High school is already a hard time for most people, but it’s even harder for people who are in the closet. In a box office that is often clogged with heteronormative narratives, “Love, Simon” is a breath of fresh air with its one key message: Everyone deserves a love story. The film stars Nick Robinson (“Everything, Everything” and “Jurassic World”) as Simon, a closeted gay teen in high school, and Alexandra Shipp as Abby, one of Simon’s close friends. The film explores love and friendship as it follows Simon’s journey of coming out.
Based on the bestselling novel “Simon vs the Homo sapiens Agenda” by Becky Albertalli, “Love, Simon” is directed by Greg Berlanti (“The Flash,” “Arrow”). The Wheel interviewed Berlanti, Robinson and Shipp to talk about the film.
This transcript has been edited for clarity and length.
Kenneth Franklin, Vox Teen Communications: What would you say to critics of films like “Love, Simon,” who claim that LGBT representation is being shoved down their throats?
Greg Berlanti: Representation of every walk of life makes the world a better place. I think they’d be surprised if they were to see the movie; they would actually have a genuinely emotional experience. Throughout the history of cinema, one of the jobs of artists, be it actor, writer or director, is to create empathy for other people for something that they may not have experienced, the way of life that they may not know. If they don’t understand that that’s one of the most rewarding things about enjoying a film then I feel sorry for them.
Urvi Agrawal, The Emory Wheel: Greg, you’ve directed a lot of work concerning superheroes. How was it different directing a teen drama?
GB: You’d be surprised, whatever story you’re telling, it’s so much about the character at the center and their emotional journey. In the most rewarding stories, whether a superhero story or coming-of-age story, you have to be mindful of the ways you’re connected with the audience and of their way into this experience, so that they can sort of go on that ride. People see the genres as very different, but the best ones are actually really similar. They are great, well-told stories where you can connect with the characters on the screen.
Allison Bolt, The Connector: How did you prepare for your roles?
Alexandra Shipp: I read the book, so that was a real way for me to get the inside scoop on everything. But also, I went to an art school growing up and there were members of every denomination and gender. It was normal to be different; in fact it was celebrated. I definitely wanted to draw from that for Abby because I think that's where she came from before she met the other characters. And that in turn made her a little less biased and without preconceived notions about others.
Nick Robinson: I also read the book and the script. That was my initial preparation, and before we started out I saw Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway, which relates to “Love, Simon.” It's about this kid in high school who’s trying to keep a momentous secret. And then, in addition to that, we did about a week or so of rehearsals before we actually started filming, which was a helpful time to talk about ideas freely in a safe space without actually having any cameras rolling. I definitely used some of my own high school experiences. Simon is kind of a chameleon in a way — he has an ability to get along while being as innocuous as possible. I could relate to that, especially in the beginning of high school. I felt that I ran in different friend groups and was able to just fit in.
Jasmine Martin, Vox Teen Communications: What was it like depicting such a popular and controversial issue such as LGBTQ rights on screen?
NR: I just became more aware than anything. I was raised in a pretty liberal household and I never really thought of myself as a bigot person. Before this film began I thought that you should be able to love whoever you want, but I wasn’t really aware of the struggle that people actually go through when they’re on this journey of actually coming out. And I was also not aware of the vibrant and vocal communities in the LGBTQ world. So I felt like I was better able to talk about certain issues and address certain things. Someone close to me actually came out around the same time we started filming, so I felt much better equipped to just have a conversation. I hope that’s what people take away from the film as well — being able to have a conversation that they normally wouldn't have had if they hadn’t seen it. I think my main benefit was that there was an education and just greater awareness.
AS: I have a lot of LGBTQ friends and family members who are gay and so for me it was more so about being honored to be a part of this educational process and create allies with people who see this movie and don’t know very much about the community, don’t know very much about how to speak in the vernacular and things like that. We can be so insensitive at times. This movie does show you, especially between Simon and his dad, you can really see that those little things that we say or when we’re thinking that nobody is really listening or “Oh, you have to have a sense of humor” but well no, things that you find funny actually hurt me. So when I got into this I was like this is definitely something where I can help now educate people because the majority of the time people want to know; they’re just afraid to ask.
Kenneth Franklin, Vox Teen Communications: What do you think of the recent trend in mainstream media of films that tell the stories of LGBTQ youth?
Nick: It’s really exciting. There have been many films leading up to this point and swiveling around the edges of this idea of a mainstream, studio-produced film with a gay protagonist. And I feel like it’s something audiences seem to want given the success of movies like “Call Me By Your Name”and other films that have been slowly but surely pushing the envelope. And one of the things that's great about this film, the thing that makes it special, is that it is not trying to be edgy or independent. It really is trying to be broad and fun, with its tone and with the genre in general. Often times you don't really have that. It’s important that people see themselves represented in the best light possible.
Read More
Trending
