Love, Simon

A gay teenager (Nick Robinson), securely closeted in front of his parents (Josh Duhamel, Jennifer Garner) and friends (Katherine Langford, Keiynan Lonsdale, Alexandra Shipp), falls in love on social media with an anonymous classmate, also closeted, and fantasizes about who the other might be. Directed by Greg Berlanti and adapted by Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker from Becky Albertalli’s novel, the movie is enjoyable enough, despite the callow gloss of a 1970s after-school TV special preaching to us about tolerance. Robinson is a blandly likeable presence, though he can’t quite overcome the fact that his character is, frankly, a selfish little jerk who, in his efforts to hide his real nature and ascertain the identity of his true love, does some borderline-unforgiveable things to his supposed pals.