‘Love, Simon’: How Greg Berlanti Ma the Gayt Teen Rom-Com Ever

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• ‘LOVE, SIMON’: HOW GREG BERLANTI MA THE GAYT TEEN ROM-COM EVER
• ‘LOVE, SIMON’: HOW GREG BERLANTI MA THE GAYT TEEN ROM-COM EVERTHE FUTURE IS GAYAFTER NEARLY 20 YEARS OF FIGHTG FOR GAY KISS AND GAY SUPERHERO ON ‘DAWSON’S CREEK,’ ‘THE FLASH,’ AND MORE, GREG BERLANTI DIRECTS THE FIRST MASTREAM GAY G-OF-AGE FILM.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED MAR. 15, 2018 7:28AM EDT / PUBLISHED MAR. 15, 2018 5:43AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY ELIZABETH BROCKWAY/THE DAILY BEAST“HEART, HUMOR, AND SPECTACLE.”THOSE ARE THE THREE WORDS THAT HANG ABOVE THE DOOR OF THE WRERS ROOM FOR THE FLASH, SHOWNNER GREG BERLANTI’S H CW SUPERHERO SERI. WHILE PERTAS TO AN ACTN-PACKED SERI WHICH STARS SPANX ROUTELY SAVE THE WORLD, AS A MISSN STATEMENT, THE THREE WORDS ULD JT AS EASILY APPLY TO WHAT BERLANTI HAS DONE WH LOVE, SIMON, THE REVOLUTNARY GAY TEEN G-OF-AGE ROM- THAT HS THEATERS THIS WEEKEND.LOVE, SIMON, WHICH IS BASED ON BECKY ALBERTALLI’S YOUNG ADULT NOVEL SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA, MARKS A CROWNG ACHIEVEMENT OF SORTS A REER MARKED BY FIRSTS.AS PROLIFIC AS SHONDA RHIM AND RYAN MURPHY, ALBE WH A SMALLER PROFILE, BERLANTI HAS HAD A SUPERHERO’S DRIVE HIMSELF PHG THROUGH LANDMARK SCEN AND CHARACTERS FEATURG PREVLY TABOO NTENT: THE FIRST PASSNATE GAY KISS A TEEN SOAP DRAMA ON DAWSON’S CREEK, A SAME-SEX MARRIAGE ON BROTHERS & SISTERS, AN ABORTN STORYLE ON EVERWOOD, THE FIRST TRANSGENR CHARACTER PRIMETIME ON DIRTY SEXY MONEY, AND, NOW, A HOST OF RICHLY PLITED GAY CHARACTERS AND STORYL ACROSS HIS SUE OF IC-BOOK SERI (THE FLASH, ARROW, SUPERGIRL, LEGENDS OF TOMORROW). KATIE YU/THE CW WHEN OPENS AT NEARLY 2,500 THEATERS ON FRIDAY, LOVE, SIMON WILL MARK THE FIRST TIME A STUD HAS BUTED A GAY TEENAGE ROMANCE WI RELEASE. IT’S ONLY FTG THAT BERLANTI BE THE ONE TO BRG TO .“WHEN I WENT TO MY FIRST MEETG WH FOX, I ALMOST DIDN’T BELIEVE THEY WERE MAKG ,” THE 45-YEAR-OLD DIRECTOR TELLS THE DAILY BEAST. “I ULDN’T BELIEVE THERE WOULD BE A GAY TEEN AT THE CENTER OF THIS KD OF STORY.”THE FILM IS NARRATED BY 17-YEAR-OLD PROTAGONIST, SIMON SPIER, PLAYED BY JURASSIC WORLD STAR NICK ROBSON. “FOR THE MOST PART MY LIFE IS TOTALLY NORMAL,” HE SAYS THE OPENG VOICEOVER. “EXCEPT I HAVE ONE HUGE-ASS SECRET.” SIMON IS GAY.WHEN A CLASSMATE POSTS AN ANONYMO OPEN LETTER ON A SCHOOL GOSSIP WEBSE SAYG HE IS GAY AND CLOSETED, SIMON SE IS AN OPPORTUNY. HE CREAT A FAKE EMAIL ACUNT AND BEGS MSAGG WH THE ANONYMO POSTER. AT FIRST, THEY’RE NFIDG THEIR SECRETS. SOON, THEY FALL LOVE. BUT WHEN A BTER CLASSMATE OUTS SIMON WHOUT WARNG, HIS WORLD CRASH DOWN AROUND HIM—HIS PEN PAL DISAPPEARS—AS HE ALS WH HIS SECRET G OUT BEFORE HE WAS READY TO SHARE .“EVERY TIME I WOULD TRY TO PCH THE MOVIE TO PEOPLE, LIKE WHEN I WAS TRYG TO HIRE CREW OR GET PEOPLE ON BOARD, THERE WERE NO MOVI I ULD PARE TO DIRECTLY,” BERLANTI SAYS. “THE PARABLE MOVI NEVER HAD GAY CHARACTERS.”THK THE CHARM OF FERRIS BUELLER, THE INTY CRISIS OF CADY HERRON, THE OM-AFAR CSH OF SAMANTHA BAKER, AND THE BIG-SWG GRAND GTUR OF A THE FLT OUR STARS OR SAY ANYTHG. BUT GAY! “YOU THK BACK TO THE ’80S MOVI THAT YOU MARKED YOUR LIFE BY AND LASTED WH YOU,” BERLANTI SAYS. LOVE, SIMON IS AIMG FOR A SPOT THAT NON.THERE HAVE, OF URSE, BEEN NUANCED, BETIFULLY MA NARRATIV ABOUT THE GAY EXPERIENCE, PECIALLY THE LAST TWO YEARS, WH FILMS LIKE CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, MOONLIGHT, BEACH RATS, BLUE IS THE WARMT COLOR, AND MORE.BUT THIS IS NOT AN ARTHOE FILM TO BE SOUGHT OUT, OR QUEER AS FOLK EPISOS YOU HAVE TO PIRATE ONLE, GIVG YOUR PARENTS’ SKTOP PUTER A VIS. IT’S MEANT FOR THE KD OF YOUNG DIENCE WHO WILL APPLD, AND CHEER, AND SQUEAL, AND ROOT FOR SIMON—WHICH THEY DID AT A RECENT ADVANCED SCREENG, AS IF THEY WERE WATCHG A SUMMER BLOCKBTER OR A SUPERHERO FLICK.