Based of the award winning YA novel, Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, by Becky Albertalli, Love, Simon follows seventeen-year-old Simon Spier, played by teen heartthrob Nick Robinson, in his senior year of high school. Simon has a pretty decent life: he has a loving and supportive family, a great, close-knit group of friends, and is involved in the school’s musical. Despite this, Simon has a secret— he’s gay.

Because nobody in his family knows of his sexual orientation, Simon has taken to communicating with another fellow gay student at his school through email to help with his understanding of his identity. Both teens use aliases to hide their true identities. When a turn of events could potentially out Simon to the entire school, the protagonist must learn to accept his sexuality with pride.

I had the honor of meeting the very lovely Becky Albertalli back at the end of July. Getting the opportunity to see the adaptation of her work on the big screen was truly marvelous. Many critics and movie goers are praising Love, Simon because it is the first mainstream movie to depict LGBTQ+ characters and their struggles of “coming out.” It is incredibly important for queer teenagers to see characters portrayed on the big screen, a major platform, that they can resonate with. The actors and writers did a brilliant job of respectfully developing this storyline.

The marketing for this movie was incredibly well-done. A poignant and powerful message is made about the struggles of high school and coming into your skin, allowing students in high school to find pieces of themselves in this film, regardless of whether they identify within the LGBTQ+ spectrum.

The cast of this film is truly spectacular: Nick Robinson did a phenomenal job of bringing Simon Spier to life on the big screen. Simon genuinely feels like a regular teen, a point of emphasis that is repeatedly hit throughout the film.  Robinson plays the character of Simon Spier with such honesty. There are so many brutal moments that his character goes through and his reactions were so genuine.

Simon’s parents, played by film icons Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel, had two beautiful scenes in this film that would bring people to tears. Love, Simon depicts a wholesome coming out story that does not result in the protagonist feeling ostracized in the slightest within his homelife. Garner and Duhamel’s scenes with Robinson are incredibly heartfelt. They were my favorite moments in the film. I’m so grateful that the interaction between a teenager and his parents was brought to the screen in such a positive light.

There are so many other names that perfectly round out this cast and add such depth to the story with their performances, but it’s best to leave that discovery to you, the audience. Teens, if you are looking for a light-hearted film to see with your friends, Love, Simon is a perfect choice. It contains a perfect, family-friendly blend of comedy, romance, and serious discussion on topics that many teens can connect to in this twenty-first century society. I could not think of a better reason to support this groundbreaking film.