THIS MOVIE. SO IF LOVE, SIMON DO SOMETHG—ENTERTAS, ELAT, TRANSPORTS—FOR THOSE QUEER KIDS NEED OF , THEN ’S ALL WORTH .THERE’S STILL A PART OF ME THAT WONRS IF KIDS NOW, WH YOUTUBE AND INSTAGRAM OFFERG UP A PLETHORA OF GAY PEERS TO LOOK ON, ARE QUE AS STARVED FOR THIS MOVIE AS OLR GENERATNS WERE. BUT WHETHER OR NOT GEN Z-ERS FD SOMETHG NOURISHG AND OF VALUE THE MOVIE, WHAT ARE WE GAY ADULTS TO DO WH ? DO EVEN MATTER WHAT WE DO WH ?WHAT I’VE BEEN SORT OF DANCG AROUND HERE IS THIS: A FEW HOURS AFTER SEEG LOVE, SIMON, I FELT KDA PRSED. ALL THAT SWEET LONGG FOR A TEENAGEHOOD I NEVER HAD—AND A MOVIE THAT I NEVER GOT—HARNED TO A REGRET, A BTERNS. THE SAME GO, SOME WAYS, FOR CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, THOUGH THAT FILM’S MEDATIVE WHISPERS HAVE PROVEN A MORE LASTG BALM THAN LOVE, SIMON’S QUICK AND CLUMSY BURST OF POIGNANCY. I THK I MIGHT JT BE A LTLE TIRED—FOR THE MOMENT—OF THKG MELANCHOLILLY ABOUT WHAT ULD HAVE BEEN, TIRED OF TILLG THE EARTH OF MY TEENAGE YEARS AND IMBUG WH THE FANTASI, AND THEN ASSUMG THAT MEANS I’VE BEEN FULFILLED, THAT I’VE BEEN SATISFYGLY REPRENTED CEMA.MOST POPULARSARA RAMIREZ ISSU STHG RPONSE TO ANTI–CHE DIAZ PROFILEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE GILD AGE WILL GET A LOT MORE OPERATIC SEASON 2BY RICHARD LAWSONINSI ALL OF US STRANGERS, ANDREW STT AND PL ML’S METAPHYSIL LOVE STORYBY DAVID CANFIELDLOVE, SIMON IS NOT BEG MARKETED TO GAY ADULTS EXPRSLY, BUT PLENTY OF GAY ADULTS WILL SEE —HUNGRY FOR THIS FIRST MOVIEGOG EXPERIENCE, THE ONE LARGELY NIED TO THEM AS KIDS. WHICH IS GOOD. I HOPE THEY LOVE , AND THAT S TEND DIENCE OF TEENS LOV , AND THAT THE MOVIE MAK A BOATLOAD OF MONEY. AND I HOPE SOME OF THAT MONEY WILL THEN BE ED TO MAKE STUD MOVI ABOUT, AND FOR, GAY ADULTS, AND GAY OLD PEOPLE, AND GAY PEOPLE WHO ARE GAYER THAN NICK ROBSON, AND GAY MOVIE CRICS STARG DOWN THE BARREL OF THEIR 35TH BIRTHDAY. ALL KDS OF GAY PEOPLE!I—AND MANY OTHERS, I’M SURE—ULD BENEF OM A REMR THAT GAY LIV ARE NOT SOLELY FED BY PRIMAL DISVERY, THAT THEY EXIST LONG PAST FIRST BLH. FIRST BLH ARE GREAT, AND WE’VE BEEN BLSED WH SEVERAL GOOD FILMS ABOUT THEM RECENTLY, CLUDG LOVE, SIMON. BUT AS MUCH AS LOVE, SIMON’S WNG, IF SLIGHTLY BOWDLERIZED, G-OUT STORY IALLY MA ME YEARN FOR AN ALTERED YOUTH, ’S SCE MA ME YEARN EVEN MORE FOR STORI THAT REFLECT MY GAY LIFE TODAY, OR MY GAY LIFE AS MIGHT BE YEARS OM NOW. (AND YOUR GAY LIFE, AND YOUR GAY LIFE, AND YOUR GAY LIFE.) HERE’S HOPG FOR THOSE MOVI THE NEAR FUTURE. THK OF THIS WAY: IF THOSE FILMS GET MA NOW, THEY’LL BE THERE WAG FOR TODAY’S TEENS—SOON TO BE SMTEN WH SIMON—WHEN THEY EVENTUALLY GET OLR AND GROW HUNGRY FOR SOMETHG MORE. DO FOR THEM, HOLLYWOOD. AND FOR , TOO.RICHARD LAWSON

Audienc the 1960s uld well prehend the distrs of the barrister, played by Dirk Bogar, who is blackmailed over his sexualy Victim, jt as their 1980s unterparts appreciated the sndal of a married man wh a gay lover Makg Love. She wants to play footsie, he wants to watch most strikg achievement of Love, Simon is s promotn of a gay character om sassy sikick to thentic hero.

"Pollari, who has played a gay character once before TV seri Amerin Crime, said he stggled wh a sense of shame before g out. Nick Robson stars the new movie Love, Simon about a high-school stunt’s g out journey and fans might be wonrg if the actor is gay or straight real life.

WHY DID TAKE SO LONG FOR HOLLYWOOD TO MAKE A GAY TEEN STORY LIKE 'LOVE, SIMON'?

Ellen asked Nick if he hated at all to play a gay character and he said that he went back and forth wh director Greg Berlanti about . This year’s Osr wner for bt movie, The Shape of Water, portrayed a sympathetic olr gay iend (played by Richard Jenks) who is gentle, effemate, and of urse, sad — an archetype that has domated Amerin cema sce Sal Meo’s Plato Rebel Whout a Cse.