“WE DIDN’T MAKE THIS MOVIE TO PLAY JT 200 THEATERS, WHICH THE FIRST FILM I DID WH GAY SUBJECT MATTER [THE BROKEN HEARTS CLUB] DID,” BERLANTI SAYS. “WE MA TO PLAY 2,500.”“THERE ARE A LOT OF PLAC ALL ACROSS THE UNTRY THAT DON’T NECSARILY THK THE WAY WE DO, AS WE SEE POLICS EVERY DAY,” HE NTU. “I THK FOR A KID MAYBE A MORE NSERVATIVE SMALL TOWN WHO ULD BE THE ONE WHO ULD REALLY E A MOVIE LIKE THIS PLAYG ONE E, TWO OM THEIR HOE, AS OPPOSED TO HAVE TO DRIVE AN HOUR AND A HALF TO A MORE URBAN CENTER.”BERLANTI POTS OUT THAT FOX DIDN’T JT TT THE FILM LOS ANGEL AND THE UAL MARKETS. THEY ALSO TTED SMACK DAB THE MIDDLE OF KANSAS. THE BUILDG NEXT DOOR WAS A CHURCH SUPPLY SHOP, HE LGHS WHILE RELLG. AND YET THE SCREENG SRED HIGHER THAN DID L.A. THE CROWD EVEN CHEERED FOR THE GAY KISS AT THE END. (“I’M NOT SPOILG TO SAY THEY KISS AT THE END,” BERLANTI SAYS. “IT’S A ROMANTIC EDY. THEY KISS AT THE END!”) “WE DIDN’T MAKE THIS MOVIE TO PLAY JT 200 THEATERS, WHICH THE FIRST FILM I DID WH GAY SUBJECT MATTER DID. WE MA TO PLAY 2,500.”— GREG BERLANTI BERLANTI JOK THAT THIS IS SO MUCH A PASSN PROJECT FOR HIM THAT HE WOULD HAVE WORKED CRAFT SERVIC IF HE DIDN’T GET THE JOB. HE’S GETTG TO MAKE THE MOVIE THAT HE WISH ULD HAVE EXISTED WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG, CLOSETED TEEN—THOUGH OBVLY CULTURE, WHERE WAS BACK THEN, WAS SUCH THAT NEVER ULD HAVE.“I FELY CID AT SOME POT THAT THERE WAS NO WAY I ULD E OUT WHEN I WAS HIGH SCHOOL,” HE SAYS. “NOW KIDS ARE G OUT YOUNGER AND YOUNGER, AND THAT’S CREDIBLY ADMIRABLE. BUT I DIDN’T HAVE THAT URAGE. NOR DID THE WORLD LOOK THE WAY THAT LOOKS NOW.”THE PART OF SIMON’S STORY THAT RONATED EPLY WH HIM WERE THE SMALL, ALMOST UNTECTABLE MOMENTS WHICH SIMON IS TRYG TO SIMPLY BLEND . IT’S SOMETHG HE HAD MTED HIMSELF TO DOG WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER, OUT OF A SIRE TO HI.THERE’S A CHARACTER LOVE, SIMON THAT WAS CREATED JT FOR THE FILM: A FLAMBOYANT, UNAPOLOGETILLY GAY CLASSMATE OF SIMON’S NAMED ETHAN, PLAYED BY CLARK MOORE. BERLANTI WANTED TO PORTRAY A KID WHO WAS THENTILLY HIMSELF, AND SHOW WHAT WAS LIKE FOR SIMON TO SEE HIM, BE AROUND HIM, AND GRAPPLE WH PLITED FEELGS ABOUT HOW ETHAN HAD A STRENGTH THAT HE DIDN’T HAVE. (“HOPEFULLY SOMEDAY SOMEONE WILL DO THE MOVIE ABOUT ETHAN,” BERLANTI SAYS.)“WHEN I GOT TO LLEGE, I WAS A THEATER MAJOR BUT STILL THE CLOSET,” HE SAYS. “I WAS ALWAYS MMERIZED BY KIDS WHO ULD JT BE THEMSELV.”SO MUCH OF HIS UPBRGG ACTUALLY ECHO SIMON’S. HE GREW UP NEW YORK WH LIBERAL PARENTS. INTERNALIZG HIS WORK’S OWN PENCHANT FOR SPECTACLE, HE ME OUT TO HIS PARENTS THE NIGHT MUHAMMAD ALI L THE TORCH AT THE 1996 OLYMPIC GAM. IT WAS A PROCS, BUT BY THE TIME BROKEN HEARTS CLUB WAS RELEASED FOUR YEARS LATER, THEY THREW HIM A PREMIERE PARTY AT A NEW YORK CY GAY BAR.SIARLY, SIMON’S PARENTS (PLAYED BY JENNIFER GARNER AND JOSH DUHAMEL) ARE BIG-HEARTED, LIBERAL, AND ACCEPTG. HE HAS NO REASON TO DOUBT HIS IENDS AND MUNY WOULD EMBRACE HIM IF HE ME OUT. BUT HE STILL N’T BRG HIMSELF TO DO . HE WANTS MORE TIME WH THGS BEG THE SAME BEFORE TAKG THE STEP THAT WILL SUDNLY MAKE EVERYTHG DIFFERENT.