Line #105 Film/LoveSimon


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/love_simon.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300:[[{{Tagline}} He's done keeping his story straight]].]]
3
4	->''"It doesn't seem fair that only gay people have to come out. Why is straight the default?"''
5	-->--'''Simon'''
6
7	''Love, Simon'' is a 2018 [[ComingOfAge coming-of-age]] film directed by Creator/GregBerlanti (showrunner of the ''Series/{{Arrowverse}}'') and written by Isaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger (''Series/ThisIsUs''), based on the {{young adult}} novel ''Literature/SimonVsTheHomoSapiensAgenda'' by Becky Albertalli.
8
9	Simon Spier (Creator/NickRobinson) is an average high schooler in his senior year, except for one major secret -- he's gay and in the closet.
10
11	Despite being surrounded by supportive people, such as his parents (Creator/JenniferGarner, Creator/JoshDuhamel) and best friends (Creator/KatherineLangford, Creator/AlexandraShipp, and Jorge Lendeborg Jr.), Simon is hesitant about coming out to them, wishing to finish high school as the person he was when he started it.
12
13	However, when another gay kid at Simon's school (named "Blue") anonymously comes out on the internet, Simon begins contacting him as "Jacques", and quickly falls for his faceless friend. As Simon's senior year unfolds, he --and the people around him-- start learning major truths about him and one another.
14
15	Creator/KeiynanLonsdale and Creator/TonyHale also star.
16
17	A {{spinoff}} {{sequel series}}, ''Series/LoveVictor'', premiered on Creator/{{Hulu}} two years later. It follows a new character named Victor (Michael Cimino) who's just enrolled in Creekwood High and struggling with both being the new kid in town and his own developing sexuality. Nick Robinson is the show's narrator and occasionally reappears as Simon. Screenwriters Aptaker & Berger serve as showrunners.
18	----
19	!! ''Love, Simon'' contains examples of:
20	* AdaptationDeviation: The novel has a subplot where Leah is in love with Nick and is jealous of Abby because of it. Here in the film, Simon suspects this is the case and that Leah's strange behavior and talking about caring for someone so much it would nearly kill her is about Nick. But in reality it's because she's [[spoiler: in love with Simon, and she was working up the courage to tell him]].
21	* AdaptationNameChange: A variation. In the novel, Simon's secret email address is "hourtohour.notetonote@gmail.com" (named after lyrics from 'Waltz #2' by Elliot Smith), whereas in the film it's "frommywindow1@gmail.com" (after 'Waterloo Sunset' by the Kinks). The original Elliot Smith lyrics do [[MythologyGag appear in the background]] on the chalkboard in Simon's bedroom, however.
22	* AdaptationTitleChange: ''Love, Simon'' is based on ''Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda''.
23	* AdaptedOut: A few aspects from the book (and its follow-ups) aren't included in the film, such as:
24	** Simon's older sister Alice, and [[spoiler: the subplot about her new relationship]].
25	** Martin's gay brother, who's [[TheGhost mentioned but not seen]].
26	** Played with when it comes to [[spoiler: Leah's bisexuality]], which was unknown to Simon in the book as well, and not known by the audience until the sequel.
27	* AdaptationalComicRelief: Simon's reluctant friendship with Martin is complicated in the novel, with Martin being a more [[FriendlyEnemy likable, if misguided, antagonist]]. In the movie, he's a [[HarmlessVillain total loser]] who's much less reluctant to blackmail Simon, rewritten to make the audience cringe-laugh every time he's on screen.
28	* AnAesop: Telling your friends and family who you really are may not be as painful experience as you may think, but in the end, if and when you do so is ''your'' choice and yours alone.
29	* AdaptationalAttractiveness: Simon in the book is described as wearing glasses and having extremely messy hair. In the movie, he is portrayed by angel-faced actor Nick Robinson who has shiny, straight hair. He also loses his glasses following the flashbacks.
30	* BaitAndSwitch: When Simon comes out to his family, his father solemnly leaves. At first, we're lead to believe that he's ashamed of his son, but we later learn that [[spoiler:he's actually ashamed of all of the tactless jokes he'd made in the past which inadvertently caused his son to stay in the closet]].
