When books get made into movies, there’s usually some stuff that gets cut out. It might just be small details that aren’t missed by the majority, like the difference in “mutations” between The Hunger Games book and movie (I’m in the minority that would have loved to see that). Or it might be major changes like an entire character disappearing altogether (sorry Peeves). It might even be that the movie is so different from the book, they feel like entirely different works (looking at you, Howl’s Moving Castle).
Love, Simon hit a sweet spot, where there’s just enough cuts to appeal to audiences that prefer movies over books, but can also be enjoyed by those loyal to Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda. However, there are some details that were cut that I wish would have been kept.
Simon’s older sister
As previously mentioned, sometimes characters are cut, and Simon’s older sister, Alice, was completely cut from the movie. I was disappointed not so much because of her character per se, but because of Simon’s relationship with her.
Things change when a member of the family leaves for college, and it was nice to see that not so much from the perspective of the person who left, but rather from the perspective of those who stayed. Simon comments on how bittersweet things feel because of Alice’s return: he’s glad she’s here, but her time spent with them is overshadowed by the fact that she would leave. Simon even comments on how odd the holidays feel because of how things have changed since Alice left. Because Alice is completely cut from the film, we don’t get to see that family dynamic at all.
The T-shirt
In the book, Blue plants a t-shirt in Simon’s locker to cheer him up, which is a ridiculously sweet (yet frustrating) scene. It’s sweet because, come on, t-shirts are the cutest gifts you can get, especially from someone you’re crushing on. And it’s frustrating because, at this point, Blue knows who Simon is, but Simon doesn’t know who Blue is.
It’s also frustrating (and kind of hilarious) because Blue places his phone number inside the t-shirt, but Simon doesn’t realize until days later. I honestly got such second-hand embarrassment from Simon’s stupidity, but at the same time, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Unfortunately, this cuteness is entirely cut from the movie.
The Ferris Wheel
In both the book and movie, Blue reveals his identity by meeting Simon on the Ferris wheel. However, in the book, Simon texts Blue that he’ll be waiting at the Ferris wheel. In this way, it’s very private, and doesn’t put Blue in the position to out himself to anyone other than the person he’s romantically interested in.
In the movie, the entire ordeal is very public. Simon publicly announces his plan with the Ferris wheel through social media, and even ends up attracting a crowd. In this case, if Blue is to join him, he is not only revealing his identity to Simon, but essentially to what feels like the entire student body. Of course, it works out fine, because it’s a cute rom-com and nothing can go wrong. But how grandiose the situation feels didn’t sit right with me, especially when Blue is placed in the position to out himself to such a large group of people. I wish the Ferris wheel situation would have been kept between the two of them but, of course, movie Simon had to announce it to the world for that Sweet Hollywood Drama.
Were there any other cuts or differences that irked you between the book and movie? Share with us using the hashtag #PRR.
PRR Writer, Matty Ortega