“THAT’S WHAT WE TRIED TO CIRCLE AROUND TO MAKE THE MOVIE DISTCT FOR NOW,” BERLANTI SAYS. “THAT ’S NOT AS WAS YEARS AGO. THE WORLD ULD TELL YOU ’S GOG TO BE ACCEPTG. BUT THERE’S CERTALY ENOUGH SIGNIFIERS, WHETHER ’S THE NEWS OR THE FACT THAT WE’VE ONLY BEEN ALLOWED TO BE MARRIED FOR LIKE A MUTE ALL OF HUMAN HISTORY, AND NOT EVERY PLACE. OR LNS OF OTHER REASONS THAT SHOW YOU THAT KIDS ABSORB ALL THAT AND THEY FEEL LS THAN.”STILL, THAT WE’RE HAVG THIS NVERSATN AT ALL IS PROOF OF HOW FAR CULTURE HAS E WHEN TO THE ISSU. AND MUCH OF THAT PROGRS IS VERY MUCH OWED TO BERLANTI HIMSELF.BERLANTI WAS JT 28 WHEN HE WAS TAPPED TO BE SHOWNNER OF DAWSON’S CREEK. HE WAS G OFF THE WARM NOTIC FOR BROKEN HEARTS CLUB: A ROMANTIC COMEDY, ABOUT A GROUP OF GAY IENDS WT HOLLYWOOD PCHED TO A UNIVERSAL DIENCE, BUT WAS SELF-NSC ABOUT BEG YOUNG AND SUCH A MAJOR POSN. AS HE TOLD THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, ON SUNDAY NIGHTS HE WOULD HAVE STANDG LLS WH HIS FATHER, A BSMAN, FOR ACHG ON MANAGERIAL ACTNS LIKE HIRG AND FIRG PEOPLE. JOHN RSO/GETTY IT WAS EARLY ON HIS DAWSON’S CREEK TENURE THAT HE WENT TO BATTLE. IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HIM THAT IF THEY WERE GOG TO FEATURE A GAY STORYLE WH A MA CHARACTER, KERR SMH’S JACK, THAT HE BE ALLOWED THE BREADTH OF ROMANTIC EXPERIENCE, AND THAT CLUD KISSG. HE WAS PREPARED TO QU AFTER THERE WAS PHBACK—WHICH HE ALSO WAS DURG THE FIGHT OVER AN ABORTN STORYLE YEARS LATER WHEN HE WAS DOG EVERWOOD ON THE WB—BUT HE WON OUT. “I HAD TO FIGHT FOR THE KISS ON DAWSON’S,” HE SAYS. “BUT CHANGED WH FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AFTER THAT.” BY THE TIME HE WAS WORKG ON BROTHERS & SISTERS FOR ABC, HE ASSUMED THAT THE STCT WOULD BE TO CUT AWAY DURG A LOVE SCENE BETWEEN KEV (MATTHEW RHYS) AND HIS EVENTUAL HBAND STTY (LE MACFARLANE). BUT THAT WASN’T THE SE; THGS HAD CHANGED THAT MUCH, THAT QUICKLY.THERE ARE BOUNDARY-PHG STORYL AND GAY CHARACTERS ON NEARLY ALL OF THE SERI THAT BERLANTI CURRENTLY HAS ON TV UNR HIS PRODUCTN PANY, CLUDG THE CW’S RIVERDALE AND HIS SUE OF IC-BOOK SERI. (WHO WOULD EVEN HAVE DARED TO IMAGE GAY SUPERHERO KISSG ON TV JT 10 YEARS AGO?)HE MATAS THAT HE STILL HAS TO FIGHT FOR NEARLY EVERY TABOO STORYLE, NONTRADNAL STG CISN, OR BOUNDARY-PHG STORY ARC. AFTER DOG THIS FOR NEARLY TWO S, IS HE SURPRISED THAT HE STILL HAS TO FIGHT TO CLU WHAT ARE ULTIMATELY VERY HUMAN, EVERYDAY ISSU AND LIFTYL HIS STORYTELLG?“I THK IF I WAS SURPRISED BY I’D BE MORE DISURAGED,” HE SAYS. “BUT I’M REALLY ENURAGED. IF YOU’RE OPENG THE DOOR JT A LTLE B, SOMEONE ELSE IS GOG TO BARREL RIGHT THROUGH .”AND AS THE PERSON WHO’S BEEN OPENG THOSE DOORS, HE’S WELL-AWARE OF THE SCTY THAT WH . DIYAH PERA/CW ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE’S A GAY STORY THAT IS BEG TOLD POPULAR CULTURE, THERE IS A HARSH CRICISM, TYPILLY OM THE MUNY SELF, ABOUT HOW THENTIC, OR REPRENTATIVE, OR RPONSIBLE IS. THAT’S BEEN THE SE, AT LEAST A SMALL RPECT, WH LOVE, SIMON. BUT ’S ALSO SOMETHG HE’S FACED THROUGHOUT HIS ENTIRE REER.“I KNOW SOME PEOPLE, PROBABLY GAY PEOPLE, ARE LIKE, ‘NO, THAT’S NOT MY EXPERIENCE,’ OR, ‘IT’S NOT GAY ENOUGH,’” HE SAYS. “AND I’M SURE THAT THERE ARE GOG TO BE MOVI THAT ARE GOG TO E AFTER THAT, NOT LIMED BY THE NATURE OF A STUD, ARE GOG TO BE AS GAY AS THEY WANT TO BE, OR AS SPECIFIC AS THEY WANT TO BE. BUT I WISH THERE WERE MORE PARISONS THAT ULD HAVE BEEN MA. SO WAS PERSONAL TO ME THAT WAY, TRYG TO PUT SOMETHG OUT THAT WASN’T THERE BEFORE.”HE’S NOT FENSIVE ABOUT THIS AS MUCH AS HE IS PRAGMATIC.