Love, Simon: A Long Overdue Love Story
Warning: plot spoilers ahead
After watching one of 2018’s biggest movie hits, Love, Simon, I am still awed by how this two hour film has affected me, in addition to millions of other viewers. Love, Simon is a movie that celebrates the types of love stories major studio films usually leave out. It is sparking conversations while changing and moving hearts everywhere.
The film follows teenager Simon Spier as he attempts to find an anonymous classmate he has fallen for online, while deciding whether to come out to his friends and family as gay. The movie depicts the initial tensions Simon experiences after revealing he is gay, but also shows the support and love he receives from many of the film's characters. Simon is not outcasted or othered; he is normalized and reaffirmed in his identity.
One scene that especially moved me was when Simon speaks with his mother, Emily Spier after coming out to his family. She assures him he is still the same Simon she knows and that he is allowed to exhale.
This movie felt different. Not only did it show a commitment to racial diversity and LGBTQ representation through its characters, but it told a love story that was honest and tender and the type of love story LGBTQ folks on screen deserve but have not been given in the past.
Love, Simon is a step forward in changing the culture we have found ourselves ingrained in for too long–a culture that encourages silence, punishment and division. This movie portrays an environment of inclusivity and normalcy many individuals everywhere have been looking for. It is a coming of age story that touched me in many personal ways and reminded me, and hopefully others, that stories like Love, Simon matter. These types of stories are important because they represent less-privileged communities, they validate our authentic identities, they encourage us to invest in people who support and accept us, and that love really is love.
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