The theatrical release of Love, Simon is less than two weeks away, and a new clip is making the rounds that perfectly exemplifies why we’ll be first in line to buy tickets. It’s honest and raw and yeah, there’s a solid Grindr joke thrown in for good measure. It’s like they really know us.
Based on Becky Albertalli’s novel Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda, the movie is being billed as a truly mainstream coming-of-age coming out story.
With Greg Berlanti directing (Dawson’s Creek, Brothers & Sisters, Green Lantern, Everwood, Political Animals, Arrow, The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow), it stars Nick Robinson (Jurassic World) and co-stars Josh Duhamel, Jennifer Garner, Miles Heizer, Tony Hale, and Katherine Langford.
Watch below:
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Here’s another clip released this week that gives some context:
Love, Simon arrives at theaters on March 16.
Josh447
I’ve already seen the movie as the trailer is attached to almost every clip on the internet. I won’t be seeing it due to this in your face kind of over advertising. Pure annoying.
MacAdvisor
While I will go see it, I agree with you, the marketing has been very annoying. There are promo ads before the clips here, for gosh sakes. Let’s see a clip before we see a clip! I assume this will all end by St. Paddy’s day.
WillParkinson
Your loss.
startenout
Continue to enjoy only movies that don’t advertise. I, personally, am going to enjoy seeing a major studio release about coming out that doesn’t look maudlin and like it ends in death.
batesmotel
That’s how I felt about “Shen Yun”. First saw the theater trailer and thought it looks interesting. That was until that same trailer was being played for me before every single video I’ve watched in the last month. I now longer want to see “Shen Yun.” There can be something as too much advertising that it’s over kill. It turns people off. Although I haven’t really seen much on Love Simon surprisingly so I still want to see it.
DCguy
Yeah because NO other movies out there advertise. (Eye Roll)
MacAdvisor
I am looking forward to the movie, but I fear it is a little dated. I don’t see how Simon, with those parents in that school system with those friends was ever in, let alone having trouble coming out. Unless the movie reveals some reason this kid in 2018 was in the closet, I think it is about 25 years out of date. It is like finding the murderer because his typewriter had a flaw in one of the characters. Perfectly believable, but who uses typewriters any more? These days, if the murder hinged on a typewritten note, the murderer would be the only guy with a typewriter. How would Simon ever know he should be in the closet, given the media he grew up with?
startenout
Not dated at all. I teach public school and head up our GSA and there are still a lot of kids, especially boys, who aren’t ready to come out for various reasons like they don’t have a support system for it at home because of cultural or religious differences or the social climate where they live. You can’t speak for all gay people and say it’s dated…otherwise why do we still have men coming out in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and beyond.
MacAdvisor
Startenout, I agree there are today young gay people not coming out because they don’t have a support system or not in a supportive environment, but that is specifically the point. Simon HAS a support system, he is IN a supportive environment, he doesn’t have those reason to not come out. Everything in the trailers show him to have loving, supporting, accepting parents and friends who love him. Moreover, when he does come out, they shower him with acceptance. Not only do I not get why he’d have a problem coming out — the trailers don’t supply any of the reasons you suggest — but how he ever hid his orientation in the first place. Now, if the film showed his family to be very conservative religiously and politically, I can see it. However, Simon has what is clearly a loving, supportive, liberal, accepting family in a liberal environment.
hluna1998
It’s definitely not dated. I graduated high school last year and I can relate a lot to this film. My parents are high school sweethearts, I have a great support system at home and with my friends, and I still have anxiety over coming out. I came out to my friends back in the fall of 2016 and I just came out to my sister about two weeks ago. Just because we can come out and probably will be fine doesn’t mean it feel all that great doing it. I love the idea that I could be out to my family but the anxiety that comes with actually doing the deed is almost unbearable to a lot of young gay people.
HMFan
Everybody has their own demons to wrestle with when coming out. Liberal family + liberal environment ? automatically coming out. Remember, too, that there is a wide range of backgrounds and upbringings that people come from. Depending on where someone is in the coming out process, this film might be just the thing that inspires someone to step out of their closet and into the light. BTW, I still use a typewriter (I’m a graphic designer with a penchant for typography.)
HMFan
ARGH! That should read: “Liberal family plus liberal environment does not automatically equal coming out.”
Larry
Well I will see it also but I just find it so ironic that very gay friendly and accepting movies are produced by a Fox company. The same company that advocates for our extermination on another division’s cable channel. You know the one.