“WHEN WE WERE MAKG DAWSON’S OR MAKG BROKEN HEARTS CLUB, I HAD ALL THE SAME NTGENTS OF PEOPLE G OUT SAYG NASTY THGS,” HE SAYS. “NOT A LARGE GROUP. BUT ULD BE A LOUD GROUP AT TIM. AND I WOULD JT SAY, WELL THIS IS WHAT’S MY HEART, AND THIS IS WHAT I SEE. I N’T MAKE YOUR STORY. I HAVE TO MAKE MY STORY. IF I DO THAT, AND DO WHAT’S TE TO ME, THEN HOPEFULLY THERE’S ASPECTS OF THAT ARE UNIVERSAL.”THAT’S A MANTRA THAT HAS SERVED HIM WELL OVER THE YEARS, NOT JT HOW HE TACKL GAY NTENT, BUT ALSO THE HUMANY OF ALL THE STORI HE TELLS. LAST YEAR, HE HAD 11 SHOWS ON AIR UNR HIS PRODUCTN PANY, EVERYTHG OM CRIME THRILLERS (BLDSPOT) TO TEEN SOAPS (RIVERDALE) TO SUPERHERO SERI (SUPERGIRL). YET THERE’S SOMETHG THAT HAPPENS POP CULTURE WHENEVER A CREATOR MAK NTENT LE WH THEIR INTY, THAT N BEE THE ONLY PART OF THEIR INTY.BERLANTI IS AN OUT GAY SHOWNNER, A VERY PUBLIC MARRIAGE TO SOCCER STAR ROBBIE ROGERS. WHEN YOU ARE GAY AND CREATE NTENT WH GAY CHARACTERS, YOU BEE THE GAY SHOWNNER. DO BERLANTI THK THAT’S HIS HOLLYWOOD INTY? AND IF SO, DO THAT MATTER?“PEOPLE ALWAYS WANT TO TEGORIZE YOU BEE MAK EASIER FOR THEM, TO PUT PEOPLE A BOX,” HE SAYS. “I’VE HAD TO WRE MY WAY OR DIRECT MY WAY OUT OF THOSE BOX SO MANY TIM. I WAS THE TEEN SOAP GUY, AND THEN I WAS THE FAY DRAMA GUY. WHILE I WAS THE FAY DRAMA GUY I WOULD APPLY FOR SUPERHERO JOBS, AND THEY’D BE LIKE, ‘DO YOU EVEN KNOW ANYTHG ABOUT SUPERHERO?’ AND THEN WHEN I WAS DOG SUPERHERO AND APPLYG FOR LOVE, SIMON, THEY’RE LIKE, ‘WE REMEMBER YOUR EARLY WORK. BUT ARE YOU TERTED DOG SOMETHG EMOTNAL AND HEARTFELT AGA? I THOUGHT YOU WERE HAVG A GREAT TIME DOG SUPERHERO.’”HE LETS OUT A BIG, PRETG LGH AND TAK A BEAT TO THK ABOUT WHAT HE JT SAID. “THAT’S MY WAY OF SAYG THAT NOW I’M THE OLD GUY. I REMEMBER WHEN I WOULD WALK TO A WRER’S ROOM AND I WAS THE YOUNGT PERSON THE ROOM BY FAR. SOMEHOW OVERNIGHT I BEME THE OLST PERSON.” HEART, HUMOR, AND SPECTACLE RURFACE ALL AT ONCE. “BUT I PROBABLY WOULD LL MYSELF THE ONE THG I KNOW I AM THROUGH ALL THE THGS: THE LUCKY GUY.” KEV FALLON
• A GAY TEEN DISVERS HIMSELF AT SUMMER MP THIS FLAMER FIRST LOOK

‘LOVE, SIMON’: HOW GREG BERLANTI MA THE GAYT TEEN ROM-COM EVER

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‘LOVE, SIMON’: HOW GREG BERLANTI MA THE GAYT TEEN ROM-COM EVERTHE FUTURE IS GAYAFTER NEARLY 20 YEARS OF FIGHTG FOR GAY KISS AND GAY SUPERHERO ON ‘DAWSON’S CREEK,’ ‘THE FLASH,’ AND MORE, GREG BERLANTI DIRECTS THE FIRST MASTREAM GAY G-OF-AGE FILM.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED MAR. 15, 2018 7:28AM EDT / PUBLISHED MAR. 15, 2018 5:43AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY ELIZABETH BROCKWAY/THE DAILY BEAST“HEART, HUMOR, AND SPECTACLE.”THOSE ARE THE THREE WORDS THAT HANG ABOVE THE DOOR OF THE WRERS ROOM FOR THE FLASH, SHOWNNER GREG BERLANTI’S H CW SUPERHERO SERI. WHILE PERTAS TO AN ACTN-PACKED SERI WHICH STARS SPANX ROUTELY SAVE THE WORLD, AS A MISSN STATEMENT, THE THREE WORDS ULD JT AS EASILY APPLY TO WHAT BERLANTI HAS DONE WH LOVE, SIMON, THE REVOLUTNARY GAY TEEN G-OF-AGE ROM- THAT HS THEATERS THIS WEEKEND.LOVE, SIMON, WHICH IS BASED ON BECKY ALBERTALLI’S YOUNG ADULT NOVEL SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA, MARKS A CROWNG ACHIEVEMENT OF SORTS A REER MARKED BY FIRSTS.AS PROLIFIC AS SHONDA RHIM AND RYAN MURPHY, ALBE WH A SMALLER PROFILE, BERLANTI HAS HAD A SUPERHERO’S DRIVE HIMSELF PHG THROUGH LANDMARK SCEN AND CHARACTERS FEATURG PREVLY TABOO NTENT: THE FIRST PASSNATE GAY KISS A TEEN SOAP DRAMA ON DAWSON’S CREEK, A SAME-SEX MARRIAGE ON BROTHERS & SISTERS, AN ABORTN STORYLE ON EVERWOOD, THE FIRST TRANSGENR CHARACTER PRIMETIME ON DIRTY SEXY MONEY, AND, NOW, A HOST OF RICHLY PLITED GAY CHARACTERS AND STORYL ACROSS HIS SUE OF IC-BOOK SERI (THE FLASH, ARROW, SUPERGIRL, LEGENDS OF TOMORROW). KATIE YU/THE CW WHEN OPENS AT NEARLY 2,500 THEATERS ON FRIDAY, LOVE, SIMON WILL MARK THE FIRST TIME A STUD HAS BUTED A GAY TEENAGE ROMANCE WI RELEASE. IT’S ONLY FTG THAT BERLANTI BE THE ONE TO BRG TO .