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"Why is straight the default? Everyone should have to declare one way or another, and it shouldn't be this big awkward thing whether you're straight, gay, bi, or whatever. I'm just saying."
This review will be nonspoilery and spoilery for BOTH the book and the movie!
*There will be a warning before the spoilery part begins*
*Nonspoilery feels!*
Disclaimer: So I'd just like to mention that I watched the movie before I read the book. I know, I know it's blasphemous, but I couldn't turn down the opportunity to watch the movie in theaters when I had the chance. (Actual book review to come!)
I LOVED THE MOVIE. 5/5 stars. I'm just left with this feeling like my heart is overflowing with the happiness that is Simon and his crazy love-story. I could watch this movie again and again and again and again. Now after having finished the book literally in one sitting the day after I watched the movie, I have to say: The movie almost feels "based on" Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda rather than an adaptation. There were so many differences and some of them were pretty BIG differences. However, the skeleton of the plot was more or less the same. The dialogue and most of Simon's thoughts were the same as well, which I appreciated because the email really come true in the movie.
Now don't stone me, but.... I LIKED THE MOVIE MORE. I don't know if it was because I saw it first, but I preferred a lot more of the changes in the movie over what happened in the book. Which I will explain more in the spoilery section below
*Spoilery feels begin here!*
Okay, here we go!
Family - Since I watched the movie first, I noticed immediately when I delved into the book that the family dynamic was different. First of all, there was no Alice in the movie. Second of all, the family in the movie is much much much more loving, supportive, and hilarious. On that note, I preferred the way Simon's family was construed in the movie over how his family was developed in the book.
Friends - The director in the movie, I think, portrayed Simon’s friends reactions better than in the book as well, but you know in the movie you can actually see faces and witness their emotions. So that may be why the movie was much more tear-jerking for me? Who knows. Still, I again preferred the friend-dynamic in the movie than in the books. Not to mention in the book there were no iced coffee trips, no riding together all in one car, no happy go lucky scenes. Rather we get way way way more school scenes and a very angry/upset Leah. Leah in the movie made way more sense to me. Leah in the book was just annoying, insecure, and kinda temperamental.
Romance - We get to know Blue way more, reading his full emails and such in the book. Simon sounds much more like a normal high school angsty kid in his emails too, with all the mentions of sex and sex-related jokes. The ending of the book, when Bram finally reveals himself was so so so so much cuter in the book. However, I did love how GRAND Bram’s coming out was in the movie (with the ferris wheel and the cheering and the waiting), my heart was over flowing with happiness when Bram showed up. Still, I truly enjoyed the small dates and little touches in school and their “night alone” in the book. I reread the ending of the book 5 times now just because it was so adorable. All of it. Now, the one thing I preferred in the movie (regarding the romance) was how Blue was changing throughout based on who Simon thought he was from Bram, to Lyle, to Cal and such. I thought that was a nice touch. Either way, the romance was VERY satisfying in both mediums!!
Blackmail - So the blackmailing in the movie obviously took it much much much farther. I felt like Simon made some pretty hasty and terrible decisions under his “blackmail duress” in the movie. I liked how in the books, Simon kind of brushed Marty off. He tried to hold back as much as he could before really intervening in Abby’s love life. I appreciated that.
Marty’s douchey creek secrets reveal - In the movie, Simon’s outed because Marty is trying to get everyone off his back for his “Go Big of Go Home” asking Abby out thing. In the book, Simon is outed because Marty thinks he’s rubbing Abby and his friendship in his face. SUCH A DIFFERENCE again. The movie was obviously way way way more dramatic. Again TEARS. Their are pros and cons to both, but either way we all know Martin was AN ASS for doing this to our baby Simon.
Overall:
I liked the movie more. What else can I say? Don’t hate me! I am one of those readers who can find the upside in movies even when they aren’t perfect renditions of the book because I like to think of the movies as their own thing. So yeah, the movie was AMAZING. Time to rewatch!!