By Claire DuMont
Opinion Editor
For most of the history of the romantic comedy, the plot has followed the love story between a boy and a girl, with only an LGBTQ character playing the best friend or the sidekick, but for “Love, Simon,” it’s the opposite.
“Love, Simon” stars Nick Robinson as Simon Spier, a teenager navigating his sexuality, including coming out to his family and friends. The film follows the typical teenage romantic comedy format, using acting, screenwriting and plot aspects to enchant and entice audiences into the story, while also addressing socially relevant topics, even if it plays out in a way that can be seen as unrealistic.
The idea behind “Love, Simon” changes the model that has been given to teenage romantic comedies for years. This time, the story is completely centered on the narrative of a gay teenager’s love story, proving along with other films like “Call Me by Your Name,” that change in the stories told in Hollywood is finally beginning. This change engages the audience, creating a different type of story.
Robinson’s acting also captivates the audiences, as he brings the characters to life through his believable portrayal of the character. Robinson’s acting works alongside the actors playing Simon’s group of friends: Katherine Langford as Leah, Alexandra Shipp as Abby, and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. as Nick. Even though the ages of the actors greatly exceeds the high school age characters they are playing, their acting allows them to play the characters in a believable way.
The dialogue and script of the film creates the emotional aspect of the film, enchanting the audiences even further. It is written in a way that truly conveys the emotions of the characters, working well with the acting. However, because it is a movie for and about teenagers, some of the dialogue between the characters can seem forced and not realistic.
“Love, Simon” is based on the novel by Becky Albertalli, titled “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda.” Some parts were changed in the adaptation, however, there are some positive additions to enhance the movie as a whole, such as the addition of Tony Hale’s character of the vice principal, which adds a comedic factor. While some aspects of the original plot were changed for the movie, the same narrative and message remain.
The soundtrack for “Love, Simon” is filled with music fitting to the tone of the film, as well as the target audience. The collection of songs, including artists such as Bleachers, Troye Sivan, The 1975, and Khalid create an atmosphere to transport and engage the audience.
The plot of “Love, Simon” centers around Simon as he begins emailing with the only other openly gay student at his school, nicknamed “Blue” but they are not aware of each other’s identities, writing under the pseudonyms “Blue” and “Jacques” for Simon. As Simon begins to speculate over who Blue could be, the voice over in the emails takes on the voice of that character, allowing the audience to put other characters into the voice of Blue, to try and solve the mystery with Simon.
“Love, Simon” is a refreshing look at LGBTQ teenage romance, and uses its soundtrack, acting, adaptation from a novel, and cinematography to enchant and engage audiences, although it can be unrealistic at times.
“Love, Simon” was released on March 16 in all theaters, is rated PG-13 and can be seen in theaters worldwide.
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