“WHEN I WENT TO MY FIRST MEETG WH FOX, I ALMOST DIDN’T BELIEVE THEY WERE MAKG ,” THE 45-YEAR-OLD DIRECTOR TELLS THE DAILY BEAST. “I ULDN’T BELIEVE THERE WOULD BE A GAY TEEN AT THE CENTER OF THIS KD OF STORY.”THE FILM IS NARRATED BY 17-YEAR-OLD PROTAGONIST, SIMON SPIER, PLAYED BY JURASSIC WORLD STAR NICK ROBSON. “FOR THE MOST PART MY LIFE IS TOTALLY NORMAL,” HE SAYS THE OPENG VOICEOVER. “EXCEPT I HAVE ONE HUGE-ASS SECRET.” SIMON IS GAY.WHEN A CLASSMATE POSTS AN ANONYMO OPEN LETTER ON A SCHOOL GOSSIP WEBSE SAYG HE IS GAY AND CLOSETED, SIMON SE IS AN OPPORTUNY. HE CREAT A FAKE EMAIL ACUNT AND BEGS MSAGG WH THE ANONYMO POSTER. AT FIRST, THEY’RE NFIDG THEIR SECRETS. SOON, THEY FALL LOVE. BUT WHEN A BTER CLASSMATE OUTS SIMON WHOUT WARNG, HIS WORLD CRASH DOWN AROUND HIM—HIS PEN PAL DISAPPEARS—AS HE ALS WH HIS SECRET G OUT BEFORE HE WAS READY TO SHARE .“EVERY TIME I WOULD TRY TO PCH THE MOVIE TO PEOPLE, LIKE WHEN I WAS TRYG TO HIRE CREW OR GET PEOPLE ON BOARD, THERE WERE NO MOVI I ULD PARE TO DIRECTLY,” BERLANTI SAYS. “THE PARABLE MOVI NEVER HAD GAY CHARACTERS.”THK THE CHARM OF FERRIS BUELLER, THE INTY CRISIS OF CADY HERRON, THE OM-AFAR CSH OF SAMANTHA BAKER, AND THE BIG-SWG GRAND GTUR OF A THE FLT OUR STARS OR SAY ANYTHG. BUT GAY! “YOU THK BACK TO THE ’80S MOVI THAT YOU MARKED YOUR LIFE BY AND LASTED WH YOU,” BERLANTI SAYS. LOVE, SIMON IS AIMG FOR A SPOT THAT NON.THERE HAVE, OF URSE, BEEN NUANCED, BETIFULLY MA NARRATIV ABOUT THE GAY EXPERIENCE, PECIALLY THE LAST TWO YEARS, WH FILMS LIKE CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, MOONLIGHT, BEACH RATS, BLUE IS THE WARMT COLOR, AND MORE.BUT THIS IS NOT AN ARTHOE FILM TO BE SOUGHT OUT, OR QUEER AS FOLK EPISOS YOU HAVE TO PIRATE ONLE, GIVG YOUR PARENTS’ SKTOP PUTER A VIS. IT’S MEANT FOR THE KD OF YOUNG DIENCE WHO WILL APPLD, AND CHEER, AND SQUEAL, AND ROOT FOR SIMON—WHICH THEY DID AT A RECENT ADVANCED SCREENG, AS IF THEY WERE WATCHG A SUMMER BLOCKBTER OR A SUPERHERO FLICK.“WE DIDN’T MAKE THIS MOVIE TO PLAY JT 200 THEATERS, WHICH THE FIRST FILM I DID WH GAY SUBJECT MATTER [THE BROKEN HEARTS CLUB] DID,” BERLANTI SAYS. “WE MA TO PLAY 2,500.”“THERE ARE A LOT OF PLAC ALL ACROSS THE UNTRY THAT DON’T NECSARILY THK THE WAY WE DO, AS WE SEE POLICS EVERY DAY,” HE NTU. “I THK FOR A KID MAYBE A MORE NSERVATIVE SMALL TOWN WHO ULD BE THE ONE WHO ULD REALLY E A MOVIE LIKE THIS PLAYG ONE E, TWO OM THEIR HOE, AS OPPOSED TO HAVE TO DRIVE AN HOUR AND A HALF TO A MORE URBAN CENTER.”BERLANTI POTS OUT THAT FOX DIDN’T JT TT THE FILM LOS ANGEL AND THE UAL MARKETS. THEY ALSO TTED SMACK DAB THE MIDDLE OF KANSAS. THE BUILDG NEXT DOOR WAS A CHURCH SUPPLY SHOP, HE LGHS WHILE RELLG. AND YET THE SCREENG SRED HIGHER THAN DID L.A. THE CROWD EVEN CHEERED FOR THE GAY KISS AT THE END. (“I’M NOT SPOILG TO SAY THEY KISS AT THE END,” BERLANTI SAYS. “IT’S A ROMANTIC EDY. THEY KISS AT THE END!”) “WE DIDN’T MAKE THIS MOVIE TO PLAY JT 200 THEATERS, WHICH THE FIRST FILM I DID WH GAY SUBJECT MATTER DID. WE MA TO PLAY 2,500.”