31	* BeYourself: {{Deconstructed\|Trope}}, {{discussed\|Trope}} and [[PlayingWithTropes played with]]. While the ultimate moral of the story is that everyone has something about themselves that they're afraid to share that isn't limited to their sexuality, it still acknowledges that they're secrets for a reason, even if they're nothing to be ashamed of. Simon is just as afraid of being made a spectacle for his sexuality as he is of being rejected for it while Abby doesn't like talking about her parents' divorce because she's still coping with it herself.
32	* BigDamnKiss: [[spoiler: Bram and Simon, at the end. ''Twice.'']]
33	* {{Blackmail}}: Martin threatens to out Simon if he doesn't set him up with Abby.
34	* BookEnds: The movie starts and ends with Simon picking up his friends on the way to school. The only difference at the end is [[spoiler: Bram has joined them]].
35	* BreakingTheFourthWall: At the end of Simon’s musical theatre-esque college fantasy sequence he looks at the camera and says “Maybe not that gay.”
36	* ButHeSoundsHandsome: [[spoiler: Martin leaks Simon and Blue's messages anonymously, saying that everyone should focus on that instead of his stunt with Abby, and that it "was actually kinda sweet, and romantic if you think about it".]]
37	* CampGay: Ethan, and he gets his fair share of bullying over it.
38	* ChekhovsGunman: [[spoiler: Bram, who is dismissed as potential Blue early on.]]
39	* ClosetKey: Discussed between Simon and Blue. Simon's were Creator/DanielRadcliffe and [[Music/PanicAtTheDisco Brendon Urie]]. Blue's was [[Series/GameOfThrones Jon Snow]].
40	* ComingOutStory: For Simon [[spoiler: and Bram]].
41	* CompositeCharacter:
42	** In the book, Simon has a friend in theatre named Taylor. Though she's [[DecompositeCharacter also in the film]], much of her narrative role is taken by Abby.
43	** Simon's sisters in the book are effectively combined into Nora.
44	* CringeComedy: Martin's attempts to woo Abby end up being uncomfortable for everyone involved.
45	* DamnedByFaintPraise: A nonverbal example. During rehearsal for the school's disastrous production of ''Theatre/{{Cabaret}}'', Ms. Albright tells the students that she had her doubts when the principal told her to let every student who auditioned be in the show, then nods as if trying to think of something nice to say before simply moving on.
46	* DarkestHour: [[spoiler:Martin anonymously leaks Simon and Blue's emails to the school blog after Homecoming, outing Simon to the entire school (and his little sister), and giving Simon an anxiety attack wherein he isolates himself from his friends and lashes out at Nora. This pushes Simon to come out to his parents on Christmas before they hear it elsewhere; while he mends his relationship with Nora, his parents and sister begin in-fighting during the shock, making life uncomfortable at home. Leah, Abby and Nick discover that Simon has been lying to them and meddling with their feelings to get Abby together with Martin, and all three angrily leave Simon to deal with his outing alone. Simon begins facing harassment at school, including a public display of humiliation in the cafeteria. Worst of all, Blue returns from vacation to discover the leak and tells Simon he no longer feels safe emailing him, permanently closing his account.]]
47	* DeadpanSnarker:
48	** Leah is the strongest example, but Simon comes close whenever he's interacting with Martin.
49	** Ethan is this trope whenever he is confronted by [[ThoseTwoGuys the bullies]]; he even snarks good-naturedly at Simon's question about whether Ethan was attracted to him, answering that Simon's basic style never impressed him.
50	** Simon has his moments. When Martin compliments him for lying his way into a pancake dinner with her, Simon shoots back, without hesitation, "Go to hell, Martin."
51	* DemotedToExtra:
52	** Taylor Metternich, though never a major character in the novel, has most of her contributions to the plot ([[spoiler:going after Simon's bullies and forming a band with Leah and Nora]]) removed to serve as Ethan's best friend. The only time she's named onscreen is near the end, without a face to go with the name, which means only those who read the book would know who she's supposed to be.
