This is a fairy tale. It’s a lovely fairy tale … perhaps my favorite of all time. But it suggests a United States in which bigotry isn’t a plurality, in which the audacity to come out of the closet exists only between you and your God, and a nation in which there is never a shortage of support. This is the country and the world I want to live in. The one I do live in, well, Mike Pence is still veep, isn’t he? *sigh*
Simon (Nick Robinson) is one of my favorite characters of the year. I rooted so hard for Simon to find his someone that when I see Nick Robinson kiss girls in future films, part of me will be disappointed. Simon tells us he’s a standard teen; he’s just gay, that’s all. And that’s how it should be. Hitting on the guy with the leaf blower should be awkward whether you’re gay or straight. He’s got a leaf blower; leave him alone.
Simon has a ridiculously supportive friend group (Katherine Langford, Alexandra Shipp, & Jorge Lendeborg Jr.), a ridiculously supportive family (Jennifer Garner, Josh Duhamel, & Talitha Eliana Bateman), and even a ridiculously supportive high school principal (Tony Hale). It’s a shame he doesn’t feel he can come out to any of these folks. It’s a shame he feels the need to come out at all. As Love, Simon points out, “Why should heterosexual be the default?” I’ll take that a step further – if you’re unwilling to do anything about it, what does it matter who you find sexually attractive at all?
Content to deep-six his deep desires, Simon just wants to play it safe, hang out, and go to Halloween parties dressed as John Lennon. On the student memo boards, however, “Blue” has just informed their world that he’s gay. Taking the plunge, Simon starts up a private email conversation with Blue under the name “Jacques.” Blue and Jacques become instant friends. 
Personally, I would worry that I was being set up, that Blue was nothing more than a bait troll. But Love, Simon isn’t that kind of movie; this is a fairy tale, remember?
Real trouble comes when the class fool, Martin (Logan Miller), discovers the secret and decides to make his own Simon Says blackmail game. Of course, his game is more one of Martin Says. This is pretty awful stuff. Even with a network of ultimate support, nobody should get to dictate when, where, or how you announce your big move from closet to living room. In turn, we see Simon’s dark side in order to protect the secret. As dark sides go, Simon’s is more 5-o’clock shadowy, but it’s enough to alienate people.
I love a film that loves its characters. Love, Simon is that film. It even shows love for Martin, who deserves none. Despite the everyday setting of small town, high school, family, etc., I’m not entirely sure any of this is realistic on any level. But I can’t help wishing it were; this is my fairy tale; this is exactly the world I want to live in. *sigh* Good luck with that.
♪I want a love to exchange emails
One who didn’t just Blue away
You want to help me? Give some space
I need time to say
(I’m) Coming out, coming out
Coming out (of the closet)
Coming out, some day♫
Rated PG-13, 110 Minutes
Director: Greg Berlanti
Writer: Elizabeth Berger & Isaac Aptaker
Genre: That thin line between blissful fantasy and horrible reality”
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Idealists
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Mike Pence
♪ Parody Inspired by “Coming Up”