— GREG BERLANTI BERLANTI JOK THAT THIS IS SO MUCH A PASSN PROJECT FOR HIM THAT HE WOULD HAVE WORKED CRAFT SERVIC IF HE DIDN’T GET THE JOB. HE’S GETTG TO MAKE THE MOVIE THAT HE WISH ULD HAVE EXISTED WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG, CLOSETED TEEN—THOUGH OBVLY CULTURE, WHERE WAS BACK THEN, WAS SUCH THAT NEVER ULD HAVE.“I FELY CID AT SOME POT THAT THERE WAS NO WAY I ULD E OUT WHEN I WAS HIGH SCHOOL,” HE SAYS. “NOW KIDS ARE G OUT YOUNGER AND YOUNGER, AND THAT’S CREDIBLY ADMIRABLE. BUT I DIDN’T HAVE THAT URAGE. NOR DID THE WORLD LOOK THE WAY THAT LOOKS NOW.”THE PART OF SIMON’S STORY THAT RONATED EPLY WH HIM WERE THE SMALL, ALMOST UNTECTABLE MOMENTS WHICH SIMON IS TRYG TO SIMPLY BLEND . IT’S SOMETHG HE HAD MTED HIMSELF TO DOG WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER, OUT OF A SIRE TO HI.THERE’S A CHARACTER LOVE, SIMON THAT WAS CREATED JT FOR THE FILM: A FLAMBOYANT, UNAPOLOGETILLY GAY CLASSMATE OF SIMON’S NAMED ETHAN, PLAYED BY CLARK MOORE. BERLANTI WANTED TO PORTRAY A KID WHO WAS THENTILLY HIMSELF, AND SHOW WHAT WAS LIKE FOR SIMON TO SEE HIM, BE AROUND HIM, AND GRAPPLE WH PLITED FEELGS ABOUT HOW ETHAN HAD A STRENGTH THAT HE DIDN’T HAVE. (“HOPEFULLY SOMEDAY SOMEONE WILL DO THE MOVIE ABOUT ETHAN,” BERLANTI SAYS.)“WHEN I GOT TO LLEGE, I WAS A THEATER MAJOR BUT STILL THE CLOSET,” HE SAYS. “I WAS ALWAYS MMERIZED BY KIDS WHO ULD JT BE THEMSELV.”SO MUCH OF HIS UPBRGG ACTUALLY ECHO SIMON’S. HE GREW UP NEW YORK WH LIBERAL PARENTS. INTERNALIZG HIS WORK’S OWN PENCHANT FOR SPECTACLE, HE ME OUT TO HIS PARENTS THE NIGHT MUHAMMAD ALI L THE TORCH AT THE 1996 OLYMPIC GAM. IT WAS A PROCS, BUT BY THE TIME BROKEN HEARTS CLUB WAS RELEASED FOUR YEARS LATER, THEY THREW HIM A PREMIERE PARTY AT A NEW YORK CY GAY BAR.SIARLY, SIMON’S PARENTS (PLAYED BY JENNIFER GARNER AND JOSH DUHAMEL) ARE BIG-HEARTED, LIBERAL, AND ACCEPTG. HE HAS NO REASON TO DOUBT HIS IENDS AND MUNY WOULD EMBRACE HIM IF HE ME OUT. BUT HE STILL N’T BRG HIMSELF TO DO . HE WANTS MORE TIME WH THGS BEG THE SAME BEFORE TAKG THE STEP THAT WILL SUDNLY MAKE EVERYTHG DIFFERENT.“THAT’S WHAT WE TRIED TO CIRCLE AROUND TO MAKE THE MOVIE DISTCT FOR NOW,” BERLANTI SAYS. “THAT ’S NOT AS WAS YEARS AGO. THE WORLD ULD TELL YOU ’S GOG TO BE ACCEPTG. BUT THERE’S CERTALY ENOUGH SIGNIFIERS, WHETHER ’S THE NEWS OR THE FACT THAT WE’VE ONLY BEEN ALLOWED TO BE MARRIED FOR LIKE A MUTE ALL OF HUMAN HISTORY, AND NOT EVERY PLACE. OR LNS OF OTHER REASONS THAT SHOW YOU THAT KIDS ABSORB ALL THAT AND THEY FEEL LS THAN.”STILL, THAT WE’RE HAVG THIS NVERSATN AT ALL IS PROOF OF HOW FAR CULTURE HAS E WHEN TO THE ISSU. AND MUCH OF THAT PROGRS IS VERY MUCH OWED TO BERLANTI HIMSELF.BERLANTI WAS JT 28 WHEN HE WAS TAPPED TO BE SHOWNNER OF DAWSON’S CREEK. HE WAS G OFF THE WARM NOTIC FOR BROKEN HEARTS CLUB: A ROMANTIC COMEDY, ABOUT A GROUP OF GAY IENDS WT HOLLYWOOD PCHED TO A UNIVERSAL DIENCE, BUT WAS SELF-NSC ABOUT BEG YOUNG AND SUCH A MAJOR POSN. AS HE TOLD THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, ON SUNDAY NIGHTS HE WOULD HAVE STANDG LLS WH HIS FATHER, A BSMAN, FOR ACHG ON MANAGERIAL ACTNS LIKE HIRG AND FIRG PEOPLE. JOHN RSO/GETTY IT WAS EARLY ON HIS DAWSON’S CREEK TENURE THAT HE WENT TO BATTLE. IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HIM THAT IF THEY WERE GOG TO FEATURE A GAY STORYLE WH A MA CHARACTER, KERR SMH’S JACK, THAT HE BE ALLOWED THE BREADTH OF ROMANTIC EXPERIENCE, AND THAT CLUD KISSG. HE WAS PREPARED TO QU AFTER THERE WAS PHBACK—WHICH HE ALSO WAS DURG THE FIGHT OVER AN ABORTN STORYLE YEARS LATER WHEN HE WAS DOG EVERWOOD ON THE WB—BUT HE WON OUT. “I HAD TO FIGHT FOR THE KISS ON DAWSON’S,” HE SAYS. “BUT CHANGED WH FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AFTER THAT.” BY THE TIME HE WAS WORKG ON BROTHERS & SISTERS FOR ABC, HE ASSUMED THAT THE STCT WOULD BE TO CUT AWAY DURG A LOVE SCENE BETWEEN KEV (MATTHEW RHYS) AND HIS EVENTUAL HBAND STTY (LE MACFARLANE). BUT THAT WASN’T THE SE; THGS HAD CHANGED THAT MUCH, THAT QUICKLY.THERE ARE BOUNDARY-PHG STORYL AND GAY CHARACTERS ON NEARLY ALL OF THE SERI THAT BERLANTI CURRENTLY HAS ON TV UNR HIS PRODUCTN PANY, CLUDG THE CW’S RIVERDALE AND HIS SUE OF IC-BOOK SERI. (WHO WOULD EVEN HAVE DARED TO IMAGE GAY SUPERHERO KISSG ON TV JT 10 YEARS AGO?)HE MATAS THAT HE STILL HAS TO FIGHT FOR NEARLY EVERY TABOO STORYLE, NONTRADNAL STG CISN, OR BOUNDARY-PHG STORY ARC. AFTER DOG THIS FOR NEARLY TWO S, IS HE SURPRISED THAT HE STILL HAS TO FIGHT TO CLU WHAT ARE ULTIMATELY VERY HUMAN, EVERYDAY ISSU AND LIFTYL HIS STORYTELLG?“I THK IF I WAS SURPRISED BY I’D BE MORE DISURAGED,” HE SAYS. “BUT I’M REALLY ENURAGED. IF YOU’RE OPENG THE DOOR JT A LTLE B, SOMEONE ELSE IS GOG TO BARREL RIGHT THROUGH .”AND AS THE PERSON WHO’S BEEN OPENG THOSE DOORS, HE’S WELL-AWARE OF THE SCTY THAT WH . DIYAH PERA/CW ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE’S A GAY STORY THAT IS BEG TOLD POPULAR CULTURE, THERE IS A HARSH CRICISM, TYPILLY OM THE MUNY SELF, ABOUT HOW THENTIC, OR REPRENTATIVE, OR RPONSIBLE IS. THAT’S BEEN THE SE, AT LEAST A SMALL RPECT, WH LOVE, SIMON. BUT ’S ALSO SOMETHG HE’S FACED THROUGHOUT HIS ENTIRE REER.“I KNOW SOME PEOPLE, PROBABLY GAY PEOPLE, ARE LIKE, ‘NO, THAT’S NOT MY EXPERIENCE,’ OR, ‘IT’S NOT GAY ENOUGH,’” HE SAYS. “AND I’M SURE THAT THERE ARE GOG TO BE MOVI THAT ARE GOG TO E AFTER THAT, NOT LIMED BY THE NATURE OF A STUD, ARE GOG TO BE AS GAY AS THEY WANT TO BE, OR AS SPECIFIC AS THEY WANT TO BE. BUT I WISH THERE WERE MORE PARISONS THAT ULD HAVE BEEN MA. SO WAS PERSONAL TO ME THAT WAY, TRYG TO PUT SOMETHG OUT THAT WASN’T THERE BEFORE.”HE’S NOT FENSIVE ABOUT THIS AS MUCH AS HE IS PRAGMATIC.“WHEN WE WERE MAKG DAWSON’S OR MAKG BROKEN HEARTS CLUB, I HAD ALL THE SAME NTGENTS OF PEOPLE G OUT SAYG NASTY THGS,” HE SAYS. “NOT A LARGE GROUP. BUT ULD BE A LOUD GROUP AT TIM. AND I WOULD JT SAY, WELL THIS IS WHAT’S MY HEART, AND THIS IS WHAT I SEE. I N’T MAKE YOUR STORY. I HAVE TO MAKE MY STORY. IF I DO THAT, AND DO WHAT’S TE TO ME, THEN HOPEFULLY THERE’S ASPECTS OF THAT ARE UNIVERSAL.”THAT’S A MANTRA THAT HAS SERVED HIM WELL OVER THE YEARS, NOT JT HOW HE TACKL GAY NTENT, BUT ALSO THE HUMANY OF ALL THE STORI HE TELLS. LAST YEAR, HE HAD 11 SHOWS ON AIR UNR HIS PRODUCTN PANY, EVERYTHG OM CRIME THRILLERS (BLDSPOT) TO TEEN SOAPS (RIVERDALE) TO SUPERHERO SERI (SUPERGIRL). YET THERE’S SOMETHG THAT HAPPENS POP CULTURE WHENEVER A CREATOR MAK NTENT LE WH THEIR INTY, THAT N BEE THE ONLY PART OF THEIR INTY.BERLANTI IS AN OUT GAY SHOWNNER, A VERY PUBLIC MARRIAGE TO SOCCER STAR ROBBIE ROGERS. WHEN YOU ARE GAY AND CREATE NTENT WH GAY CHARACTERS, YOU BEE THE GAY SHOWNNER. DO BERLANTI THK THAT’S HIS HOLLYWOOD INTY? AND IF SO, DO THAT MATTER?“PEOPLE ALWAYS WANT TO TEGORIZE YOU BEE MAK EASIER FOR THEM, TO PUT PEOPLE A BOX,” HE SAYS. “I’VE HAD TO WRE MY WAY OR DIRECT MY WAY OUT OF THOSE BOX SO MANY TIM. I WAS THE TEEN SOAP GUY, AND THEN I WAS THE FAY DRAMA GUY. WHILE I WAS THE FAY DRAMA GUY I WOULD APPLY FOR SUPERHERO JOBS, AND THEY’D BE LIKE, ‘DO YOU EVEN KNOW ANYTHG ABOUT SUPERHERO?’ AND THEN WHEN I WAS DOG SUPERHERO AND APPLYG FOR LOVE, SIMON, THEY’RE LIKE, ‘WE REMEMBER YOUR EARLY WORK. BUT ARE YOU TERTED DOG SOMETHG EMOTNAL AND HEARTFELT AGA? I THOUGHT YOU WERE HAVG A GREAT TIME DOG SUPERHERO.’”HE LETS OUT A BIG, PRETG LGH AND TAK A BEAT TO THK ABOUT WHAT HE JT SAID. “THAT’S MY WAY OF SAYG THAT NOW I’M THE OLD GUY. I REMEMBER WHEN I WOULD WALK TO A WRER’S ROOM AND I WAS THE YOUNGT PERSON THE ROOM BY FAR. SOMEHOW OVERNIGHT I BEME THE OLST PERSON.” HEART, HUMOR, AND SPECTACLE RURFACE ALL AT ONCE. “BUT I PROBABLY WOULD LL MYSELF THE ONE THG I KNOW I AM THROUGH ALL THE THGS: THE LUCKY GUY.” KEV FALLON