53	** Cal Price was a pretty important character in the book, as Simon's crush and [[spoiler: the main false lead for Blue]], but he only has a few lines of dialogue in the movie and his bisexuality is cut out.
54	* DiggingYourselfDeeper: A drunken Simon tries to reassure Nick that he's not into Abby, stumbles as he hastens to add that he's [[HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday into women in general]], and then feels the need to amend that it has nothing to do with her being black.
55	* DidntThinkThisThrough:
56	** Martin's embarrassment after Homecoming leads him to [[spoiler:leak Simon and Blue's emails on the school blog (while making a point of [[ForcedOutOfTheCloset outing]] Simon)]] in an attempt to shift attention away from his own blunder. He later states he had no idea it would be such a big deal [[spoiler:despite having threatened to do exactly that for ''months'' and knowing that Simon found it genuinely terrifying]].
57	** As it turns out, {{grand romantic gesture}}s aren't so much romantic as they are an act of embarrassing peer pressure in real life. Both Abby and Martin find this out the hard way.
58	* DoggedNiceGuy: Martin ''wishes'' he were this and not for the possessive, annoying creep that he is. See WrongGenreSavvy.
59	* DrivingQuestion: Who is Blue?
60	* DudeNotFunny
61	** After Simon comes out to his parents, his dad jokingly asks which girlfriend turned him, prompting Nora to yell at him.
62	** Simon is also not amused by Abby briefly trying to get him to be her PetHomosexual or Martin, while in a mascot costume, asking Simon if he [[IncrediblyLamePun likes bears]].
63	* DuetBonding: Simon and Bram drunkenly sing karaoke together at the latter’s Halloween party.
64	* EatingLunchAlone: Simon does this after he [[spoiler: is outed and his friends discover he’s been lying to them.]]
65	* EveryoneHasStandards: Martin is definitely an ass who blackmailed Simon, but he reacts with disgust at a group of homophobic bullies.
66	* EverytownAmerica: The only information that's really given about the movie's setting is that it's a suburb of Atlanta with a coffee shop and waffle house.
67	* FantasySequence: Simon has one about being out and proud while at college -- complete with a dorm decorated with rainbow posters, Whitney Houston playing in the background, and dance number.
68	* [[FirstGirlAfterAll First Guy After All]]: [[spoiler:Blue turns out to be Bram, the first person Simon suspected.]]
69	* {{Foil}}: Humble, reserved homosexual Simon versus aggressively heterosexual AttentionWhore Martin.
70	* ForcedOutOfTheCloset: [[spoiler:Simon's emails to Blue are leaked to the school blog by Martin after Homecoming]].
71	* {{Foreshadowing}}:
72	** At one point, Martin makes an IncrediblyLamePun about what the cross between a black and Jewish person is and says, "Blewish" (Blue-ish). [[spoiler:Later on, Simon finds out that Blue is actually Bram who happens to be both black and Jewish.]]
73	** During a scene early in the film, [[spoiler:Simon and Bram are sitting in a classroom when Bram looks back and smiles at Simon. On the back of Bram's pencil, there is a blue eraser.]]
74	* FreudianSlip: A non-literal example with Martin's Halloween costume.
75	* FunnyBackgroundEvent: The college banners in Simon’s fantasy sequence say “liberal university”
76	* GayGuySeeksPopularJock: [[spoiler: It turns out Simon has (inadvertently) been doing this with Bram]].
77	* TheGhost: Martin's gay brother is only mentioned in the film.
78	* GoodParents: The Spier parents encourage their daughter's culinary interests and are perfectly accepting of their son's homosexuality.
79	* GrandRomanticGesture: Martin's attempt at one to get Abby to go out with him is a very good example of why this trope [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome doesn't work in real life]].
80	* HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday: When Simon gets drunk and Nick asks if he’s into Abby, he goes on a ramble that basically ends with this.
81	* HeelFaceDoorSlam: [[spoiler:Simon is clearly not interested in Martin's attempts to apologize for everything he's done and [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech gives him a piece of his mind]] before he can even try. He's even less amused by Martin's claims that he's Blue and only begrudgingly accepts the last ferris wheel ride he pays for to meet Blue]].
