When I went to the cinema the first time, they were like-, it's my local cinema, so
there was, like,
two other people there, and I think they must've hated me because I was going.
You're the reason they will last forever when you know that you're-, know that
you're the best.
Hi, I'm Miranda.
And I'm Jonnie.
And today we're here to talk about Love, Simon.
What is your favourite scene in the whole film?
I think what his mum says is something about, like, 'You can breathe now,' or,
like, 'You can let go.'
You get to exhale now, Simon,
you get to be more you that you have been in,
in a very long time.
Chills.
Yeah. I had-, yeah, literal goosebumps. I also loved the
gay-, future gay Simon at college,
when they're dancing to Whitney Houston down the block.
I wanna dance with somebody, I wanna feel the heat with somebody, yeah, I wanna
dance with somebody, with somebody who loves me.
Yeah.
And then he goes, 'Wait, maybe not.'
'Not that gay.'
Yeah. And there's obviously-, there's the end scene. I realise this is now, like,
three scenes, but the end when they're at the carnival and the aesthetic of it, just
beautiful, it made me really miss, like, all of that, like, going out with friends
and having a good time.
Just watching a film, just for wish fulfilment of being allowed to be near
people when outside.
Yeah, yeah. What about you?
I have to say it's, it's him talking not just to his mum but I think him talking to
his dad just hit me so much harder because he talks about how his mum is, like, the
most, like, liberal accepting person, so it's not really surprising that she's okay
with it, but his dad is like this, I mean, obviously he's also really liberal and
progressive and accepting, but he's also this, like, big macho quarterback,
fishing, American suburban dad, and the, the actor who plays him, which whose name
I've got written down because I just wanna say, incredible performance, Josh Duhamel,
is always playing, like ,the big macho action guy in all the films, and in this
they just cast him as this nice suburban dad and he just breaks down in front of
Simon, he's like-, it's, 'You've know since you were thirteen, you're seventeen
now, I've missed four years of time with, with my son because he was too afraid of
me.'
I just want you to know that I love you. I wouldn't change anything about you. Stop
crying. I'm trying, I'm trying.
God.
Come here.
I can't articulate how much that's-, I love that scene, 'cause in the cinema, I
mean, when I went to the cinema the first time, they were like-, it's my local
cinema, so there was, like, two other people there, when I was there, and I
think they must've hated me because I was going-,
No,
me, I was the same, don't worry about it. Absolutely the same. Just, like, also, the
whole, the whole thing, like, you know, he's also this kind of dad that he's,
like, he keeps is light-hearted, he makes these jokes, but it's just this tipping
point where he realises, like, how much of it, like, especially, you know, right
before Simon comes up and he's still making these jokes about, like, pregnancy
and all of that.
Yeah.
Actually, I did wanna talk to you guys about something.
What is it?
Well. Let me guess.
You got somebody pregnant.
No, you're pregnancy. Yeah. I knew it. I knew it. Yeah, yeah, I'm pregnant. I mean,
he's got that glow about him, babe. Hunny. Hunny.
Talking about, like,
heteronormativity as, like, this thing that Simon is the victim to. The book is
literally Simon versus the homo-sapiens agenda, and it's quite interesting that
his dad is also, like, this victim in this way of this heteronormative society even
though he's perpetuating it, because to him it's, it's still-,
He doesn't even realise it.
He doesn't realise it because it's harming Simon.
How did that guy even become the bachelor?
Well, he's clearly gay. No, he's not. Really? He's handsome. That date where he
took the girl to the make your own perfume place? He is so fruity, he's so fruity.
He's a one-man pride parade, are you kidding me? He has more chemistry with
Chris Harrison than any of those girls. Stop it.
It's also, I guess, a release for him, and in that way it's also just, like, it's
fine to be, like, vulnerable and, you know, it was that stereotype of the
valedictorian married the high school football star, but he's not afraid to show
his emotions either, and I feel like that's really important for Simon as well
in accepting his own emotions.
Talking about, like, stereotypes, how-, I mean, Simon, obviously, he has this whole
thing about why do just-,
why do just gay people have to come out?
I love the montage. I was about to mention it.
Yeah. Oh, that montage is so good.
Can we talk? Yeah. I'm straight. I'm straight.
I'm sorry, mom, it's true. I like girls.
I like men. You get that from your dad, (mw 05.17).
I'm in love with Nick.
I feel like I've been raising a stranger. Yes, absolutely, you have. I'm
heterosexual. Oh, God, help me, Jesus, please.
Beautiful. Like, Alexandra Shipp's mother in the film, when she was like, 'Oh, sweet
Jesus,' like, it's just gold, and it's such a refresher in the film, 'cause it's
a bit, like, it's a bit-, one of those points in the film where he's, like, you
know, like, really angry at the world, but they can spin it into something that's so
playful, that, that just really brings up the mood and makes everyone laugh. Like,
just the whole film is so fun, but did-, do you have any fun facts about the film
that you found out?
So, when looking for fun facts, I was looking through stuff and I thought, 'None
of this is fun enough,' and all I could think of, I kept coming back to the same
thing over and over again, and this isn't a fun fact but it is an interesting fact,
it was all about how Singapore age restricted to under 21s couldn't see it.
I do remember this, yeah.
Yeah, I was-, I mean, there was outrage about it, and I just think that's so-, the
entire demographic it's designed for is locked out because it's seem as harmful
adult content.
