With the quote, “Love is simply the name of desire and pursuit of the whole” says Plato in “The Symposium,” we set a tone for how love can or cannot be shown. Directed and co-produced by Alice Wu, “The Half of It” is a teenage drama that has received 10 nominations and won 6 awards. The story of Ellie Wu, she is a teenager who lives in the small town of Squamish with her widowed father.
Ellie, played by Leah Lewis, faces many struggles, including her father’s accent, which holds him back from a promotion and ultimately leads to financial stress.
To help with bills, Ellie sells homework at her high school, Pearl River High School. Her introduction to Aster Flores begins with her admiration for Aster, who is “always lost in a book.” At the story’s beginning, Ellie states she does not believe in love, yet she finds herself repeatedly drawn to Aster.
Paul Munskey, a football player, admittingly likes Aster. During practice, the camera pans to him, stopping mid-smile, until his coach brings him back to life.
Paul asks Ellie to write a love letter for him to give to Aster by stopping her while she’s biking. Ellie, played by Leah Lewis, responds, “I am not writing to Aster Fl— to some girl.” This effectively tells the audience that Ellie herself was scared to communicate with her. She explains that a letter is supposed to reflect the writer’s true self and turns Paul down, leaving him looking at the letter, unsure of what to do next.
Ellie returns home to discover that her father did not pay for the power because the company did not understand his accent.
Realizing the situation with the power bill, Ellie calls the company to assess the situation in school. During the call, she gets bumped, causing her to drop her belongings. Aster then steps into the frame and helps Ellie pick up her things. As they talk, Ellie can’t help but stare at Aster, feeling a mix of shock and fascination.
After Aster returns Ellie’s phone and walks away, Paul then approaches Ellie to discuss the letter. Ellie then learns she needs 50 dollars for the power bill. The camera turns to both of them in the frame. Ellie turns to Paul and says, “Fifty dollars, one letter. After that, you are on your own.”
The scene highlights Ellie’s initial perception of Aster as almost heavenly, only to confront the reality of her responsibilities and struggle to fit in socially. As the movie progresses, Ellie’s friendship with Paul deepens, altering her feelings for Aster and leaving her conflicted. Meanwhile, Paul, shows his desperate attempts to find his other half, making an effort to connect with Aster.
Throughout the movie, you see the improvement and the overall emotional maturity that comes with Ellie, Aster, and Paul, each representing different types of love.
In “The Half of It,” Paul Munskey struggles with focusing on one thing and often falling in love too easily, which leads him down a rough path as he searches for deeper connections. Ellie Wu struggles to let love in and only keeps it to herself until the end when she realizes that love is not meant to be that way. Aster Flores thought that love was supposed to be certain until she eventually brought herself to go on her path.
The film “The Half of It” explores the experiences of the teenage struggles of love and relationships. It shows exceptional cinematography and a stimulating plot making it an enjoyable watch. The film illustrates the theme that love can be messy, requiring vulnerability but courage as you can connect with others.
