If you haven’t seen (or read) A Wrinkle in Time or Love, Simon (aka Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda) yet, then. . . WYD? Seriously, though, these two YA adaptations have recently taken the big screen by storm and we totally approve.
Books and movies like Simon and Wrinkle are SO important because they broaden horizons and allow underrepresented groups to see themselves in the media (finally!). Even though we are extra stoked about these two films, we can’t wait for more just like them! Here’s why we need more movies and books like Love, Simon and A Wrinkle in Time!
1. Who Runs the World?
Teens will LITERALLY rule the world someday (looking at you, @EmmaGonzalez), if they don’t already. What we love so much about Love, Simon and A Wrinkle in Time is that they give teens the credit they deserve. Portraying teens as shallow just doesn’t fly these days, and these films have done a great job of showing teens to be the dynamic forces that they are. We couldn’t appreciate it more. Teens that speak their minds are, like, sooooo in. #gimmemore
2. Diversity and Inclusion
It’s no secret that the media has been hiding behind the “diversity doesn’t sell” line for waaay too long. These movies proved them wrong in the most epic way. Love, Simon features several LGBTQ characters and notably gives a voice and a space for multicultural LGBTQ teens to embrace who they are. It’s so amazing to see these diverse kids taking the movie industry by storm. Speaking of Storm . . . Storm Reid, the lead actress in A Wrinkle in Time, has confirmed that black girl magic is REAL! The more we see diverse characters on screen and in the pages of our books, the better the world is going to be!
3. Conversation Starters
These movies have started so many important conversations. Seeing so many different points of view in the films was amazing, but the best part was seeing the cast and crew engage in meaningful conversations about the important themes in their work! More more more more, please!
4. Directors Who Care
We were blown away by the wonderful Ava DuVernay and Greg Berlanti—not only did they take on these blockbuster hits, but they showed that they care about the content and implications of their work. Ava was in awe of Storm Reid (we all were) and let everyone know that seeing a black girl saving the world was important. Her commitment to creating a cast and set that encompassed so much of the magic in the book was inspiring. Greg was a fearless LGBTQ advocate through this process, telling HuffPost he wishes “it wasn’t 2018 and that we weren’t the first teen rom-com with a gay lead to receive major studio backing.”
