Love, Simon

Film review 

Spoiler alert !

"We are all part of the same rainbow." - Suzy Kassem 🌈

Love, Simon is a 2018 American rom-com/drama film directed by Greg Berlanti. It is based on the novel 'Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda' by Becky Albertalli. 

Simon Spier is a teenager. He has three best friends - Nick, Leah and Abby. Simon is discreet about his sexuality and is scared to come out to the world as gay. 

In a school full of bullies, a student uses the pseudonym 'Blue' to reveal his sexuality on the school gossip site - "Sometimes I feel like I'm stuck on a Ferris wheel. One minute I'm on top of the world, the next I'm at rock bottom. Over and over, all day long. Because a lot about life is great. But nobody knows I'm gay." An astonished Simon strikes up a conversation with Blue online. They soon fall in love with each other. 

Martin, another student, discovers the chats and proceeds to blackmail Simon, threatening to expose the conversations on the school gossip site unless Simon abides with Martin's desire to arrange a romantic relationship between him and Abby. Unwillingly, Simon agrees to set him up with Abby.

Throughout the movie, Simon suspects many of his schoolmates to be Blue, only to find out that they aren't. 

Talking to Blue helps Simon build courage in accepting himself and his sexuality. He comes out to his friend Abby. "It doesn't seem fair that only gay people have to come out. Why is straight the default?", he asks her. He feels relieved when Abby reacts supportively. 

In the meantime, Martin publicly confesses his love for Abby. When Abby rejects him, he feels humiliated. In retaliation, he leaks Simon and Blue's chats into the school gossip site. Simon is devastated. He does not attend school, dodges all calls from his friends and avoids his sister when she tries to comfort him. 

Martin feels guilty for what he did and apologizes to Simon. "I'm supposed to be the one that decides when and where and how and who knows, and how I get to say it, that's supposed to be my thing!", says Simon. He decides to come out to his parents. When he tells them that he is gay, they are surprised. His father makes a joke and tries to belittle the topic before walking out of the room. 

On his return to school, Simon's friends are upset with him for not answering their calls and Blue breaks off his relationship with him. In the cafeteria, Simon and a fellow student Ethan are mocked for their sexuality. After the incident, they become friends and talk about the difficulties they faced in coming out. 

After a few days, Simon reconciles with his friends. His father apologizes to him and embraces him wholeheartedly. During a conversation with his mother, Emily says, "As soon as you came out, you said, "Mom, I'm still me." I need you to hear this. You are still you, Simon. You are the same son who I love to tease, and who your father depends on for just about everything. And you're the same brother who always compliments his sister on her food, even when it sucks." 

Simon then leaves an apology note for Blue on the gossip site and asks him out to the upcoming carnival. 

At the carnival, Simon rides the Ferris wheel, waiting for Blue to join him. Most of his classmates gather around to see what happens. Eventually, Bram, one of the school seniors, who Simon once suspected to be Blue shows up, revealing that he in fact is Blue. They ride the Ferris wheel together declaring their love, and their friends cheer them on. 

The movie effectively conveys the struggles faced in coming out, the emotional repressions endured while putting on a mask of being 'normal'. I was drawn to the movie by its cast which includes Katherine Langford and Miles Heizer who did amazing jobs portraying the significance of mental health in the Netflix series, Thirteen Reasons Why. 

"Love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love, cannot be killed or swept aside." -  Lin-Manuel Miranda 

Let us be a little more accepting and understanding to the people around us.

 Let us celebrate our differences and live in harmony. 

LET US TAKE PRIDE IN WHO WE ARE ! 

This post is a part of #BlogchatterBlogHop.