Jerry Douglas's Tubstrip, a risque edy set a gay bathhoe, was a popular sensatn when produced onstage 1973-1974, the era of gay liberatn and the sexual revolutn.

The play, often dismissed by mastream crics but hailed as "funny, sexy, and important" by the gay prs, ran for 140 performanc off-Broadway, then toured to eight ci over ne months, and returned to Broadway starrg the legendary adult film star Casey Donovan the lead role. Dpe s unprecented succs and acclaim, the play was not officially published until wh the but publitn of the script of the play, this edn clus a foreword by Jordan Schildcrout tled "Tubstrip and The Erotic Theatre of Gay Liberatn", which exam the signifince of the play as one of a wave of erotic gay plays (most of them fotten or lost) that emerged between 1969 and 1974. He went on to have a major reer gay male pornography, directg numero award-wng films between 1989 and 2007, such as More of a Man, Flh & Blood, Dream Team, and Schildcrout is Associate Profsor of Theatre & Performance at SUNY Purchase.

Larry Gilman plays Brian, the gay bathhoe attendant lookg for love the era of sexual liberatn. Lee Barton, reviewg the play for The Advote, lled "funny, sexy, and important, " but wonred whether mastream crics uld "tolerate anythg gay that is so open and healthy. Some crics regard the tour as "homosexploatn, " but the Philalphia Enquirer lled "somethg of an event the history of gay liberatn...

A GAY TEEN DISVERS HIMSELF AT SUMMER MP THIS FLAMER FIRST LOOK

Assertg as do not the sickns but the validy of homosexual affectn and homoerotic appeal. One San Francis review praised Tubstrip as an exemplar of gay liberatn, remarkg, "When is the last time you walked out of a play or film about gays and felt good?

While pertas to an actn-packed seri which stars spanx routely save the world, as a missn statement, the three words uld jt as easily apply to what Berlanti has done wh Love, Simon, the revolutnary gay teen g-of-age rom- that hs theaters this, Simon, which is based on Becky Albertalli’s young adult novel Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, marks a crowng achievement of sorts a reer marked by prolific as Shonda Rhim and Ryan Murphy, albe wh a smaller profile, Berlanti has had a superhero’s drive himself phg through landmark scen and characters featurg prevly taboo ntent: the first passnate gay kiss a teen soap drama on Dawson’s Creek, a same-sex marriage on Brothers & Sisters, an abortn storyle on Everwood, the first transgenr character primetime on Dirty Sexy Money, and, now, a host of richly plited gay characters and storyl across his sue of ic-book seri (The Flash, Arrow, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow).

Katie Yu/The CW When opens at nearly 2, 500 theaters on Friday, Love, Simon will mark the first time a stud has buted a gay teenage romance wi release. “I uldn’t believe there would be a gay teen at the center of this kd of story. ” Simon is a classmate posts an anonymo open letter on a school gossip webse sayg he is gay and closeted, Simon se is an opportuny.