美国国家公共电台 NPR 'Love, Simon' Is Your Typical Glossy, Hollywood, Teenage, Gay Rom-Com

LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:

"Love, Simon," is your typical teenage rom-com - a boy, a mystery love interest, misunderstandings, treachery and, of course, annoying and goofy teachers. The title character, Simon, is, in fact, deliberately 1 typical.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "LOVE, SIMON")

NICK ROBINSON: (As Simon Spier) I'm just like you. I have a totally, perfectly 2 normal life...

(SOUNDBITE OF BRENTON WOOD SONG, "OOGUM BOOGUM SONG")

ROBINSON: (As Simon Spier) ...Except I have one huge-ass secret.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: To talk about that big secret now is Greg Berlanti. He directed the film. And he joins us from the Warner Bros. lot. Good morning.

GREG BERLANTI: Good morning. Nice to be here.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: So the big reveal in this film is revealed right away. And that is, of course, that Simon is gay. Why did you want to set this story up to look like a typical teenage romantic comedy?

BERLANTI: We were really conscious throughout of having as many of the sort of traditions and tropes that one would find in - whether it was a young adult romantic comedy or an adult romantic comedy but changing the gender 3 of the romantic interest. And actually having, you know, a gay protagonist 4 at the center of it, we would be honoring a lot of those traditions but also circumventing 5 them, you know?

GARCIA-NAVARRO: We should mention that this is the first time a gay teenage romance has been out in wide release from a major studio.

BERLANTI: Correct. You know, when I first read the script, it was - found myself sort of crying inexplicably 6 at the end and wondering why that was happening. And I had been a closeted teen myself. And I just realized just the power of representation in something like this was so evocative for me. And I went in and said to the studio, you realize that there's never been a teen rom-com with a gay kid at the center. And having grown up in the '80s, when there was a lot of great teen coming-of-age movies, I never sort of saw myself or our storylines on the screen. And so it was really powerful and - to me. And, you know, we obviously hoped it would be to the audience, as well.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Simon, the main character, is played by Nick Robinson. He's a senior in high school. He's got his friends. He's got his family. Just for our audience who haven't seen the film yet, what is his central struggle as you see it?

BERLANTI: I think his central struggle is finding his voice and figuring out who he is and declaring himself to the world, which I think is really universal. I think every kid kind of goes to their version of it. It's just a bit more pronounced with a gay kid.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: One of the criticisms, though, that I've heard from within the gay community is that - haven't we gotten past coming-out stories? You know, gay visibility is so high in the media. There's gay marriage in this country. Why was it important to tell this story now?

BERLANTI: Well, I'd say for a couple of reasons. One is just representation, in general, is just really important. I think two is, you know, I'm smart enough to let kids speak for themselves. But I think there's a lot of kids in the country who would differ with that statement. You know, we've gone to some states where we've brought the movie. And people have driven two, three hours just to come see us and see the film.

You know, just kids wanting to go back again, maybe bring their parents as a point of entry of conversation. So I don't know. I mean, I think the - my experience has been different than that, that the audience is so desirous for it. And so hopefully, this film will make it easier for them to tell their story in whatever kind of way that they want to tell their story. And I applaud them and, you know, will want to help them.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: In many ways, this is a very happy and optimistic and lovely, tender film. And that is evinced in all sorts of ways, specifically with Simon's relationship with his parents. Jennifer Garner 7 plays the mom in the film. And the dad is played by Josh Duhamel. I want to play a scene where Simon and his father talk after his coming out.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "LOVE, SIMON")

JOSH DUHAMEL: (As Jack 8 Spier) How long have you known?

ROBINSON: (As Simon Spier) I was around 13.

DUHAMEL: (As Jack Spier) Four years? Four years at - eating dinner together. Four years of going to movies together. I'm sorry. I shouldn't...

ROBINSON: (As Simon Spier) No.

DUHAMEL: (As Jack Spier) ...Have missed it.

ROBINSON: (As Simon Spier) Hey - no, Dad...

DUHAMEL: (As Jack Spier) All those stupid jokes.

ROBINSON: (As Simon Spier) I know you didn't mean them.

DUHAMEL: (As Jack Spier) I just want you to know that I love you. I wouldn't change anything about you.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: This is - seems like the most supportive and loving coming out you could possibly depict 9. What did you want to capture about the process of coming out to your parents?

BERLANTI: Well, there were a few things. I think one was that we are in a romantic comedy. So we knew that we wanted, you know - there is an idealized version of things that happen or aspirational 10.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: (Laughter).

BERLANTI: So we were cognizant of that. But I also feel like, as a society becomes more open, and kids become more aware of other kids who are like them and - there are aspects of it that get easier. But I think that there are aspects of it that are always going to be singular to the LGBT experience and that are hard about the closet we put on ourselves. So yes, you get parents like Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel. And they both say different things to him at the end of the film in close proximity 11 to each other.

So we wanted to make sure that those scenes were distinct. And as we were exploring it with the writers, I said to them that, you know, look. In my experience, there were some things that I needed to hear that I didn't even know I needed to hear until after I came out. And every time I would hear them, they would have an impact on me. And they seem so simple. And one was, I still love you. And that's sort of what the dad is kind of saying in this scene. And then what Mom says, which is what drives our character really into the third act, is, and you deserve love.

And, again, I thought that was really specific - that part. And then Jen Garner went to act it on the set that day. And our lead actor burst into tears, hearing the message. And I looked around. And all the crew was drying their eyes. And that's when I started to realize, like, OK, wow. This is very specific to the gay experience. But it's really something everybody needs to hear and forgets clearly along the way - that, you know, you deserve the life that you've always wanted.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: And speaking of aspirational moments - and I don't want to give too much away. But there is this beautiful scene at the end of the movie.

BERLANTI: (Laughter) It isn't spoiling it to say that our lead gets his happy ending. It's a Hollywood movie. It's a romantic comedy. There's a happy ending. And there's a kiss (laughter). And the kiss is...

GARCIA-NAVARRO: And it's a great kiss.

BERLANTI: Yeah, it's a great kiss. And it feels like you've been waiting for it for a long time in movies, you know? And I cry now, in part, when I see it because so many places I've been, all audiences - young and old, straight, gay - have applauded that moment. And I'm old enough to remember, you know, audiences laughing at gay content in movies. And it was so validating 12 to see everyone root for Simon's story, you know?

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Greg Berlanti is the director of "Love, Simon." Thank you so very much.

BERLANTI: Thank you.