Rating: 4 / 5 stars

Over the last few years, the world has proven it will welcome films about homosexual relationships with open arms, from “Blue is the Warmest Color” (2013) to last year’s “Call Me By Your Name.” Adapted from Becky Albertalli’s “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda,” “Love, Simon” dares to be a mainstream film about a high school boy who struggles to keep his homosexuality a secret and must make decisions that will have consequences. Thankfully, this film, instead of being a melodramatic bore, manages to be a realistic and heartwarming tale that respects its subject matter.

Simon Spier (Nick Robinson, “Everything, Everything”) is an all-around decent kid with loving parents and a little sister, as well as his own circle of friends. The one big secret about himself is that he has never told anyone that he is gay. Lately, he has been holding email conversations with someone only identified as Blue, who is also gay. One day, an odd kid named Martin (Logan Miller, “Before I Fall”) accidently comes across these emails and blackmails Simon into helping him get together with one of his friends, Abby (Alexandra Shipp, “X-Men Apocalypse”). Now, Simon must figure out how to maintain his friendships and maintain the connection he shares with Blue without losing his ability to choose whether to reveal his secret.

One of the best things about the film is that nearly everyone in the cast makes their characters likeable and charming. Robinson as Simon may seem bland at first to some, but the more he is onscreen, the easier it is to feel attached to him, almost like a friend. Jennifer Garner and surprisingly Josh Duhamel give well-rounded performances as Simon’s parents, and Shipp, Katherine Langford (“13 Reasons Why”) and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (“Brigsby Bear”) fit into the roles of Simon’s friends very well. Perhaps the sole misfire, in terms of characterization, is Martin. The problem is not his characterization; he is essentially supposed to be one of those awkward kids in high school who wants to fit in but doesn’t know how. Miller takes it a notch too far, and his dialogue, while most likely intentional, is enough to make anyone wince a little. As a result, just as Simon and his friends are creeped out by him, it is easy for the viewer to be creeped out as well. The film wants the viewer to feel sympathy for him, but ultimately, is not completely earned.

What adds to “Love, Simon” is its high school charm. There are a lot of typical high school occurrences, from school plays to secret house parties where everyone drinks beer. But these elements aren’t just thrown out to the viewer in an obvious fashion. They subtly blend into the film, and for the viewer, it should feel fun to take part in them, especially for anyone who is in high school or has graduated recently. The mystery of who Blue might be is an effective mystery and will keep the audience guessing along with Simon what happens. The pressure especially increases as Simon’s attempts to hide his homosexuality become a bit more difficult later on, but at the same time, the film effectively makes the viewer want Simon to reveal his homosexuality and pride himself on it. Without giving away the ending, what happens later in the film will give the viewer heartbreak, but then build up hope again, little by little.

Image from 20th Century Fox via YouTube.com