The theatre was filled wh llege-aged stunts who mostly seemed to sympathize wh the leadg character — a gay, closeted, high school stunt. ‘Love, Simon’ is nsired to be the first mastream teen romantic edy wh a gay lead character (played by Nick Robson, send om left).

Of urse all gay men are not effemate, but Wtern culture, male on male sire is evably associated wh effemacy bee sex between men volv one man submtg himself to another. In this file photo, a member of the gay muny wearg a swastika and a sign statg ‘Fascism is alive and well and breedg Toronto’ walks past a police officer as he leav a police missn hearg, Toronto, Ont., Feb.

LOVE, SIMON? DON’T LOVE, SIMON?: A DEBATE ON THE LTLE GAY MOVIE THAT COULD

The Cy of Toronto officially regnized Pri Day Toronto around 1981 — the same time that the police Bath Hoe Raids Toronto galvanized support for the gay and lbian muny. Dpe this progrs and the legalizatn of gay marriage many untri, toleratn of diverse sexuali is pretty much nfed to large wtern ci. But as cril theorist David Halper remds , si the morn associatn of homosexualy wh femy we n see “the force wh which earlier pre-homosexual sexual tegori ntue to exert their thory.

"Oftentim, when you have someone at the lead of a film who is also a gay character, for some reason they have to be gog through some emotnal crisis, whether ’s disease or a dg addictn or bad fay life, " says Robson. And 's te; plenty of LGBTQ+ movi om the last few s have centered on trma some form or another, like Boys Don't Cry (about a hate crime agast a trans man), Milk (about the murr of California's first openly gay polician), Philalphia (about AIDS and discrimatn), Monster (about a gay serial killer), Bent (about gay men durg the Holot), etc.

The list go on, so much so that there's even a trope lled "Bury Your Gays" referencg the equency wh which LGBTQ+ characters are killed on-screen. "What mak [Love, Simon] unique is the fact that, at least on the surface, [Simon is] a fairly well adjted kid, " Robson explas of the movie, which follows a gay 17-year-old who only shar his secret onle wh an anonymo guy om his school.

‘LOVE, SIMON’ STARS SAY GAY TEEN ROMANCE WILL SAVE LIV

The Homo Sapiens' Agenda — may not be the first LGBTQ+-foced film to not be based around tragedy (Call Me By Your Name, anyone? Cast & crewUser reviewsTrivia2018PG-131h 50mSimon Spier keeps a huge secret om his fay, his iends and all of his classmat: he's gay.

When that secret is threatened, Simon mt face everyone and e to terms wh his Spier keeps a huge secret om his fay, his iends and all of his classmat: he's gay. Countls movi (and books and songs and TV shows) plumb the agony and elatn of teen romance, but “Love, Simon” brgs h perspective to the genre by focg on an experience unseen g-of-age tal: What high-school first love might be like if you’re film treats 17-year-old Simon Spier’s qut for love and self-acceptance wh the tenr, timels, Hollywood touch of John Hugh: It’s a classic story of a first csh ma groundbreakg by centerg on a closeted gay Robson is Simon, a shaggy-haired high-school senr who scrib his life as “totally normal.

Simon is gay — he’s known ever sce a recurrg adolcent dream about Daniel Radcliffe — but has kept his sexualy a secret om fally fds an outlet after an anonymo post on the school’s onle gossip fom. Mart threatens to expose the exchange — and Simon’s gay stat — unls Simon agre to set Mart up on a date wh wh any story set the emotnal mefield of high school — pecially the era of social media — dramatic social chaos ensu for everyone.

He says he was “a closeted gay high-schooler” himself and celebrat “Love, Simon” as the first mastream Hollywood g-of-age film wh a gay succs of “Black Panther” and the momentum behd #MeToo are propelled by the ia that reprentatn matters, and “Love, Simon” is part of that nversatn.

This is the first film and romantic-edy drama released by a major stud-20th Century Fox (Now 20th Century Studs after purchase by Disney) wh a gay lead. Asi om art-hoe movi, which don't play many of the plac lots of young people live, gay teens aren't the stars of movi. But the nflict isn't "how will this poor tortured homosexual live his poor tortured life?, " 's whether Simon n accept himself and move nfintly to his adult life as a gay man.

) Love, Simon arriv poised to acmodate a lot of baggage, wh each gay person who se hangg a ltle of their own on the movie (or, I suppose, jt choosg not to engage wh at all). The story of a 16-year-old, Simon (Nick Robson), who isn’t que ready to e out until he begs an anonymo e-mail romance wh another closeted boy at his school, Love, Simon is excg how directly and wholly foc on s gayns. Simon is maybe—wh all of Robson’s boyish, straight-actg physily and timbre—one of those “jt happens to be gay” typ, but he is nohels gay, somethg the film remds of, textually or subtextually, jt about every scene.

(I only wish a fantasy sequence which Simon imag what life as an out gay guy llege will be like didn’t end wh Simon sayg voice-over, “Well, maybe not that gay. Cherished as the sparse apartments and simple photography of so many beloved Strand and TLA releas are, gay stuff looks good on a bigger film’s performanc only add to the movie’s affable sparkle.

Though I wish his Simon read, ankly, a b gayer, Robson is no doubt a charmer, a handsome guy who giv a mted, sensive performance. But mostly, the film do a graceful job of illtratg Simon‘s ner turmoil—his fear not of beg gay, but of life changg too drastilly when he announc that he is—while matag s spired, funny, humane air. He is a closeted gay teenage boy who starts an onle iendship (wh feelgs the background) wh another gay boy om his high school who go by the nickname Blue.