82	* HeteronormativeCrusader: Simon and Ethan are publicly mocked by two straight boys for being gay after Simon's outed. They get chewed out by the teachers for it, and Ms. Albright says they're going to be suspended. Both later have to apologize.
83	* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Martin's steadfast belief that he is a DoggedNiceGuy ends up humiliating him in front of his whole school and earning the ire of everyone he wants to be friends with.
84	* HumblePie
85	** [[spoiler:Martin]], once he realizes that everything he put Simon through wasn't worth the harm it did, spends the rest of the movie trying to make it up to him.
86	** Simon himself, when Ethan describes how he has to lie to his grandmother about being gay and that his mom doesn't hide how she wishes he was straight.
87	* IJustWantToBeNormal: A big reason Simon doesn't want to come out yet is his belief that he shouldn't ''have'' to when straight people are never expected to. He hates the thought of something so personal to him becoming someone else's spectacle.
88	* IJustWantToHaveFriends: Martin, pathetically so. He tells Simon that he wants Abby to like him for who he is. Both Simon and the audience know that he's just desperate.
89	* IncompatibleOrientation:
90	** Simon crushes on a few guys he believes to be Blue before discovering this. [[spoiler: His crush on Lyle--the cute waiter at Waffle House--ends when the latter asks if Abby is single. It's subverted with Bram, whom Simon catches making out with a girl at the Halloween party. It turns out Bram was "drunk and confused" when it happened, and he actually ''is'' Blue]].
91	** [[spoiler: Leah's crush on Simon]] also isn't returned for obvious reasons.
92	* InnocentlyInsensitive: The vice principal is a genuinely friendly character, but is prone to insensitive comments like assuming that Ethan and Simon were actually dating and going out of his way to clarify that Simon's sexual orientation is not what he saw himself in.
93	* {{Jerkass}}: '''Martin'''. His first instinct when seeing another person's emails open on a public computer isn't to log out courteously. Rather, he takes screencaps of them and [[{{Blackmail}} threatens to out Simon]] if he doesn't act as his wing-man to get with Abby. He's offended by the notion that his feelings are [[DoggedNiceGuy one-sided]] and forces Abby into uncomfortable situations for attention, including asking her out in front of a crowd, pressuring her to say yes. Even before then, he gets jealous of Abby being close with anyone else and forces Simon to lie to and manipulate his friends just to keep her [[EntitledToHaveYou available for him]]. And when it doesn't work and he ends up embarrassing himself, he [[spoiler:breaks his half of the deal and [[ForcedOutOfTheCloset outs Simon anyway]], then has the gall to try and get Simon to accept his apology]]. The only thing keeping him from being a HateSink is the implication that he's [[{{Manchild}} too immature]] to realize that what he's doing is wrong and that [[IDidWhatIHadToDo the ends don't justify the means]].
94	* LaserGuidedKarma: ZigZagged. Because he anonymously [[spoiler:outs Simon]], Martin never gets direct comeuppance for it or [[spoiler:lying to Abby]] beyond Simon furiously rejecting his apology and generally washing his hands of him, even as Martin continues to try and make it up to him. However, he did still make enemies with people he wanted to befriend and humiliated himself in an egotistical stunt.
95	* LoveDodecahedron: Blue and Simon are falling for each other, while Simon tries to set Leah up with Nick, who has a crush on Abby, who Simon is being {{Blackmail}}ed into setting up with Martin. [[spoiler:Leah is really in love with ''Simon'' instead of Nick. Blue is also Nick's soccer teammate Bram, who Simon mistakenly wrote off early in the film.]]
96	* MaleGaze: In the beginning, when Simon watches his muscular neighbor mow his lawn out the window.
97	* [[ManicPixieDreamGirl Manic Pixie Dream Guy]]: Again, Martin ''wishes'' he was this. He outright forces himself into the role when he gets Abby to stand up in the pancake house and announce "I deserve a superhero!" as a supposed act of empowerment (it's really an act of chauvinism: he's telling her that he's her superhero).
