Why did it take so long for Simon to get here? By which I mean, why has it taken so long for there to be a mainstream LGBTQ teen romcom? If there’s any kids who need to feel represented and heard, it’s this community. I’m glad that Simon has finally arrived to tell his story, and I hope he’s the first of many.
Can I also just say that I love the ad campaign in LA for this movie? Specifically I mean the giant billboards that say “Dear LA, which way to WEHO? Asking for a friend” Genius.
Simon is your typical high school student who seems to have everything going for him: friends, family, community. Except he’s hiding a pretty big secret about himself–he’s gay. He connects with an anonymous gay student in his school, and the two begin a rather intimate and supportive correspondence. He realizes he’s falling in love with his penpal, and that he’s at a point where he needs to live his truth and let people know who he really is.
First off, this idea breaks my heart, that we’re still at a place where someone that is gay needs to come out. It’s my dream that if one of my hypothetical one day future kids is gay, that they’ll never need to actually come out. They’ll just talk about someone they’re attracted to as casually as if they were straight. Still though, displaying this story is important because it unfortunately is a huge part of journey for an LGBTQ person, and I’m glad that it’s depicted in such a positive way.
I loved the film so much. Everything about it just made me so happy. Simon is a great character, and I want him to be my best friend. Nick Robinson played him beautifully. He’s just such a deep soul and far more three dimensional than you usually get from LGBTQ characters in comedies. I cared about him, and I cried with him, and I laughed with him.
The film was heartfelt and funny, and the crowd was so into it. I heard crying, I heard squealing, I heard a full rollercoaster (or ferris wheel?) of emotions. Again, I love that this film has finally happened, and I want more.
Love, Simon – \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/