The Case for ‘Love, Simon’ at the Oscars

Does Simon have a shot at Oscar gold? Probably not...but here's why it should. (This is for the Editorial Fellowship)

20th Century Fox / Via media.giphy.com

#OscarsSo…Gay? Okay, maybe we’re not quite there yet. But in recent years, the Academy has given “best picture” recognition to films centered around queer stories and characters. The Imitation Game scored the nomination in 2015. Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight earned an unforgettable victory (to the surprise of everyone, including the award presenters) in the category in 2017. Last year, Call Me by Your Name got a nod in the big category, among others, and took home the award for “best adapted screenplay.” And although the Academy hasn’t released its choices yet, very few would doubt a “best picture” nom for The Favourite this year, with Marielle Heller’s Can You Ever Forgive Me? in the mix, as well.

I won’t go so far as to suggest a trend, nor am I eager to pat the Academy on the back with Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody still in the running (two films that botch the handling of their characters’ queer identities), but it appears that Oscar voters have taken an interest in LGBTQ+ stories nonetheless.

The Academy also made it abundantly clear last year with its arbitrary announcement of a new “popular film” category that it cares about being relevant. The idea would go on to be scrapped (at least for this year), yet it remains that the Academy essentially told the world that it wants to matter to the general movie-going public, and that it would give the Oscars a bit of a makeover if it meant more people would tune in.

Are blockbusters in play for “best picture” this year? What about movies marketed to young audiences? If the Academy wants to incorporate “popular” movies and ensure that the next generation of movie-goers cares about the Oscars – all while continuing to show its interest in queer stories – well then it seems it has a golden opportunity to do so this year.

Listen carefully, Academy, and repeat after me: Love, Simon. You remember Love, Simon, right? That young-adult novel adaptation about a gay teenager with a $17 million budget that went on to make $66 million worldwide after its March 16 wide release? Yes, that one! It’s probably not even on your radar, but it could really help you out.

Let’s, for the moment, put aside the idea that it’s an excellent movie bolstered by a Certified Fresh 92% Rotten Tomatoes score. We’re not going to consider that right now because there were (and always will be) great movies that, whether it be for their release dates, genres, lack of marketing, etc., will likely be left out of Academy-Award recognition. The good ones don’t always get an invite to the party, even when critics overwhelmingly praise them. But that’s an argument for another time. Even when operating on the basis that the Academy is wholly selfish and only concerned with its own outward image, Love, Simon is still the perfect candidate for a “best picture” nomination. Why?

Let’s refer back to the three goals we can be fairly confident the Academy wants to pursue. First, it wants to continue to show interest in queer stories. Check.

Second, it wants to start incorporating more “popular” movies to reach a larger and broader viewership. Love, Simon made $66 million worldwide. Sure, there are plenty of movies that have made way more than that, but it’s important to remember that Love, Simon almost quadrupled its production budget (it made back its budget times 3.9, to be more specific). To compare, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse made over $300 million on a $90 million budget the same year – a resounding success. The figures are much bigger, yet the proportion of profit is almost the same (it’s actually slightly smaller, with the film earning back its budget times 3.39). Love, Simon soared at the box office. It also achieved a rare A+ rating on CinemaScore, which gauges a film’s audience reception. Love, Simon was a popular movie. Check.

Third, the Academy also wants to ensure that people still want to watch the Oscars years from now, which means the next generation of movie-goers needs to care. A popular and financially successful movie adaptation of a young-adult novel getting some Oscar attention seems like it would be a fabulous way for the Academy to build that bridge. Check.

For those keeping score at home, Love, Simon is a perfect three for three. Of course, there are other things to consider. A movie looking to catch Oscar’s (not-so-all-seeing) eye typically needs to spend some resources on a campaign – a little “Hey! Over here! What about me?” to the Academy. The film also has to have been submitted in all the categories it wants to compete in. My knowledge is limited with regard to the inner workings of 20th Century Fox, so I don’t know if the company has lobbied for Academy-Award recognition for Love, Simon.

I hope I haven’t fooled anyone out there into thinking this beautiful movie has any realistic chance of a “best picture” nod (or any other nod, for that matter) come Tuesday, when the Oscar nominations will be named and released publicly. But, I mean…wouldn’t it be nice?

Love, Simon is a coming-of-age film with a hopeful and optimistic view that refuses to sacrifice the complexities of a gay teenager seeking acceptance from his friends and family. I’d love to see it score at least one nomination. Not only would viewers welcome it, but the Academy would (and should), as well. If the rules were different, perhaps it would be honored on the Oscar stage, and I argue that it’s everything Academy members would want to vote for in their quest to expand their palette while continuing to acknowledge extraordinary movies.

Such acknowledgement for a film like this would be nothing short of a cinematic miracle one may only find in a fiction screenplay. Even so, it’d be a miracle with the power to benefit everybody. Here’s hoping.