Today’s Prayer Focus
Copyright, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
MOVIE REVIEW

Love, Simon

also known as “Yo soy Simón,” “Com Amor, Simon,” “Já, Simon,” “Kszi, Simon,” “Minä, Simon,” “Su meile, Saimonas,” “Tuo, Simon,” “Twój Simon,” “Z ljubeznijo, Simon”
MPA Rating: PG-13-Rating (MPA) for thematic elements, sexual references, language and teen partying.

Reviewed by: Nicole Granath
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating: Offensive and Not Recommended
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Young-Adults Mature-Teens
Genre: Teen Gay-Romance Comedy Drama Adaptation
Length: 1 hr. 49 min.
Year of Release: 2018
USA Release: February 27, 2018 (Mardi Gras Film Festival)
March 16, 2018 (wide—2,402 theaters)
DVD: June 12, 2018
Copyright, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporationclick photos to ENLARGE Copyright, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Copyright, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Relevant Issues

GAY—What’s wrong with being Gay? Answer
Homosexual behavior versus the Bible: Are people born Gay? Does homosexuality harm anyone? Is it anyone’s business? Are homosexual and heterosexual relationships equally valid?

What about Gays needs to change? Answer
It may not be what you think.

Read stories about those who have struggled with homosexuality

Copyright, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Featuring Nick Robinson … Simon Spier
Josh DuhamelJack Spier
Jennifer GarnerEmily Spier
Katherine Langford … Leah Burke
Alexandra Shipp … Abby Suso
Miles Heizer … Cal Price
Talitha Eliana Bateman (Talitha Bateman) … Nora Spier
Keiynan Lonsdale … Bram Greenfeld
Logan Miller … Martin Addison
Tony Hale … Mr. Worth
Joshua Mikel … Ride Operator
Darcy Rose Byrnes … High School Student (voice)
Mackenzie Lintz … Taylor
Alex Sgambati … Claire
See all »
Director Greg Berlanti
Producer Twisted Media
Fox 2000 Pictures
New Leaf Literary and Media
Temple Hill Entertainment
See all »
Distributor
Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Trademark logo.
20th Century Studios
, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Studios, a division of The Walt Disney Company

From the outside, high school looks like a breeze for Simon Spier, a senior who has it all: a loving family, good looks, and awesome friends, whom he picks up in his Subaru Outback every morning before classes begin. As they order their traditional iced coffees and set foot on their spacious high school campus, an idyllic scene unfolds. The overprotective Vice Principal strides through the halls, interacting in a friendly, somewhat annoying way with the students, often confiscating their cell phones while he’s at it. Cell phones, he reminds them, are not permitted to be used in the halls. This doesn’t seem to faze Simon, who always remains cool-headed, with his three best pals by his side.

As picture-perfect as Simon’s life seems to be, there is one small problem: he has a humongous secret. Not even his best friend of thirteen years, nor his ever-nurturing parents, knows the dilemma that weighs so heavily on his heart. Simon is Gay, and says he has known this ever since he was thirteen years old. He’s not ready to “come out” to anyone yet, and doesn’t know when he ever will be. His world is too perfect, too wonderful to allow for such an announcement. Then, when another kid from school anonymously posts on a social media Web site about his own homosexual orientation, Simon decides to reach out to him (also anonymously), and the two form a bond unlike any other. Still, this isn’t enough to compel Simon to reveal his secret to anyone in his “real life.” But when a misfit kid with bad motives stumbles upon his e-mails, all bets may be off…

Positives

Simon’s parents, portrayed by Josh Duhamel and Jennifer Garner, are very loving and nurturing toward him and his little sister. The family is shown eating many meals together, watching television together, and taking a genuine interest in each other’s lives. Simon’s little sister is an aspiring chef, so each family member takes turns trying her culinary creations, and continually encourages her—even when her cooking is less than spectacular. Simon admits that he likes his little sister, although he jokingly says he would never say that to her face. Simon’s dad also enlists him to help on special projects for him, such as an anniversary present for his mother that involves using the computer. It’s refreshing to see such a positive family dynamic, and parents who are still happily married and invested in the lives of their children.