Claude
There has always been a disconnect between Fox News and their entertainment companies but soon Disney will own 20th Century Fox, for better or worse.
batesmotel
When did that advocate for gay extermination?
billygfa
I think this movie is needed. If its mainstream and done well then who cares if its a little dated. There will be parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles who will eventually see this. This could make a difference in ONE kids life. That makes it worth my $10 it costs me to go see it. Now can we just be good people and not tear this apart before it comes out. i’m sure there will be enough of that after people see it.
mujerado
Dated? Please! As long as there are kids anywhere in this country who find it chancy to come out, this kind of movie will never be dated. Anyone who thinks it’s easy, even today, is just naive.
startenout
Exactly!
Greg
I would go see this movie, but it’s so high school. The trailer makes it seem like he’s the only gay kid at school. From what my niece tells me, the gay boys now have boyfriends at high school. There’s even a gay /lesbian club at my her school.
Luvstoread
Really enjoyed the book. Looking forward to seeing this one!
GorgeousNotGeorge
In the Trump era, this is relevant. Although major urban areas have no issues with HS kids being out, it is still hard in rural and smaller towns. It’s trying to show a positive way to deal with someone not ready eventhough they already know they are gay. I hope people give it a chance.
startenout
I wouldn’t say “no issues” in urban areas since there are gay kids who still get beaten up by their own families if religious and cultural dictates look down on the lgbt community. I have students who are gay in a very progressive area but they still aren’t comfortable with it. Gay is still shown as different and not the norm in the media even with all the coverage…perhaps because of it. One of my favorite clips I’ve seen is the straight kids coming out cuz why should it just have to be the gay kids. LOL
JaredMacBride
What does Trump have to do with this? Coming out was difficult for many kids – and adults – before he was elected and it will be difficult when he is gone.
jsmu
Jared McBride Really? dRUMPf– a virulent homophobe whose evil and stinkingly corrupt little ‘attorney general , Secessions, is filing amicus briefs for homophobic bakers and attempting to sway a SCOTUS case which could make gays second-class citizens for decades–has nothing to do with coming out and issues of hatred and intolerance? You’re such a pathetic attempt at a Russkytroll, asshole. Up the troll game or PUTA will send your lame ass back to Irkutsk….and it’s still winter there. 🙂
batesmotel
Trump era? It was like this long before he was elected and it will continue long after he’s moved out of the White House. Can’t blame everything on the planet in him.
Curtispsf
Oh you jaded urban queens. It’s still not OK to come out as gay in East Bumfuck, North Dakota so as long as there are areas where coming out is still risky, we need stories such as this to be told to mainstream America. My first real relationship was when I was 27 and my bf was 19. He had a wonderful loving and accepting parents and he’d been “out” to them when he was 13. Me. not so much. I waited until I was 27 and had someone I was proud to introduce to my family as a boyfriend. While this movie may seem “dated” to many of you, in many parts of the country and the world, coming out involves risk which is higher for some than for others based on geography, culture, etc. I’m going to see this movie and I’m taking my 94 year old Aunt with me. So stop all your hating. It just creates age lines in your face. /|\
Cylest Brooks
Just a heads up, Queerty changed it’s comment policy on 3/14/2018. This comment would be deleted under the new comment policy, so make sure you give it a read. We value your opinion, and encourage you to continue commenting according to our new policies!
https://www.queerty.com/queertys-comment-policy
Claude
I like the fact that they are marketing this movie the same way they would a straight rom-com. I’ve never seen a “gay movie” promoted like this, not even Brokeback Mountain, which was done by Focus Films before they were “A Comcast Company.” I’ve seen trailers for Love, Simon before all sorts of mainstream movies and the audience laughs at the right places. Of course, I live in San Francisco but we get a lot of people from outside the city going to the multiplexes and I’ve experienced a lot of homophobic reactions at movies even here. This really feels like a milestone. I’ve already seen a preview (with a mostly straight audience) and people were cheering when they finally meet and kiss near the end. As a movie, it doesn’t hold a candle to films like “Call Me By Your Name” but this could change the way Hollywood treats gay characters if it is successful so you should all buy a ticket.
ptb2016
Felt really guilty coming away from Jurassic World with a major crush on Nick Robinson, so am really looking forward to seeing this. This is the first I’d heard about the movie, but I live in France where Call Me By Your Name only opened last week, so we get movies a bit behind you guys, except the giant superhero nonsense I’m now so bored with. Mind you I loved Wonder Woman! But then it had Chris in it!
Zambos271
Me, too!! I was like, who is this cutie? I had to look Nick up.
I’m looking forward to the movie and am almost finished reading the book.