I guess the most interesting thing I found out about the film was that I read that
apparently when the film came out, 'cause you know Simon and Blue obviously-, or
Bram, as you find out by the end of the film.
What?
Maybe-, or maybe it was the Waffle House guy.
Why do they spend so long-, sorry, never mind.
No, go for it.
Why do they spend so long making us think that it's him?
How's it going? Actually, we had bio together last year. Oh, really? It's
Simon, right? Yeah,
yeah, sorry, I don't. It's okay, it was, like, a big class and I have a good memory
for faces.
What can I get you guys? Well, we plan on being here for a while, so we're going to
start off small and go larger. Probably get some bacon first, some sausage.
It just feels so out of the blue.
But it's really interesting because I've read the book, I don't know about you.
Yeah, yeah.
And,
like, in the books they don't even-, I think the only real person they suspected
is Cal, played by Miles Heizer, like, is one I can remember, they never really-, he
never really suspects it's Bram until, like, Bram shows up at the end, so I think
it was really interesting in the film that they, like, gave these snippets of, like,
all the different actors that Simon thinks it is at the time being Blue in that way.
I think that's such a cool device, I completely agree.
Yea, and also 'cause, like, when you know that it's Bram, when you watch it 'cause
you've read-, if you've read the books etc., and you see them reveal him, like,
half an hour in, you're like, 'Why, why would they do that? Like, why, like,
that's, that's really odd, like, surely we should keep the suspense.'
Maybe we should take these.
You'll see better, right? Good idea, yeah.
Raindrop. Here we go.
But then it changes and you're like, 'Oh,' like, obviously if you're the first time
watching and you don't know the story, like, that's gonna be really confusing,
but it's quite-, I think it's, like, like you feel an insider a little bit into
the-, into the film.
As long as you love me, we could be starving, we could be homeless, we could
be loved, as long as you love.
We were talking about her first time we saw it, you know, how much we both loved
it. When you watched it the second time, when you watched it for this, do you think
it held up, and how differently do you view it now that you're older and the
first time you saw it?
Absolutely, it holds up, I think. I think it's-, the, the whole premise of it is
this universal story, it's this, like, Simon can be anybody, right? Well, he
circumstances around it obviously are very unique, but, like, the characters and
stuff are the people who I think will continue to, like, live on in legacy,
because when you watch it you can always think of, like, our own friends and maybe
what situations you've been in. But I think I got a lot more about, like, his
mentality and, like, also just the way people react, it just-, I think it made a
little more sense to me this time around, because I'm now at that age where I have
friends who are coming out to me and I have friends who are questioning their
identities as well, and we're having these kinds of conversations.
Abby.
Yeah.
I'm gay.
Oh.
So, it just seems a lot more relevant to me now, even though I'm watching it way
after it's been released. I don't know. What did you think?
Well, I mean, as you said, anyone could be Simon, and I love what they do with Blue
because anyone can be Blue, that's the point, is anyone, but you, you see him
normal but he's actually secretly gay and it's, like, 'Oh, no, wow,' and it's-,
but I actually, when I rewatched it, and
let me finish the end of this before you scream in indignation,
I don't think it's a very good film, but
I think it is a brilliant film to watch and I think everyone would should watch
it. And I mean it as in, like, it's very cheesy, it's very cliched, and I get
that's the whole point of the film, it's, like, a cliché coming of age film with a
little twist and there's a lot of great film-making practice in there, there's a
lot of great stuff, but there's nothing that really pops for the film for me
except for, like, the issue that is raises, and I know that seems a bit
contradictory.
I think that's really interesting what you talked about, like, how cheesy and cliché
it is, 'cause obviously a lot of the humour of, like, the awkward flirting, or,
like, you know, he thinks he likes you but he actually like your girlfriend-, not
your girlfriend, sorry, your best friend, and all that kinda stuff, like, I am,
again, I'm someone who can be quite cynical about cheesiness and cliché,
like, I can watch a film and be like, 'Oh, like, come on, not this again,' like, you
know, when it's building up to something, but what I think is really important about
that aspect of this film is that because that cheesy cliché coming of age film
genre is something that has been done so many times over the years to varying
levels of success, I think what this film does very well is that it's, like, it
offers you an alternative to all the heteronormative ones that have come out
literally all the time, like, every year there's always a new one, right, there's
always-, there's always some new take on it, and-, but what I feel-, what I feel
is, like, at least Love Simon is, like, even if it is as cheesy and cliché and
brings some stereotypes and all of that, it offers people an alternative to watch
if they're looking for that kind of film to do, and it makes-, and it helps
normalise it in that way. I think that's really important, I, I watched Happier
Season, which was the queer Christmas film, and it's, like, as much as you can,
like, dislike the genre or dislike the cheesiness of it, it's, like, it's
important to help normalise it for other people, because whilst you'd like it to
be, like, completely radical, it's a lot easier for, like, the general public to,
to see it, like, in the same, so that they can see, like, 'Oh, it's literally like
any other coming of age film, except the main character is now queer, right?' Like,
I think that's important to help integrate people in that-, integrate queer people
more into our society for those who are still troubles accepting or understanding
their culture and community.
The film, I think, at its core, is all about connection.
Yeah.
I think that's just-, connection in all these different ways, and yeah, I
completely agree with you, it's so beautiful.
that you're-, know that you're the best.