‘THE Half of It’ is a coming-of-age story reminiscing about first loves and friendships that couldn’t stand the test of time.
Written by Alice Wu, this Netflix special stars Leah Lewis as the lead character, Ellie Chu, alongside Daniel Diemer, Alexxis Lemire and Collin Chou.
The comedy-drama follows Ellie as she navigates being an isolated, socially awkward, quick-witted teenager, and the only POC one in the fictitious small town of Squahamish, Washington, US.
‘The Half of It’ received the Founders’ Award for best narrative feature at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival.
It dives into the world of teenage love, sexual orientation and friendships with such subtlety that these themes do not overshadow the story, but rather build on the characters as their layers are peeled back with each scene.
While it leads viewers to believe they are watching a traditional love story, it actually reveals a different kind of romance by showcasing the importance of companionship for young adults – especially those with different sexual orientations.
The story also examines the significance of self-appreciation, self-love and self-care, which leads to true happiness.
The actors fit their roles perfectly and are brought to life through a wonderful story that hasn’t been told before.
In an interview with Teen Vogue on 1 May, Lewis said: “Most people think a love story has an equation, and that’s usually boy meets girl, girl meets boy, or girl meets girl.
“However, in this case it’s a self-love story because these characters don’t really end up with each other, but at the very end, they end up with something. For me, that’s even more valuable than just finding your other half; it’s finding a part of yourself along the way. It is a love story, it’s just not a ‘romance’ story.”
‘The Half of It’ is the perfect Saturday night movie.
It does, however, require a mature audience.
– Jonathan Sasha on social media.
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