98	* MeaningfulName: Simon's last name is Spier, which can be interpreted as him being "undercover", as someone in the closet for most of the story. Discussed at one point: Simon means "he who hears" and Spier means "he who watches", to which Simon quips that he's destined to be nosy. However, he proves to be [[SubvertedTrope not very]] [[IronicName observant]].
99	* MoralMyopia: Despite his pleas for Simon to forgive him because he didn't think there were still people like "that," what he wrote [[spoiler: along with the emails]] was little better. While saying he didn't think it would be such a big deal, Martin knew it mattered enough to Simon to blackmail him over and take the ''massive'' attention away from his own mistake. As far as Martin knew, telling everyone that Simon was gay would have been no more embarrassing than if he'd told everyone that Simon still slept with a teddy bear.
100	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Played with. Martin ''does'' realize that what he does to Simon is much crueler than he thought it'd be, but only after too much damage has been done to warrant any forgiveness, and he's clearly more interested in having Simon accept his apology than actually prove that he's sorry.
101	* NoBisexuals: In the book, Cal is bisexual. [[spoiler:Leah, Simon's best friend,]] is also revealed to be bisexual in the follow-up book in the series, though it isn't mentioned in the first book.
102	* NoSocialSkills: '''''Martin'''''. He's proud of the fact that he's weird, but his quirkiness and dorkiness is only endearing to others exactly ''once'', and overbearing the rest of the time. He also doesn't seem to think {{Blackmail}}ing one of Abby's friends to get with her[[labelnote:*]]even acting like this makes ''him'' friends with Simon at more than one point[[/labelnote]] or of putting Abby into uncomfortable situations on a public stage as all that unreasonable, and dismisses or ignores hints that his behavior is barely tolerable.
103	* ObliviouslyEvil: As a result of the above, Martin never seems to put together why people dislike him, acting like Simon is his wingman rather than his unwilling accomplice.
104	* PetTheDog: Martin pays for Simon to ride the ferris wheel one last time when his tickets run out. This extra time is what allows [[spoiler: Bram]] to reveal himself.
105	* PopCulturalOsmosisFailure: Nick mistakes Simon and Leah's matching Music/JohnLennon[=/=]Music/YokoOno costumes as Fancy UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} and Samara from ''Film/TheGrudge''.
106	* PrecisionFStrike: [[spoiler:After Martin has the gall to even try to apologize after outing Simon, Simon finally has enough and yells at Martin to "stay the '''fuck''' away from me!"]].
107	* RaceLift: Nick is Ashkenazi Jewish in the book, but he's also black in the film.
108	* RedHerring: An early hint in the film as to who Blue is that he says he likes ''Game of Thrones'' and that Simon can find him wearing one. Most ''Game of Thrones'' fans (and as seen in the film) know that the shirts more often than not cite a line from the show, usually the motto of a House. Later on, we see Simon going through some of Martin's shirts, all of which have words on them. [[spoiler:As it turns out, he isn't Blue]].
109	* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: The drama teacher gives a glorious one to the two homophobic boys who make fun of Simon and Ethan.
110	-->'''Ms. Albright:''' Don’t "Hey, Ms. Albright" me! We’re not friends. You’re not gonna braid my hair, or paint my nails. Get your ass off the the table now! You sweaty, hormonal virgins! You know what, you’re about to be suspended for so long, that by the time it’s over you’re gonna be the fat, bald, unhappily married, ''wildly'' mediocre nobodies you’re destined to become.\
111	'''Spencer:''' You can’t talk to us like that!\
112	'''Ms. Albright:''' Actually, I can. ‘Cause I just did. And you know why? Because you’re just those two ''assholes'' that did that shitty thing in front of the whole school! And guess what? ''Nobody'' feels sorry for those assholes. ''Especially'' me. Now walk. Mr Worth’s office, now. (one of the boys takes the stereo, but Ms. Albright takes it from him) Uh-uh. That’s mine now. I’mma sell it. Get my tubes tied.
113	* RejectedApology: Simon is, understandably, not interested in Martin's attempt to [[spoiler:apologize for outing him, which itself is clearly just Martin trying to absolve himself from guilt]].
114	* RomanticFalseLead: Simon believes Blue to be at least three different guys throughout the film: Bram, Lyle, and Cal. [[spoiler: It's Bram]].