The friendship between Simon and his three best buddies—Leah (played by Katherine Langford, from “13 Reasons Why”), Abby, and Nick—is also fun and entertaining to watch. They seem to have a wonderful camaraderie and to really be there for each other in the good and bad times. When dishonesty occurs among the friends, this is portrayed as wrong and hurtful to each person. The theme of forgiveness and reconciliation among friends is also explored.

Making fun of other kids and bullying are not tolerated at the school, and any students who participate in such activities are reprimanded and punished.

Negative Takeaways

Simon’s attraction to members of his same sex is portrayed as acceptable and something to be even celebrated. Simon questions why “coming out” has to be such a big deal, and why parents and others in society don’t react in the same way when someone announces that they are heterosexual. The premise of the entire film goes against Scripture. God designed sex to be between a man and a woman, and in the confines of the marriage covenant. The Apostle Paul speaks about God’s wrath against humanity as they “suppress the truth by their wickedness” (Romans 1:18, NIV). He elaborates,

“Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.” —Romans 1:26-28 NIV

THE FEAR OF THE LORD— What is it? Why is it important? Answer

What is SIN AND WICKEDNESS? Is it just “bad people” that are sinners, or are YOU a sinner? Answer

Do NOT click on this button

Simon never considers what God might have to say about his lifestyle of choice or his actions. He thinks about how coming out will affect his friends and family’s view of him, but God’s design for mankind or even the mere existence of God is never mentioned or alluded to at all in the film. There is one scene where Simon dresses up for Halloween and is mistaken as a “fancy Jesus.” There is also a reference to another character’s religious family members who disapprove of his orientation, and go to great lengths to hide the truth from others.

In real life, it is a shame that people like Simon do not realize that there is a God who created them and designed them for a purpose, who has good plans for their life and does not want to see them harmed by going outside the boundaries of that design. At one point, Simon’s mother tells him, “You deserve everything you want.” This line really stuck out to me, because, as Christians, we know that what we want does not always line up with God’s will. Our wants can be tainted by the sin nature that we battle. But we know that God’s desires for us are always pure and lovely. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) says,

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future’.”

God’s will for us also involves our sexual purity:

“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality…” —1 Thessalonians 4:3 NIV

Personally, I cannot recommend this film, due to the overt pro-homosexual agenda it espouses—and sex before marriage. If one were to allow their teenager to see it, it would most definitely be advisable to have a frank discussion afterwards about what the Bible says about why homosexuality is wrong. Despite what may be trendy or cool with this generation, God has good reasons for setting the boundaries He does around sexual relationships, and we need to teach our youth the truth in this area. By no means does this mean that a homosexual individual should be bullied, shunned, or mistreated in any way. However, it should also be made clear that the behavior is not something God approves of or celebrates, due to it violating His loving design.

GAY—What’s wrong with being Gay? Answer
Homosexual behavior versus the Bible: Are people born Gay? Does homosexuality harm anyone? Is it anyone’s business? Are homosexual and heterosexual relationships equally valid?

What about Gays needs to change? Answer
It may not be what you think.

What does the Bible say about same sex marriages? Answer

Read stories about those who have struggled with homosexuality

As we see more and more portrayals of characters in television and movies who are Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, “Gender-Fluid,” and so on, it is very important that we as parents know how to combat the lies of the enemy. Author Albertalli currently has another book out called “Leah on the Offbeat,” in which Simon’s friend Leah wrestles with her Bisexual orientation. One wonders if this book will eventually be made into a motion picture as well. With so many false teachings out there, parents need to possess biblical definitions of manhood and womanhood, and teach our children that sexual relationships that are right and honoring will be between a man and a woman and in the context of marriage only.

What is SEXUAL IMMORALITY? Answer

SEXUAL LUST—Why does God strongly warn us about it? Answer

PURITY—Should I save sex for marriage? Answer

TEMPTATIONS—How can I deal with temptations? Answer

How far is too far? What are the guidelines for dating relationships? Answer

CONSEQUENCES—What are the consequences of sexual immorality? Answer

Sex, Love and Relationships
Learn how to make your love the best it can be. Christian answers to questions about sex, marriage, sexual addictions, and more. Valuable resources for Christian couples, singles and pastors.

