The cinematic journeys of gay youth continue to flourish in 2018.
In ways both subtle and blunt, the gay world has always found some form of representation in cinema. For much of the last century in film, lesbians and homosexuals have been goofy side characters, shown to be slightly out of touch with the day’s conventional reality (fueling the stereotype of gays being mentally ill) while spouting out witty lines with subliminal clues to the “darker” lives they led. But now it’s THIS century, where attendance to pride parades outnumbers presidential inaugurations and LGBTQ citizens continue to make their way towards positions of power in many of the country’s social institutions. This is certainly reflected in today’s movies where the image of the homosexual on screen is in its prime, with members of the community now functioning as complex and layered protagonists.
This month offers up two sterling examples of just how far the illustration of the gay existence has traveled in film with the home video releases of Fox’s Love, Simon and IFC’s Freak Show. In the former, the titular Simon (Nick Robinson) lives in fear of the thought of coming out until he connects with an unknown gay student from his school via email, while in Freak Show, the openly gay and effeminate Billy (Alex Lawther) finds himself the subject of ongoing ridicule and bullying after he is enrolled at a new conservative high school. Told from two vastly different perspectives, both titles brilliantly serve as coming-of-age dramedies dealing with gay youth and their quest to reconcile their sexuality with the societies they find themselves in.
Although Love, Simon and Freak Show are as wildly opposite as can be, they both share a key element, namely the ability to remain grounded in reality. This is especially true when it comes to Simon and Billy’s natural instincts in dealing with their sexuality. Love, Simon’s awkward title hero lives a life of inner torment stemming from a secret which dictates much of his overall existence. There is a fear of rejection at the heart of Simon’s closeted self for sure. More than that, however, there’s a feeling on Simon’s behalf that he’s perhaps betrayed those closest in his life by not revealing to them who he knows he really is. It’s the opposite that is true for Billy. Frequently painted with glitter, draped in one lavish costume after another and armed with a keen ability to read those around him, Freak Show’s lead is the epitome of gender fluidity who believes the world to be truly at his fingertips. When the opposite turns out to be the reality, Billy still exudes courage, bravery, and a dry humor to keep going in the face of one crushing ignorance-filled obstacle after another. Watching his fearlessness and caustic wit endure through through beatings and sexual assaults is as painful as it is ultimately inspiring.
The way each character lives his life ultimately dictates their relationships with family and friends. In Love, Simon, Simon genuinely enjoys and values everyone in his life, but has no choice but to maintain compromised relationships with them because of his secret. It’s a deal so many gay youths have made with themselves and one which holds Simon captive. Billy on the other hand grew up with a mother who championed her son’s sexuality and a father who, although conservative, loves his son to no end. It’s Freak Show that makes the most telling comment about gay/straight friendships in Billy’s platonic relationship with a sensitive jock that moves a significant portion of the film. While it would be easy to assume it’s lust which drives Billy (a notion he himself squashes showing great self-awareness), the bond shared between the two becomes real when the audience realizes that, differences aside, they actually “get” each other.
As a film, Love, Simon feels jam packed with exposition, side characters, and plot turns. Despite this, the movie never shortchanges Simon and makes sure that the story’s most important scenes breathe and play out to their natural end. If only that was the case with the blink-and-you-miss it feel of Freak Show, which is so desperate to show off its main character in as many flashy (and inventive) costumes as possible that it breezes by some of the more human character moments. The two titles both fail at times to escape the “movie world” feel, giving off a spotless shine and remaining beautiful to look at even as the pain and suffering of their respective characters play out. This is hardly unexpected or worth griping about, especially since both Love, Simon and Freak Show do more than an adequate and admiral job of showing the inner workings of how a young mind deals with sexuality. By the time the credits roll on the two films, the protagonists at their centers have succeeded in facing their tormentors while claiming ownership of who they are.
For all the celebrating regarding the strides these films make in the continuing effort to remove homophobia from society, it’s hard not to see the differing responses they’ve received following their respective debuts. Thanks to the comfort and warmth of its studio, Love, Simon was well-promoted, generated a good amount of buzz, and went on to become something of a sleeper hit with both audiences and the critical media. Meanwhile, Freak Show came and went in limited release with many not even aware of its existence despite the presence of high-profile supporting cast members Laverne Cox and Bette Midler. The two distinct reactions can’t help but signify that even in today’s world, studios and audiences still find a character such as Simon with his carefully measured sexual ambiguity more palatable when compared to Billy’s flamboyant openness. Maybe the truth is that mainstream society just isn’t there yet. Still, the fact that both Love, Simon and Freak Show exist and with leads such as these is every bit monumental and cannot help but serve as an irrefutable sign of even greater things to come.
Love, Simon is now available on Blu-ray and DVD from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Freak Show is now available on Blu-ray and DVD from Shout! Factory.
