Parents' Guide to

The Half of It

By Renee Schonfeld, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Touching, smart teen story deals with sexuality; drinking.

Movie PG-13 2020 104 minutes
The Half of It Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • The Half of It Movie: Ellie and Paul
  • The Half of It Movie: Ellie On Her Own
  • The Half of It Movie: Ellie and Aster
  • The Half of It Movie: Paul & Ellie, Both Thoughtful
  • The Half of It Movie: Eye-catching

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age 12+

Based on 10 parent reviews

Dcl1
Dcl1 Parent of 11-year-old
March 13, 2021
age 12+

Sweet, touching movie

This is a rare gem that is sweet without being corny. The main female characters are unrealistically mature in their thinking, but that’s not a bad thing as an influence on viewers — good to see smart, self-aware characters who learn about tolerance.
Horsefabio
Horsefabio Adult
April 17, 2021
age 18+

Very good movie with common problematic sexual assault trope

The movie brings up the theme of sexual assault and then dismisses it. Paul has the common but problematic view that one can kiss someone without verbal consent because of a "look." The movie goes in the right direction by having Ellie reject his unconsented kiss, because a "look" (in this case, highly mistaken) does not count as consent (Paul and Aster both kiss each other without consent). The movie ends with Ellie kissing Aster without consent. These are all examples of sexual assault. As a victim of this form of sexual assault, as well as others, this type of review needs to address that. Still, a great movie that is honest about how messy infatuation can get, but verbal consent is something that the movie fails to address. This makes it problematic.
See all 10 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis) is bright, perceptive, and pretty much on her own in THE HALF OF IT. Her small-town high school has its share of jocks, cool kids, nerds, and artsy types, but Ellie doesn't hang with any group. She feels isolated and responsible for her dad. A widowed Chinese immigrant with a Ph.D., Dr. Chu (Collin Chou) struggles to move on after his wife's death and is barely earning a living as a train switch operator. To earn extra money, Ellie secretly writes school papers for other kids. Enter Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer). "Munsky" is aware of Ellie's writing enterprise and approaches her: He'll give her $50 if Ellie will write one letter in his name to Aster Flores (Alexxis Lemire), the popular girl he's in love with from afar. Reluctantly, Ellie agrees. What makes the prospect so hard, however, is that though she's never acknowledged it to others, Ellie is definitely attracted to Aster, too. Complications ensue and what begins as a one-time, money-making proposition becomes a poignant and funny adventure in growing up for Ellie, Paul, and Aster.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (10 ):
Kids say (37 ):

Exploring friendship, love, and sexuality, as well as the hardships of feeling ostracized as a Chinese immigrant family living in a small, predominantly White community. This film is executed with integrity and heart and star Lewis never misses a beat. Her sincerity, comic timing, and seeming effortlessness in bringing Ellie Chu to life are a joy to watch. She's supported by an excellent cast. Writer-director Alice Wu has guided The Half of It players with a delicate touch. The movie is both laugh-out-loud funny and insightful. The few missteps -- an awkward climax in church that's not in keeping with the authenticity of the rest of the film and some geographically "convenient" moments -- don't detract from the impact of the movie's inherent glow. In the ever expanding list of Netflix romcoms for teens, this one rises to the top. Highly recommended.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how The Half of It portrays teen drinking. Were you surprised that Ellie joined in? What were the consequences of her behavior? Why is it a good idea for families with older kids and teens to discuss drinking and substance abuse in movies?

  • Labels are never used in describing the teen characters' relationships and attractions. How does this reflect a positive relationship with gender and sexuality? Can you think of ways in which labels might be helpful as young adults start to navigate love and romance?

  • The movie asks, "If love isn't the effort you put in, then what is it?" What do you think this means? Give some examples from your experience that might confirm the notion.

  • How did the small-town Washington State setting contribute to the story? In what ways did it define the characters and their expectations? What made the movie very "Northwest" in its look and feel?

  • Why are movies and books based on Cyrano de Bergerac so popular? Can you think of some other examples?

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