Bradsman
Just what we need, another gay movie about a beautiful teenager coming to terms with his sexuality. We’ve only seen that 10,000 times before. It doesn’t look like there’s any conflict, with his dad and the kids in school being so supportive. It will probably be boring but I’ll probably see it.
Donald Dork
Really? You’ve seen this 10,000 times? Where?
Kangol
Yep, there’s quite a few, but you know, someone’s bankrolling them and people go to see them (or rent them, stream them, etc.), so why not? I really do wish we’d get more films about gay people in their late 30s and 40s, gay couples, gay parents and grandparents, older gays, gay people of all colors, classes and religions, etc. I guess someone will realize these niches exist and address them.
DCguy
What a shock, one of the Trump Supporting screenames doesn’t want a gay movie to come out.
Yeah….because we’ve NEVER seen a movie about a straight couple that meets, thinks they might like each other, things don’t work out and then a while later they meet up and get together.
Or a movie about a family that goes on vacation and things get wacky.
Or a movie about a couple that are separated by things out of their control and then meet up at the end of the movie.
Please…..
Bradsman
Stories need conflict. Broke back Mountain was great because of the obstacles the characters faced in loving each other. A beautiful teen with suppprtive parents and friends is not going to have many obsticles coming out. Maybe if his parents were super religious or he wasn’t beautiful. We all know a young hot guy like him would be welcomed into the gay scene with open arms.
Aromaeus
There are a plethora of coming-of-age coming out movies with white male leads. I’m gonna pass.
DCguy
So if somebody said they weren’t going to watch the Noah’s Arc movie “Jumping the Broom” for the same type of reason would that be valid?
Claude
If you watch any of Greg Berlanti’s CW superhero shows you know he believes in having diverse casts. Love, Simon has a lot of black actors including Keiynan Lonsdale (Kid Flash from The Flash & Legends of Tomorrow). So if that’s important to you that’s a reason to go see it.
tnguy222
The best thing about high school seniors is that as I get older, they stay barely legal, smooth, slightly muscular, and eager.
crowebobby
I’ll wait for Netflix or Amazon Prime, but there’s no way I can pass up a chance to look at Nick for 110 minutes, though I’m sure the film itself will be tepid crap. He looks “ineffably” beautiful and lovable . . . if he were really 18 it would be too much to bear. The extra 5 year shows through, but I still find him thrilling to look at and I can’t suppress the fantasies his looks bring up. (Thirsty, much? Ya, and old.)
surreal33
That is not FUNNY at all!!! Grindr is a filthy cesspool of drugs, disease, and deceit. Also, the movie is about a high school teenager, therefore, why is there any reference to an adult sex site?
whatsaywhat
becasue this isn’t Russia, Sergei.
jasentylar
You clearly didn’t watch the clip.
Mpo2411
And these are the questions I pose to the comments:
Why are you pre-judging a movie before it’s even out?
Why does it have to be about how hot you think the actor is?
It seems to be a light comedy fare. Why does it have a depressing conflict just because the main character is gay?
Why do politics always come into a discussion that has nothing to do with politics?
From what I’ve seen in the clips (and no, I don’t feel there has been an overwhelming onslaught of ad, no more than any other movie) this is a simple movie about a kid nervous about coming out.
I don’t care where you live or how old you are or how many gay people where in your school or how supportive the family and friends are after the fact, or how much more accepting society is becoming, the basic truth is coming out is different for everyone and this is a film about His journey, His anxiety, His fears, and His coming to terms and adjusting and apparently falling in love. (Oh, and there’s all your “conflict”).
You don’t want to see it cause the lead actor is a white boy? That’s racist. Because he’s young? That’s age-ist. Plus, most of the gay oriented movies I’ve seen (“straight” to Netflix) involve 30-somethings or older.)
Movies about gay life has never been exactly mainstream. Or mass marketed. Gay characters have rarely been the lead unless it’s a little indie film or there’s some tragic disease or violence and death in the mix. Usually the gay role is a supporting character, the bff, the caricature. If you are a part of the “gay community” (the quotes are because I LOATHE labels. Labels are what divide humanity) then why be so negative about something that seems so positive?
Sorry, I tend to rant.
Point is, quit trolling it and give it a chance. If you don’t want to see it, well than good for you, that’s YOUR choice, but why try to ruin it for anyone else.
Mpo2411
Oh, by the way, yes, Grindr certainly CAN be a cesspit of drugs and filth, etc, but like all things, it is what we make of it. For some people, it can be and IS just a way to meet new friends to hang or chat with. No hook-up required. If you are meeting questionable people on the app, well that’s what the block button is for.
And yes, it did make for a funny joke in the movie