  • Violence: None
  • Profane language: Moderate—“G*d-d*mn” (9), “Oh my G*d” (10+), Oh G*d (5), “swear to G*d,” “Go to h*ll,” “h*ll” (4)
  • Vulgar/Crude language: Heavy—“Please just get the f*** away from me,” “Shut the F up,” “Romantic as F,” “dry h*mping,” “balls,” “p*nis,” “d*ck,” “b*tt sex,” “screw,” “hook up,” “gang-b*nged,” “m*sturb*ting,” “v*gin*,” “loser virgins,” “b**bs,” s-words (9), “a**hole” (2), “a**” (5), “cr*p” (2)
  • Nudity: Moderate—boy wearing just towel, shirtless male pin-ups,
  • Sex: Heavy—male-male kisses, various crude heterosexual and homosexual comments, discussions, situations and activity—but no sexual acts depicted on-screen
Editor’s Note: This Gay-themed coming-of-age film is designed to be subversive and was originally titled the same as the young adult novel on which it is based, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Written by Becky Albertalli, the book is reportedly very popular with LGBTQIA+ teens. The author says she is,

“…thrilled by much of the recently released LGBTQIA+ YA… I would love to see even more representation of a variety of LGBTQIA+ experiences: coming out stories, love stories, fantasy and sci-fi titles featuring queer main characters, LGBTQIA+ historical titles, contemporary LGBTQIA+ titles aimed at younger teens, and so much more.”

The director of this film is Greg Berlanti, an openly homosexual producer, director and writer who is quickly adding Gay and Lesbian characters to his various television shows—“Riverdale,” “Legends of Tomorrow,” “Arrow,” “The Flash,” “Supergirl,” “Dawson’s Creek,” “Brothers and Sisters,” “Titans,” etc. LGBT activists celebrate Berlanti as the “driving creative force behind some of the most compelling and LGBT-inclusive TV programs in history.” He was a member of Hillary Clinton’s national LGBT steering committee.

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Positive
Positive—I was seeing zero positive comments about this movie, which was perfectly predictable, so I thought I would put one myself. There was one comment that basically said “I understand that homosexuality is an issue, but it shouldn’t be aimed at minors.” Comments like this could not be more absurd. Whether you accept homosexuality or believe it is a sin and won’t tolerate it, you need to realize that TEENAGERS need to know that they are still going to be loved, even if they are gay. That’s why this movie is important! It’s good, not great, but quite good! And we need more good movies that teach children that their parents will still love them even if they don’t necessarily understand what they are going through. If there are any parents here who refuse to do that, then you are contributing to the problem, and you aren’t going off of God’s word, you are just being hateful.

Sorry, I barely talked about the movie, good performances and solid direction. And it may let a kid out there who is struggling with this know, hey your friends, family and God will still love you.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Zach, age 19 (USA)
Negative—This is in response to Zach. I absolutely agree with you on the fact that teenagers need to know that they’re loved even if they’re gay. However, they don’t need a film that condones homosexuality to convey that message. They need to feel that from mom and dad. Also, loving someone doesn’t mean that you are to condone that behavior.

Also, the reason why I said that movies with an avert homosexual message should not be aimed at minors is, because it is a known fact that minors are more impressionable. The Bible clearly states that in Luke 17:1-2. Jesus said to His disciples,
“It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.”
My Ratings: Moral rating: / Moviemaking quality: ½
John Johnson, age 23 (USA)
Neutral
Neutral—What would a biblical story about a person with a homosexual orientation look like? This movie is no different from the barrage of “pop culture worldview”, teen focused movies flooding our society. The movie was well done, contained no sex or sexual scenes, no violence. There are a few kisses with the big build up to a kiss at the end.

Some people enter puberty and for reasons that no one is completely sure of find that their sexual attractions are not like that of the majority. Try as they might, for most people changing those attractions seems elusive. As believers what can we offer people in this situation? What do we currently offer them? If we say nothing and do nothing then someone else with some other worldview will fill that void for us. Hence we get movies like “Love, Simon.”

