Friday, March 16, 2018

MOVIE REVIEW | Love, Simon

Love, Simon
Release Date: March 16, 2018
Run Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Genre: Drama/Romance (coming of age)
Rating: PG-13
Everyone deserves a great love story. But for seventeen-year old Simon Spier it’s a little more complicated: he’s yet to tell his family or friends he’s gay and he doesn’t actually know the identity of the anonymous classmate he’s fallen for online. Resolving both issues proves hilarious, terrifying and life-changing. Directed by Greg Berlanti (Riverdale, The Flash, Supergirl), screenplay by Elizabeth Berger & Isaac Aptaker (This is Us), and based on Becky Albertalli’s acclaimed novel, LOVE, SIMON is a funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story about the thrilling ride of finding yourself and falling in love.
Love, Simon is the newest YA novel adaptation, from Becky Albertalli's Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. You can check out my review of Simon vs. here!

YA book to movie adaptations have been a trend for a long time, and let's just say that they haven't always hit the mark. With recent box office and critical flops like Allegiant, Beautiful Creatures, The Host, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, etc. I was excited and nervous to see how this YA adaptation would shape up. And though not all critics' reviews are in (they're generally favorable), and we don't know how much money they movie has made, I will say this: this amateur reviewer thought Love, Simon was a great movie, and I have high hopes for it's commercial success.  


My complaints only exist because I have read the novel. I think if I didn't read the book prior, I wouldn't have felt like there needed to be more, but there were a couple things from the book that I wish they would have incorporated. Of course, the main focus is on Simon, but I would have loved to see the scene where Leah and Simon's sister play at the talent show (which was nonexistent). Also, in the books, Simon and Blue talk everyday, and sometimes multiple times. At the end of the movie, Simon has only around 10 messages in his email. This might be nit-picky, but did Simon just delete most of the emails or something? It's just a quick thing I noticed that took me out of the story. As with all adaptations, there are some things that fans of the book are going to miss, and this wasn't an exception. And even though there were some moments that I missed from the book, I still enjoyed the movie a lot!

Now, let's talk about the acting. Simon and his group of friends (Leah, Abby, and Nick) are acted very well. They are all breathe life into the characters I love from the book. But what I really love about the four of there performances is that they are so normal. Simon ad his friends are not overly characterized. Their portrayals of being a teenager are spot on, and I was able to easily insert myself into the story because of it. When Simon and his friends are all carpooling together and getting coffee, I immediately thought about my friends doing almost the same thing my senior year of high school. And that's what I think works the best about this movie: it is able to relate to the audience.

One of the other things I really liked about Love, Simon was Simon's parents, played by Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel. Watching the movie, I could tell that they were seasoned actors. Even though they don't have a lot of scenes in the movie, they made the most out of all of them. There is this amazing scene between Simon and his father, and those two minutes were so touching. 

Another scene that really stood out was the confrontation between Simon and Martin near the end of the movie. If you have read the book, you know what I'm talking about. Nick Robinson and Logan Miller were spot on in that scene, and it is one of my favorite scenes of the film. It was great to see Simon stand up for himself, and the it resonated with the audience as well (they were all cheering!).


After Love, Simon and Lady Bird, coming of age movies seem to be getting another life, and this time it looks like movie studios are doing it right. Love, Simon is a well acted film and one for the books (pun intended). Love, Simon is the first gay teen romantic comedy from a major studio, and I'm so glad that it turned out so well. 

Love, Simon is a great adaptation. It is not only faithful to the book, but stands on its own as a good movie as well. The movie was really heartwarming, and I'll be watching it again for a second time! Though I would have liked to see a couple more of the details that really made the book stand out for me, the movie is solid. It's great to see that a major production company like Fox put out a movie that will undoubtedly be important for the LGBTQ+ community.

With that, I give Love, Simon a B+. 


Have you read Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda? Are you planning on seeing the movie?

Thanks so much for stopping by and I'll see you soon with another post!

Happy Reading (and watching Love, Simon)!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

12 comments:

  1. Oh, I am so glad to hear the movie was a good one, Genni! I did enjoy the novel because the characters sounded relatable, even though I am way older than them (I am 31). There is a sense of timelessness to coming of age stories (to me) because everyone experiences these transitions into adulthood. Plus, I really just like the idea of transparency within teenage relationships and just characters being genuine and supportive. We have so many stories with the bullying and aggression. But, I do think Albertalli showcases amazing relationships in general. Dude, were you angry by the portrayal of Leah? I wanted me a plus size beauty queen that did Leah justice. But, that could be just my own bias.
    PS: It's lovely to have your sweet comments on my blog. Let's be pals.

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    1. That's why I liked it too! I'm around their age (18!) but I still feel like all age groups can connect with the characters on some level. I agree with your point about the sense of timelessness, at least if they're done well! That's why The Breakfast Club, Say Anything, etc. are still popular today! Yes, I really appreciated that the movie shows healthy teenage relationships. In TV shows like Gossip Girl or 90210, none of the friendships or relationships are healthy or that realistic, so it's nice to see something more down to earth.

      Yes, I was so frustrated about Leah! The actress, Katherine Langford, isn't a size 2, but she is in no way "plus size"! There are some great young actresses (like Beanie Feldstein in Lady Bird!) that are actually plus sized, and I think it's a shame they didn't incorporate that into the film.

      And thank you for your lovely comments! Let's! :)

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  2. Excellent review, Genni! I can't wait to see this movie! I was hoping to see it today, but unfortunately my local movie theater hasn't picked it up. I hope it will be out in my town soon. :)

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    1. Thanks Lauren! That's unfortunate that they didn't have it! Maybe they'll get it soon, or hopefully another theater relatively close will screen it! :) I hope you love it Lauren. :)

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  3. So glad you enjoyed this! It's hard for movies to live up to the books they are adapted from but I'm really excited to see this one!

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    1. Thanks Sara! I agree! There's times when I'm watching an adaption and thinking, "don't just latch onto what's different about the two" because then I'm not focusing on the big picture of it all.

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  4. I've heard such good things about this! Unfortunately, I kind of despise rom coms and I also can't stand teen romance movies (and I don't read contemporary fiction)... I really want this movie to do well though, so maybe I'll go see it anyway!

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    1. Oh yeah, than this one might not be for you genre-wise! You can always support it later by streaming it for free or renting it!

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  5. Happy to hear you enjoyed this too! I got to screen it earlier this month and the crowd absolutely loved it. I haven't read the book so I was watching it without any preset ideas and I thought it was hilarious and full of heart; it's great to hear that, despite some small changes or omissions, it stays true to the spirit of the book :) I really hope this does well, not just to send a message, but also because it's a legitimately fun watch!

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    1. The crowd I was with adored it as well! There were so many squealing and shouting preteens when I watched it, haha! It really does stay true to the spirit, which is the most I think readers can ask for. Not every scene from the book can be included, and they picked the most important ones for Love, Simon. I agree! Thanks for stopping by JJ. :)

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  6. I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed Love, Simon. I had hoped to get to see it this weekend but ended up having to work, so maybe next weekend. It sounds so good!

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    1. Thanks Suzanne! It was a blast. I hope you enjoy it! I'm planning on seeing it again in a couple weeks when the theater near my college gets it. :)

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