Love, Simon **spoiler alert**

I really liked this movie. Let's just start there, 'kay? I love the book it is based upon. Even with all the books I'm panicked about not reading before the due date at the library and books I've purchased in a frenzy convinced that I NEEDED that book, I still listen to this book several times a year. That being said, my memory regarding the book's details is a bit better than it would normally be, but I still enjoyed the movie. I just tell people that it is loosely based on the book.

I say loosely because the movie, well, the trailer, actually, makes it seem as though Simon is all torn up about being in the closet. I never really got that feeling from the book, but that’s just my interpretation of it.

It starts out with Simon hanging out with his friends, Nick, Leah, and, the newest addition, Abby. In the movie Nick is mixed race, but in the book he is white. No biggie, though. So, Simon hangs with friends as he normally does, but Leah is obsessed with Creek Secrets. Creek Secrets (or whatever it’s called) is like a message board for the students our their school to post, what it seems to me is, mostly rumors and gossip.

Leah Facetimes Simon with the big news that someone anonymously posted that they are a gay, but in the closet. Simon gets all worked up and after slightly calming down he emails the anonymous poster, Blue, to tell him that he’s secretly gay, too. He and Blue create an online albeit anonymous relationship because Blue doesn’t want to reveal his identity. Blue has start to become the highlight of Simon’s day and he emails him as often as he can. Including from the school library where he is interrupted by his overzealous principal and forgets to log out of his Blue specific email account. In comes Martin.

Martin is a bizarre, un-cool guy who does the absolute most with the absolute least. He ends up getting on the computer that Simon vacated and finds his emails. He then, apparently, proceeds to read all of their emails to find out that Simon and some anonymous character or expressing how they feel about being gay. Something only the 2 of them knew about until Martin’s nosey actions.

Martin feels that after invading Simon’s privacy he can then proceed to blackmail him into helping Martin get with Abby. Simon doesn’t want Blue to be scared off at the threat of being found out so he eventually agrees.

None of Simon’s friends are particularly excited about him inviting Martin to the activities, but Simon tries to convince them that Martin is actually cool.

If by cool we mean a no good, nosey, blackmailing dirty bird, then I guess that’s an accurate adjective.

Meanwhile, Simon is trying to figure out upwho Blue might be. He initially suspects it may be Bram, a sort of on the periphery friend.

However, at Bram’s Halloween party,after Bram and Simon enjoy a drunken karaoke fest, but right before Simon tells Bram who he is, he finds Bram in a bedroom canoodling with a girl. So, he crosses Bram off the list.

Also, at the Halloween party Nick asks Simon if he’s interested in Abby. Once Simon rejects the idea (quite awkwardly, might I add) Nick reveals that he is interested in Abby and plans to make his move. Simon panics and makes up a lie about Abby having a boyfriend in D.C. so that Nick will back off and Martin can slip in the boyfriend spot.

I love the character they chose to play Bram. So cute. I remember him from The Flash. I’m also pleased that young(er) actors aren’t shying away from playing non-straight characters as they had once done in the past for fear of whatever backlash they might get from the public.

Martin is starting to pressure Simon about Simon’s lack of matchmaking efforts so he invites Abby and Martin to the Waffle House to go over their lines for the play that they’re all in. Simon then becomes convinced that the waiter at The Waffle House is Blue. He has a nice convo with the guy who doesn’t act bizarrely with how strange Simon is acting as he tries to put out the most subtle feelers ever known to man.

Anyway, At this point, Martin does something interesting. He actually kind of wins Abby over. Flying high on that success he takes Simons disinterest in how he convinces Abby as encouragement. During a football game, where Martin is the mascot no less, while the national anthem is being sung, he announces his undying devotion to Abbey, who lets him down gently. Martin is so mortified that he decides to out Simon.

While Simon is going through the agony of being outed before he was ready, his friends kind of abandon him, if you ask me. Abby and Nick are upset because Simon lied about a fake boyfriend. Leah is mad because Simon convinced Nick and Leah to go out on a dinner date getting her hopes up that Nick could possibly like her. Then, Leah tells Simon that she actually likes him and not Nick. After all that hullabaloo, Blue ditches him as well because he’s worried about being found out.

I think Nick’s friends were bogus with maybe the exception of Blue. Blue has his own reason for whatever. Do you really give your friend the silent treatment when they’re going through a hard time? What happened to: you hurt me and lied to me. Please don’t do it again?

Simon apologizes to Leah, then Nick and Abbey come around.

Simon decides to put out a post on Creek Secrets asking Blue to meet him at the carnival on the Ferris Wheel. There’s a little suspense where we can imagine Blue won’t show up…But then he does. And they kiss… in front of pretty much the whole school.

All’s well that ends well.

I liked this movie, but some of the changes they made didn’t do much for the me since I know the book. What was the likelihood that Blue would show up in front of an audience like that? Also, they made Abbey from a broken home and also from a crappy school system which I don’t remember from the book. Why make that change? Leah liking Simon was a bit weird because of the tension that is between Leah and Abbey in the book doesn’t make a lot of sense if she’s crushing on Simon.

Simon also doesn’t have an older sister in the movie.

The actress who plays Abby portrayed her perfectly. Nice, but not a pushover. Understanding and worthy of being part of Simon’s group of friends.

Again, if you are adamant that the movie sticks to the letter of the book perhaps forego seeing this one. There a noticeable changes that you may not be able to overlook.

I saw this movie as a free screening from Gofobo. You guys should sign up. I've seen so many popular movies before their release date because of the free screenings they offer. Here's the link---- www.gofobo.com