115	* RuleOfThree: Simon picking up iced coffee at the drive-thru, each done as an overhead shot. The first time, he picks up a tray of four for him and his friends, establishing [[TrueCompanions how tight-knit they are]]. The second time, he only picks up one for himself, having alienated all of his friends through his forced matchmaking. The third time, after the four of them have made peace, he picks up five for himself, his friends and [[spoiler:his new boyfriend]].
116	* SassyBlackWoman: Ms. Albright the drama teacher, who is not afraid to call out her students for their poor performances.
117	* ShoutOut:
118	** Martin's GrandRomanticGesture is basically an even gaudier recreation of the one from ''Film/TenThingsIHateAboutYou''.
119	** Simon's room has an ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' poster and a Funko Pop figure of Princess Bubblegum.
120	* SmallNameBigEgo: '''''Martin.''''' In his mind, he's the hero of this movie and everything he does is endearing and quirky, as opposed to downright irritating. Even when he tries to apologize for his action, he clearly just wants [[spoiler:Simon]] to not be mad at him, rather than actually make it up to him.
121	* StepfordSmiler: Abby. She’s well-liked by everyone and comes across as happy and confident, but she later admits to Simon that her parent’s divorce and moving to a new school her senior year have been incredibly hard on her.
122	* StraightGay: Discussed, with Simon's lack of "feminine" traits contrasted by Ethan, an out schoolmate who receives the brunt of homophobic jokes from bullies.
123	* ThisLoserIsYou: Woe to any heterosexual men in the audience who've ever tried to make friends or attract women the way Martin does (and there are many), for they'll be served a generous helping of HumblePie.
124	* TitleDrop: At the end of the film, when [[spoiler: Simon officially comes out to the school in an online letter]].
125	* TokenMinorityCouple:
126	** Abby and Nick, who are both Black, get together near the end. They're two of three Black kids in the main cast.
127	** After Simon is outed, it's just assumed by the vice principal that he's with Ethan, the only other gay student there (who's out). [[SubvertedTrope This is not true]]-they don't even have much in common, but he doesn't get their denial.
128	* TransparentCloset: Ethan, the only other out gay kid at the start of the film. His friends feign surprise when he comes out, and Simon points out that nothing really changed after he was out.
129	* TroubledProduction: InUniverse, the school's performance of Theatre/{{Cabaret}} is a nightmare from start to finish.
130	* TwoferTokenMinority:
131	** Ethan is Black and gay.
132	** Nick is Black and Jewish.
133	** Blue is gay and Jewish. [[spoiler:A ''threefer'' minority as Bram is also Black]].
134	** Abby, who's a Black girl, is the only female of color in the main cast.
135	* WrongGenreSavvy: '''''[[RunningGag Martin]]'''''. In any other teen comedy, he'd be the DoggedNiceGuy who get the girl in the end. He even forces himself into the role of [[ManicPixieDreamGirl manic pixie dream guy]] when gets Abby to stand up with him in the pancake house and shout "I deserve a superhero!" much to the confusion and discomfort of everyone else there. The last third of the movie sees him essentially going on a self-imposed redemption arc, trying to earn Simon's forgiveness just by proving how nice he is, only to have it blow up in his face.
136	* WhatTheHellHero: Abby, Nick, and Leah collectively give Simon one of these after they discover he’s been lying to all of them to protect himself from getting out. Whether or not this is justified is open to interpretation.
137	* WomenAreWiser: Downplayed in that most of the female characters in this movie are still teenagers and, therefore, prone to just as many irrational decisions as the men. That said, Simon's mother and Ms. Albright are the wisest characters in the film overall.
138	* YouAreNotAlone: A CentralTheme of the story. First, Simon and Blue bond over being the only gay people at school still in the closet and take comfort in knowing the other exists. Later, after Simon [[spoiler:shares his story with the rest of the school]], it gives several other students the courage to come forward and tell stories about their own fears and insecurities, knowing that someone out there is listening to them. Subverted with Ethan, who's stories about how much worse his coming out experience was makes Simon more humble about his own.
139

Context Film / LoveSimon