"Love, Simon" Wants to Create a Safe Space for Outcasts
“Love, Simon” wants to tell the story of the underrepresented on the big screen.
“Representation in general is important,” director Greg Berlanti told Cheddar. “I think it’s better for the audiences, and it’s better for the movies overall.”
“Mainstream studio films have a lot of catching up to do with some of the stuff we’ve been doing in television for the past 15 years.”
The movie centers around high schooler Simon Spier, whose peers do not know he’s gay. As his secret is revealed, he struggles with coming to terms with his identity.
Actress Alexandra Shipp says that the cast not only wanted to educate the audience and showcase the struggles of the LGBT community, but also to encourage people to stand up for those who are being discriminated against.
“There’s a scene where Simon is getting accosted by some of his classmates in the lunchroom...Maybe his friends weren’t able to stand up for him, but maybe homeboy in the back of the cafeteria is going to stand up and say, ‘Hey, that’s not OK,’” she said. “That’s what we want. We want those people to feel safe. We want those people to feel represented.”
The movie hits theaters Friday.
Over 500 restaurants are taking part in New York Restaurant Week, which concludes on Aug. 20. Cheddar News checks in from Dagon Restaurant in the city's Upper West Side to discuss some of its delicious Mediterranean-inspired dishes with Chef Ari Bokovza.
Wondering what to watch this weekend? We suggest Mario & Luigi, Meghan Markle before royalty, a bust out of jail guide and perhaps the greatest musician ever!
A new study shows different strategies may be effective at motivating people to donate, apart from all that “sadvertising.” The study from Nathan Chan, assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Casey Wichman, assistant professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, found that people in good moods are more likely to donate to a charitable cause.
