🎬The Half of It

In the quiet, conservative town of Suquamish, Washington (fictionalized as Squahamish in the film), introverted Chinese-American high school student Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis) runs a lucrative side business writing academic papers for her peers to help her widowed father pay the bills.

Her routine is upended when sweet-natured, articulate-challenged football player Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer) hires her to write love letters on his behalf to Aster Flores (Alexxis Lemire), the local deacon's daughter. As Ellie ghostwrites deep, philosophical letters and text exchanges to Aster, she secretly realizes that she is falling in love with Aster herself. Along the way, an unexpected, deeply transformative platonic bond forms between Ellie and Paul, forcing all three teens to confront their identities, desires, and the true meaning of connection.

💡 Did you know?
Alice Wu's Long-Awaited Return: Marked director Alice Wu's first feature film in 16 years, following her landmark 2004 Asian-American queer debut Saving Face.

Tribeca Film Festival Winner: Won the prestigious Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival.

Literary & Philosophical Foundations: Opens with a quote from Plato’s Symposium regarding the myth of humans searching for their missing "other half," which the narrative systematically re-examines and redefines.

⭐ Film Evaluation & Ratings 📈
⭐ Global Critical Consensus: 7.4 / 10 (Rotten Tomatoes 97% Certified Fresh / Tribeca Archives)

Highly praised for its thoughtful screenplay, subversion of romantic comedy tropes, and authentic portrayal of small-town queer youth and Asian-American family dynamics.

🎨 Narrative & Character Craft: 8.2 / 10

Outstanding triangular dynamic prioritizing platonic growth alongside romantic yearning.

📝 Portal Recommendation:

An essential cornerstone entry for Contemporary Queer Coming-of-Age Archives, Asian-American Cinema Spotlights, and WLW Romance Collections. Pairs naturally with titles like Saving Face (2004), The Summer of Sangaile (2015), or Booksmart (2019).