‘Love, Simon’ (Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda) Movie Review

Movie poster via IMDb.

I had a night alone and didn’t think this movie was high on my husband’s ‘to-watch’ list. He’s been trying to cram in all the Marvel movies he missed before seeing Endgame. So I figured I’d watch this one alone and I really enjoyed it! I’m so glad I saw it rather soon after finishing the book because so much was fresh in my mind.

Things I Thought Were Awesome

Martin. I had a lot of trouble picturing this character as I read the book. He seemed to fit in, but not be accepted anywhere and I had an issue figuring out who this person was and how he fit into the story. I thought the portrayal by Logan Miller was great and let me get a much better idea of Martin and who he was.

Realistic High School. This is the same compliment I gave the book. High school life tends to look very glamorous in a lot of movies, with actors in their late 20s pretending to be teenagers. I felt this film did a good job of keeping the image realistic and it felt like the high school I attended and that I’ve heard about from others.

Changes That Didn’t Really Bother Me

Less focus on parents. There was a bit focus on Simon’s parents in the book. They’re very relaxed and informal with Simon to the point that it bothers him, but he loves them fiercely. I know the movie didn’t have time to get into this relationship, but it was something in the book I really enjoyed. I don’t think teenagers and adults get along in books as often as they do in real life.

Cover image via Goodreads

Things That Were Taken Out and I’m Still Wondering Why

Alice and the sister relationship. Simon’s older sister, Alice, was going through changes at the same time he was and I think it made it easier for him to tell his parents he was changing, too. Taking Alice out for the movie made sense, though. I did miss how close Simon was with Alice and Nora. The Nora in the movie wasn’t as prominent as the one in the book and I thought her support of Simon when Martin posted on Tumblr seem odd. In the book, it made a lot of sense because she and Simon were so close.

Cal. Simon built Cal up in his mind a lot in the book, thinking that he was Blue and developing a crush on Cal separate from his crush on Blue. I felt that Simon’s desire for Blue to be Cal was part of what pushed the real Blue away. He felt rejected because Simon was physically attracted to someone so different from himself. Simon had never once guessed the right identity for Blue, even though in the movie he did. I thought this made the reveal a little less surprising and a bit more of a letdown.

Things That Changed Too Much

Leah. Leah’s character was so different! I didn’t like her much in the book and I could have liked her in the movie if I wasn’t so mad about her being different! Changing her crush from Nick to Simon was too clean. The fact that she liked Nick when Nick liked Abby was part of the complication in the book that made it interesting. Add on to that she was a lot more social and likable and upbeat, and it’s a different character. I wish they’d gone with the original Leah and not forced Leah and Nick on a date. It was too weird.

I can see why this did so well at the theater. It’s a great love story and a very realistic depiction of high school and the social perils involved. Reader, have you seen the movie for Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda / Love, Simon? What did you think?

Until next time, write on.

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