Love, Simon: at last Hollywood is sayg ‘I’m gay’ | Love, Simon | The Guardian

Contents:

• GAY TEEN ROMANCE 'LOVE, SIMON' WS BT KISS AT MTV MOVIE & TV AWARDS
• 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 POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISIT 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 POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISLOVE, 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
• ‘LOVE, SIMON’ DIRECTOR GREG BERLANTI ALMOST QU ‘DAWSONS CREEK’ JOB EARLY CAREER OVER BANNED GAY KISS
• 'LOVE, SIMON' ACTOR OUT AS GAY
• LOVE, SIMON: AT LAST HOLLYWOOD IS SAYG ‘I’M GAY’
• FOX HOP GAY TEEN FILM ‘LOVE, SIMON’ GO MASTREAM

GAY TEEN ROMANCE 'LOVE, SIMON' WS BT KISS AT MTV MOVIE & TV AWARDS

From director Greg Berlanti, the power-producer known for CW hs such as The Flash and Riverdale, the movie is the first major stud release to feature a gay teen protagonist.

The Homo Sapiens Agenda, the adaptatn follows closeted high schooler Sam Spier, who wrtl wh the notn of g out.

“It has been really rewardg for me, personally, not jt as the director, but as a gay person, to see dienc of all kds appldg a gay kiss.

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 POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISIT 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 POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISLOVE, 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

What sets Love, Simon apart is s pletely mercial tentns and an emphasis not on gay tragedy, but stead, gay triumph. All of the stori are important, and this is the first of s kd to give somethg that uld be scribed as John Green — but gay.

If straight teen dienc get to have sappy romanc projected up on the big screen, so do gay teen dienc. It speaks to the fact that whether you’re gay or straight or whatever, hearg that speech of you are worthy, and you serve love, and you n exhale. It might be rivative to pare the two, but emphasiz a fortg, unrstandg parent to a gay or qutng son or dghter and what such posive reprentatn uld mean to young teens who may be qutng their own sexualy.

‘LOVE, SIMON’ DIRECTOR GREG BERLANTI ALMOST QU ‘DAWSONS CREEK’ JOB EARLY CAREER OVER BANNED GAY KISS

”Countls movi and TV shows have explored the angst and phoria of teen romance, but “Love, Simon, ” — directed by openly gay powerhoe producer Greg Berlanti — brought a h take to the genre by centerg the buddg romance around two gay teens. Brown leted her Twter acunt last week after beg the subject of viral homophobic tweets. The gay kissg scen had on the edge of our seats!

'LOVE, SIMON' ACTOR OUT AS GAY

HBO/Foc Featur/HuluEven 2023, ’s still not entirely mon for movi and TV shows to promently feature scen between two gay men kissg. There are still a lot of nservativ who fight back agast the characters, storyl, and scen – which is upsettg, but very an effort to celebrate the moments, we’ve put together a list featurg some of our favore gay kissg scen om film and televisn.

Scroll through to check out the gay kissg scen om movi and TV shows that we’ll never fet! One of the cutt and most romantic gay kissg scen ever took place on Young Royals. 1987’s Mrice featured a very subtle and tentative – but still inic – gay kiss between Clive (Hugh Grant) and Mrice (Jam Wilby) durg a time when queer romance wasn’t at all somethg we expected to see on the big screen.

HuluNoah (Joel Kim Booster) really wanted to be an pennt gay guy jt havg fun 2022’s Fire Island, but he didn’t foree fallg love wh Will (Conrad Rimora) while tryg to party up. It’s gog to be hard to talk about Love, Simon, the new gay teen romantic edy om Fox (yep!

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

The Homo Sapiens Agenda—has a pleasant bearg. Love, Simon is the first major stud film about a gay kid g out.

) 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.

FOX HOP GAY TEEN FILM ‘LOVE, SIMON’ GO MASTREAM

” Why not that gay? Why not more 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. Love, Simon is the first film featurg a gay teen protagonist to be backed by a major stud.

Cast & crewUser reviewsTrivia2018PG-131h 50mSimon Spier keeps a huge secret om his fay, his iends and all of his classmat: he's gay. Read allSimon 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.

I was gay.

Beg gay is HARD enough and kids m suici far too often alg wh and other issu.