The Half of It
Synopsis
High school student Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis) writes essays for other students for money. As the only Chinese student in school, she doesn't have any friends, and is bullied by the popular kids.
When she's approached by a jock named Paul (Daniel Diemer), Ellie assumes he wants an essay, but instead he wants her to write a letter to a popular girl named Aster (Alexxis Lemire), because he's too awkward to talk to her in person. Ellie turns him down because she's never written a letter for anyone and more importantly, she has a crush on Ellie herself. However, when money quickly becomes tight at home, she accepts the job, charging him $50 per letter.
Over the next few weeks, she and Paul develop a friendship that brings more to Ellie's life than she could have imagined.
Main Characters
- Ellie Chu- Ellie is a sensitive and introspective student who navigates the complexities of love and friendship. Known for her intelligence and creativity, she often writes about profound themes, yet grapples with her own feelings and responsibilities at home. Her journey of self-discovery leads her to confront her emotions and aspirations.
- Aster Flores - Aster is depicted as a popular girl who becomes the object of Ellie's affection. She is artistic and thoughtful, but is also caught in her own romantic struggles with Trig. Her character evolves as she navigates her relationships, ultimately recognizing her feelings for Ellie.
- Paul Munsky - Paul is an endearing yet inarticulate football player who seeks help from Ellie to write a love letter to Aster. As the story progresses, he becomes more aware of Ellie’s feelings and demonstrates growth as he attempts to understand love and friendship.
- Edwin Chu - Edwin is Ellie's widowed father, dedicated to supporting his daughter while managing his own responsibilities as a station master. His caring nature is evident in his interactions and the strong bond he shares with Ellie, serving as a figure of stability in her life.
The Half of It is solid. It's not perfect but it takes a trope that has become repetitive over the years and puts its own spin on it. I'm talking about that trope where a person who's probably popular likes someone, but has nothing in common with them or is just plain dumb, and so they have to ask the less popular character for help... and the plot usually progresses in the same way too; the love interest realizes that the popular character is not who they have been falling for all along and then chooses the less popular one in the end. It's pretty basic stuff that has been seen over and over and over again. And movies have tried to take a spin on it before; Sierra Burgess Is A Loser being one of the latests examples. But while Sierra Burgess failed, The Half of It succeeds at making that spin compelling, insightful and just straight up wholesome. Honestly it's a very difficult trope to fix, especially with the changing times, a lot of people are sick of the manipulation that can take place in these types of stories, not to mention the lying and scheming. And what I think The Half of It gets right is the understanding that what can make or break this trope are the characters, their dynamics and their motivations. And oh my goodness, the two main characters in this movie are a delight. Yeah they make mistakes, but it's usually never out of a place of malice or selfishness. And I believe that the development of their friendship is what makes this story worth watching. This is not just a cliché teen romance. It's a movie that tries its best to capture the essence of being a teenager navigating friendship, love and life in general; and honestly, I think it does a pretty good job at it.
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