The Half of It is a coming-of-age story about friendship, attraction, and self-acceptance—not simply a conventional teen romance. The film stars Leah Lewis as Ellie Chu, who agrees to write to Aster Flores on behalf of Paul Munsky, even as Ellie develops feelings for Aster. No interview transcript or verified statements from Lewis are available here, so this article focuses on the film and its documented themes rather than attributing personal views or quotes to the actor.
What is The Half of It about?
Written and directed by Alice Wu, the 2020 film follows Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis), a student who helps Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer) communicate with Aster Flores (Alexxis Lemire), the girl Paul likes. Ellie is attracted to Aster too, making the arrangement more complicated than a favor between classmates. As the correspondence continues, the three teenagers’ relationships shift and the story becomes one of growing up.
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Us Weekly describes the film as loosely inspired by Cyrano de Bergerac. That premise gives the story a romantic setup, but the resulting relationships do not stay within the usual pattern of a straightforward love triangle.
Why friendship matters as much as romance
Paul’s request brings Ellie and Aster together through words Ellie writes, while Ellie’s own attraction complicates the bond she forms with Paul. The film gives the friendship between Ellie and Paul real weight alongside the romantic feelings in the story. Nerdist frames it less as a conventional love story than as a story about acceptance and friendship, centered on a queer Chinese American teenager in a small, mostly White community.
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That is one publication’s interpretation, not a statement from Lewis or Wu. It is nevertheless a useful way to understand why the film is not adequately summed up as a standard teen rom-com: its central relationships also involve identity, sexuality, and self-acceptance.
Cast, rating, and content notes
Common Sense Media’s review and parent guide lists The Half of It as a 2020 romance directed by Alice Wu, with a runtime of 104 minutes and a PG-13 rating. Its listed stars are Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, and Alexxis Lemire.
Rank #2
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The parent guide notes a high-school party with teen drinking, kisses between two teen girls and between a girl and a boy, occasional profanity, a slap and a hit, and a fall from a bike without injury. It also notes that the young characters’ attractions are not assigned labels, leaving room for them to work through questions of sexuality.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to watch
Common Sense Media lists a May 1, 2020 DVD-or-streaming date and identifies Netflix as the studio. In a September 2025 streaming guide, Us Weekly also listed the film on Netflix. Those references establish historical listings, not current availability: streaming rights can change by country and over time, so check Netflix or a current local listings service before relying on them.
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- The disk DOES NOT have Italian audio and subtitles.
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