"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.
Members of the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists union officially went on strike Friday after negotiations broke down with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Cheddar News explains.
Multiple sources confirm to Cheddar News' sister station News 12 Long Island that Suffolk County police have arrested a suspect in connection with the Gilgo Beach murders.
Leaders of SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents the actors, voted Thursday to strike after contract talks collapsed with the studios and streaming services that hire them.
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