The movie is based on the book "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli. The book and movie follow the life of Simon Spier who is a closeted gay teenager in his senior year of high school. When someone anonymously comes out on one of the school's popular websites, Simon decides to email him to let him know that he isn't alone.
Why this movie is important for LGBTQ+ youth
Before "Love, Simon," a movie that many LGBTQ+ teenagers watched was "Carol." While "Carol" is a story that doesn't represent the LGBTQ+ community in a bad light, the movie is set in the early 1950's and doesn't accurately portray what it is like today for the LGBTQ+ community.
"love, Simon" depicts a modern-day teenager who is hiding his sexuality from everyone which is very relatable for a lot of people no matter their age. This movie shows the good and the bad of people not knowing about Simon's sexuality.
You will see Simon struggle through events that are all too real for some young adults. Not only is this movie important for the LGBTQ+ community to see because it gives them representation, it is good for the parents of any LGBTQ+ kids to see. One thing that is shown in the movie is how Simon's family deals with him telling them that he's gay. Everyone in the family has a different reaction and some of them aren't amazing at first. In the clip below, it shows Simon and his father finally talking about his coming out and his father does what any father should, and reminds him that he loves him no matter what.
A few topics addressed
There are a few things that are talked about in this movie that are important to pay attention to. One thing that happens is Simon's secret is discovered by someone and is then used as blackmail against him. This is something that can happen to anyone if the wrong person finds out that they are hiding something and it's important to remember that it's not right to do it to someone no matter what their secret is.
Another thing is that Simon is outed to his entire school. One of Simon's worst fears is realized when he is outed to his entire school, which leads to him saying something very powerful. Simon confronts the person who outed him and says, "I'm supposed to be the one that decides when and where and who knows! That's supposed to be my thing!" It is never okay for anyone to force someone to come out before they are ready and this quote from Simon shows how important it is for someone to come out on their own terms.
Overall thoughts
All in all, this movie is a powerful thing to watch. If someone is part of the LGBTQ+ community it may hit close to home at times and keeping some tissues nearby is recommended. Watching this movie is highly recommended and it may open doors for more representation of the LGBTQ+ community on the big screen in the future.
