Elise Newhouse Newhouse 1

Phillips

Cultural Media Literacy Honors

19 May 2019

How ​Love, Simon ​(Partially) Missed the Mark

Audiences raved about ​Love, Simon ​when it hit the big screen. Hailed by many as being

a milestone for gay representation in media and seen as one of the best films of the year by teens

across the world, ​Love, Simon ​has undoubtedly become a catalyst for increased representation in

the film world. Amidst the heartfelt scenes and laughter, however, the movie intentionally

deconstructs some stereotypes about gay men that few movies have done before; unfortunately,

in director Greg Berlanti’s attempts to tear down society's prejudices through the main

character’s nervous mannerisms and the seemingly normal world around him, he also ends up

reinforcing others through his use of a shallow depth of field and precise tracking.

When ​Love, Simon​ premiered in March of 2018, allies and members of the LGBT

community alike praised the movie as being one that paved the way for more diverse

representation in the media. As Richard Lawson said in his 2018 “Vanity Fair” article, “We will

see ​Love, Simon ​and feel counted, finally.” The internet is rife with tales full of young members

of the LGBT community finally obtaining the confidence to come out to their friends and family,

and older members of the community reminisce on their past struggles, wishing they could have

had the support Nick has in the film (Henderson). Other audiences, however, had harsher

reactions. Critics say the movie does little more than adhere “safely to the heterosexual values of

teen romantic comedies” (St. Félix) and “make[s] a show of political engagement while

promoting egoism” (White). The kids Simon and his friends are and the lives they live are too

normal and lack three-dimensional qualities; their roles in the film are too straight, and conform
 Newhouse 2

too much to society’s view of gay love rather than the love story between two teenagers who

happen to both be men. Both of these reviews hold credibility, especially when certain

cinematographic and characterization elements are viewed more closely.

Through Simon’s mannerisms and characterized world, ​Love, Simon ​manages to balance

a well-rounded individual with the traditional coming out tale. While the movie does not devote

as much focus to the email exchange between Simon and his love interest as the book the movie

is based on does, Simon and the other gay character (Blue) are given a diverse set of interests

and complex lives that go against the traditional stereotype of a character in the film solely meant

to be gay. Simon is a part of the school play, helps his dad with his mother’s anniversary

present, and goes to football games with his friends; Blue goes to a cabin every year with his

father, loves orange Halloween Oreos, and watches ​Game of Thrones.​ Both characters have

friends, families, and hobbies that make them more diverse than their gay counterparts in the

past. Additionally, Simon lives just like “just like you. [He has] a totally, perfectly normal life”

(Love, Simon), with a small nuclear family and three lifelong friends in a decently sized town in

reasonably affluent suburbia. Simon’s mannerisms weave into his suburban tale perfectly,

portraying Simon not as the typical “flowery”, proud gay, but as a normal 17-year-old who is

terrified of his life changing when everyone learns of his secret. Whenever someone around him

brings up something obvious they’re missing, questions asking if Simon wants to talk, or

someone brings up being gay, Simon shrinks back and looks visibly uncomfortable, all perfectly

realistic reactions from a teenager attempting to come to terms with their sexuality. These

mannerisms help to make Simon into a real teeanger, not just a character in a movie, and not just

a gay actor that Hollywood hired to increase its political correctness.

 Newhouse 3

There is no doubt that ​Love, Simon​ is a clever film in regards to its direction and

cinematography, and two of the most repeated and noticeable techniques are the shallow depth of

field and the tracking of Simon’s face in many scenes; these techniques also, unfortunately, serve

to reconstruct traditional gay stereotypes. In nearly every scene of the movie that the main

character Simon is in, he lies in the center of the frame and is the sole focus of it. Even in scenes

that contain other people he is talking with, Simon remains the most in-focus thing in the frame,

naturally drawing the audience’s eye to him. He is, of course, the main character, but the lens

the audience views Simon in is defined in the very first sentence of the film, which he ends with

“but I have one huge ass secret” (Love, Simon), a line quickly followed by Simon staring out the

window at the man mowing his neighbor’s lawn. To increase this forced focus, the camera is

very diligent in tracking even the most minute movements Simon makes, whether it’s tilting his

chin down, glancing away, or turning his head. This ensures that Simon is always in the center

of the frame. When these two techniques are combined, it is almost impossible for the audience

to focus on anything but Simon, the main character of the story who also happens to be gay. In

any normal movie, these cinematic choices would draw focus to a character because they are

talking or should be the center of attention in that moment, but since ​Love, Simon​ chose to

portray Simon as gay from the first line as a gay kid, the sharp focus on Simon makes him into

something that should be watched. They have effectively converted Simon into a specimen on

display for the heteronormative world, thereby enforcing the stereotype that members of the

LGBT community are different from their straight counterparts, and effectively making Simon a

one-dimensional character, no matter how much other characterization tries to undo it. This

perfectly upholds traditional stereotypes of gay characters that are there solely to be gay to
 Newhouse 4

placate audiences. As Andrew McMillan says in “The Guardian,” “A heterosexual character in a

soap might be a murderer, or a liar, or a thief; a homosexual character is simply that:

homosexual… the homosexual character will struggle to realise he’s homosexual, then come

out.” ​Love, Simon​, as revered as it has been in the past year, fails to push past the boundaries

Hollywood has entrenched itself in over its cinematic lifetime and follows the traditional “gay

story” to a tee due to the aforementioned cinematographic features.

Love, Simon​ remains a movie unlikely to be forgotten by the youth it influenced. As far

as culture and attitudes surrounding members of the LGBT community have changed in the past

few decades, the journey Simon goes through in the movie is still experienced by many. While a

heartwarming tale of perseverance and eventual acceptance, ​Love, Simon ​contains some serious

deficits in the way it deals with Simon, leading to unintentional buildup of stereotypes. As the

world’s acceptance and perception of members of the LGBT community continues to evolve,

more diverse representation is needed in the media that allows both straight and gay audiences to

enjoy and feel connected to. ​Love, Simon ​is a step in the right direction.
 Newhouse 5

Works Cited

Henderson, Taylor. “15 Powerful 'Love, Simon' Reactions That Show Why the Film Is So

Groundbreaking.” ​Pride,​ 26 Mar. 2018,

www.pride.com/lovesimon/2018/3/26/15-powerful-love-simon-reactions-show-why-film

-so-groundbreaking​.

Lawson, Richard. “Love, Simon Is a Charming Gay Studio Movie That Makes Us Hungry for

More.” ​HWD,​ Vanity Fair, 13 Mar. 2018,

www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/03/love-simon-review​.

​ ir. Greg Berlanti. 20th Century Fox, 2018. ​Amazon Prime. ​Web. 19 May 2019.
Love, Simon. D

McMillan, Andrew. “Gay Men Deserve Three-Dimensional Role Models, Not TV's Stereotypes |

Andrew McMillan.” ​The Guardian​, Guardian News and Media, 10 Feb. 2016,

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/feb/10/gay-men-tv-stereotypes-looking-sexu

ality​.

St. Félix, Doreen. “The Chaste Optimism of ‘Love, Simon.’” ​The New Yorker,​ The New Yorker,

21 Mar. 2018,

www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-chaste-optimism-of-love-simon​.

White, Armond. “Love, Simon Outs Hollywood's Youth Exploitation.” ​National Review,​

National Review, 16 Mar. 2018,

www.nationalreview.com/2018/03/movie-review-love-simon-gay-comedy-expoits-youth/