“Love, Simon:” A Review of the Latest Romantic Comedy-Drama Film

By Claire Conlan

Staff Reporter

“You get to exhale now, Simon. You get to be more you than you have been in a very long time. You deserve everything you want,” said Jennifer Garner as Emily in “Love, Simon.”

On Friday, March 16, “Love, Simon” hit not only the theaters, but everyone’s hearts.

Directed by Greg Berlanti, who also directs The CW’s television series, “Riverdale,” “Love, Simon” is a hilarious, shocking, heartwarming, coming out love story. The screenplay was written by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, who are also writers for NBC’s television series, “This Is Us.”

“This film treats 17-year-old Simon Spier’s quest for love and self-acceptance with the tender, timeless, Hollywood touch of John Hughes,” said Entertainment Writer for the Associated Press, Sandy Cohen, in his review of the film. “It’s a classic story of a first crush made groundbreaking by centering on a closeted gay kid.”

The film stars Nick Robinson, Garner, Josh Duhamel and Katherine Langford.

Simon Spier, played by Robinson, is a 17-year-old boy who lives a pretty perfect life. However, he has one huge secret that he is keeping in… he is gay.

Simon has a core group of friends who do normal high school things: they go to school, parties, and use social media a little too much than they should.

On their school’s blog page there was an anonymous boy who announced that he is gay. Simon felt this automatic connection to this character, Blue, because he would be able to relate to how he is feeling. Simon creates this relationship over email with Blue and they take on the adventures of coming out to the world together.

“This is a feel good movie. It leaves your jaw dropping, laughing until your stomach hurts, and crying with many emotions,” said junior Katherine Li. “I think I could watch this film 100 times and would never get sick of it.”

The scenes with Simon coming out to friends and family are extremely raw. You could feel all of the audience’s emotions through each of these scenes. They did not show an unrealistic way of coming out to family and friends.

Although the film had many sentimental scenes, there were also hilarious moments.

“It was hilarious and heartwarming, with an unexpected ending,” said Li.

On its opening weekend, “Love, Simon” had an average gross income of 12 million. It received an 8.1 out of 10 on IMDb and a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

This film will be a push for everyone who wants to come out to the people they love to show them that it will not be easy, but it will be worth it in the end.

“Hopefully this will be a new start to more love stories like this. It should not all be picture perfect love stories about a boy and a girl. That is just not the world we live in,” said junior Cathleen Stanley. “I think that’s why I liked this movie so much because it did not seem unrealistic.”

I cannot wait to see more films that will be developed just like “Love, Simon.” If you think everyone deserves their ultimate love story and love a good comedy, then this film is for you.

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