The Half of It

By: Malasha Parker

Alice Wu’s The Half of It is a diverting, yet appropriate coming of age story of friendship and an unexpected love that explores the feelings of a young girl coming to terms with her sexuality. The film brings a new look to a story about the value of love and friends. Written and directed by Alice Wu, The Half of It opens with a simple paper animation that lets the audience know this is not a happily ever after love story. A movie unlike its predecessors, The Half of It uses literature to guide its dialogue and tackle issues in a way that doesn’t make you cringe at the writing choice. It’s moving to its own beat and provides an outside view of what it’s like to learn what love is and what love means. 

Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis) is a reserved Chinese American immigrant teenager who works at her dad’s train station in the smalltown of Squahamish. She makes her money by writing students’ papers. She gets warped into a friendship with awkward jock Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer) when he asks her to write love letters to Aster Flores (Alexxis Lemire) for him. Since Ellie could use the cash, she agrees to help him out. Throughout all of the beautifully written love letters passed between Ellie and an unaware Aster, Ellie’s feelings get involved in the relationship that was meant to be between Paul and Aster. As our three characters get caught in an unexpected triangle, the result is nothing you would expect. Even though it’s clearly stated that this is not your typical love story, you begin to see the feelings between the characters start to blossom.

Leah Lewis and Alexxis Lemire’s performances carry the movie with their subtle portrayals as Ellie and Aster, bringing forth a real friendship throughout the film. Ellie uses her way with words to help the conversations flow between the two and it unites Ellie and Aster closer than it brings Aster and Paul. The two girls are delicate in scenes with one another. The calming, relaxing tones Leah and Alexxis speak in give their scenes an aspect that other characters don’t hold. It’s a testament to their abilities as scene partners. 

Ellie and Paul’s friendship brings comedy to the movie and it’s quite enjoyable. They have a great flow with the comedic timing as their relationship grows. It’s even shown in the scenes where you see Ellie’s father, played by Collin Chou, has a chance to spend time with them. Diemer’s performance as the ungainly jock elevates his character as Paul slowly helps Ellie in ways she didn’t know she needed. 

Literature is the driving force of this storytelling and Ellie’s love for it is what gives her the will to finally be able to connect with someone even if she’s hiding behind a screen. Wu uses words in an exponential way that makes you want to really understand what’s being said so that you can fully grasp where the characters are coming from, especially in the silent moments where two characters lay and discuss what love is and what believing in God means. Additionally, religion plays a bigger role in the film than one would have expected and it’s interesting to see how Wu uses it in a way that doesn’t excessively divide the characters. The interweaving of these three individuals gave the director a chance to highlight the small moments that show when their relationships begin to shift. As stated at the beginning, this is not a typical love story, but rather it’s a tale of friendship and romance. Therefore, Wu makes choices to have the view of the characters only seen in a way that shows half of their faces. Moreover, the characters are half of something but whole in their own right. They may not truly be missing a romantic half, but possibly simply companionship. 

The gorgeously acted and directed scene between Paul and Ellie’s father at a turning point in the film attaches the characters in an immeasurable way. There are many scenes that were excellent directing and cinematography choices, like the great one early on in the movie that showcases how art and words can be abstract or bold. One of the best is between Ellie and Aster when the two girls stand on either side of the road portraying that they are each a half of a whole, like soulmates. 

This clever, modern-day film gives us what we need in a coming of age romantic comedy and not in a conventional way. It’s not in your face glam or over the top love professions. It’s simplistic moments and tranquility. The Half of It is unlike most rom-coms as you get the romance and the yearning, but without the clichéd moments that make viewers feel the scenes are unrealistic and could never happen in real life. This movie leaves you with a feeling of warmth and hope that maybe there could be more. The Half of It is a film bringing to life a story about finding your soulmate in an uncommon way within a world that tells you finding your other half only means one thing. I would recommend watching this film for those who feel like love appears to only have one meaning, that it might just be meant for one person, that it solely comes in one form or that they may never find it.