I noticed one commenter said the movie is trying to “normalize homosexuality, even among kids and teens.” Well here’s an interesting thought. Homosexuality IS normal in that it is common (1 Cor 10:13) and has been part of the human experience for all of recorded history and likely since shortly after the fall of Adam. Sin is not abnormal. It’s sin and since the fall sin is the norm of mankind.

The movie does not espouse a biblical worldview. Well here’s a news flash. In 2018 America very few do. If we take off our pharisee robes for a moment however we might get a glimpse into the struggles of growing up with same sex attraction and maybe, just maybe get a lesson on how we can love someone (especially a frightened teenager) who is walking that journey alone.

The biblical position on sexuality is that it remain within the context of…
ONE man with
ONE woman
FOR life.

It’s that or celibacy. Anything else, whatever option you pick is just sinful—not abnormal. Neither of those options is an easy path. Fewer and fewer manage to stay that course. How we encourage people to be part of the minority is different for people that are opposite sex attracted vs. Same sex attracted. I hope we can prayerfully care for not just the first group but the second group as well.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Marc Gold, age 50+ (USA)
Negative
Negative—Don't let anyone who calls themself a Christian make you think that any good can come from this movie. It is nothing but a montage of satanic lies that is trying to ensnare all homosexual teens and drag them straight to hell by encouraging them to embrace their lifestyle instead of trying to change themselves for the better and for God’s will. Any ‘Christian’ who cannot see the evil agenda at hand is either not a follower of Christ at all or too lukewarm in the world’s sin to notice.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: ½
Ron, age 32

PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.

Comments from non-viewers
Negative—This movie is basically about a 16 year old boy named Simon Spier, who has a very big secret that he hasn’t revealed to his parents, friends, or peers. What is that secret you may ask? The secret is that he is gay. Simon has a romantic relationship with someone online named Blue. From what I’ve read about the plot of the film and the book on which it is based off of is that it is just one really big coming out story.

I haven’t seen this movie nor have I read the book on which this movie is based off of (nor do I intend to). What books and movies like this one try to do is normalize homosexuality, even among kids and teens. I have empathy for those who do struggle with homosexuality, I however do have a problem when they aim this agenda at minors. Last year I stayed away from films like the “Beauty and the Beast” remake and “Power Rangers,” because of this issue, and I wish that more Christians would do the same. We need to put our money where our mouth is. Instead of seeing this movie, we should support other films like: “I Can Only Imagine” (which comes out the same day as this!), “Paul, Apostle of Christ” (opens 3/23) or “God’s Not Dead: A Light In Darkness” (opens 3/30). 3 better films to spend your hard earned money that open within two weeks of this.
John Johnson, age 22 (USA)
Negative—If you thought “Lady Bird” was a sickening portrayal of sexual immorality and a preview of just how shallow and disgusting the life of an average secular teenager is, wait until you look into THIS movie.

The elements described over at PluggedIn paint this movie quite clearly for those who are wise enough not to spend their money on such rubbish. Pure, raw, despicable wickedness. Not only do the characters practice the evils of adultery and unnatural relations (and a bunch of other stuff that you’d expect from twisted, idiotic, adolescent indivuals who live under the palm of Satan himself), but they orchestrate these things boastfully, and openly mock those who actually have the mental sense (follower of Christ or not) to see the total perversion and immorality of it all.

Not to mention there is this pathetic bit where the annoying main characters whine and discuss the subject of how the homo lifestyle shouldn't be considered the abnormal, and how the normal straight lifestyle is “overrated.” Oh please. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that we weren't designed to have sexual relations with members of our own gender, whether or not if you respect God's commands.

It's sad how movies like this are what are casually placed into our theaters nowadays. Where th producers in Hollywood used to sneakily (but obviously) put the homosexual agenda into their movies, they are now blatantly making movies that legitimately revolve and orbit around the filthy subject as a means of programming our youths into believing that this is normal.

Yet another brainwashing tool to get young people to stray away from the traditional and biblical family setting and into the filthy and disgusting lifestyle of living by what one's disfunctional private parts and sick mind tell them what is right.
Johnny, age 17