Netflix's 'The Half of It' Cast Talks Queer Love Triangles & Happy Endings

[@green450]

As a closeted bisexual Asian, it's been hard accepting myself as who I am because of traditions, beliefs and all that. The film really made me feel valid and seen. Thank you, Alice Wu and the wonderful cast!

[@katiemusiclvr1210]

Absolutely! I'm in the same boat and I've been obsessed with this movie

[@hebe309]

I hope you grow and feel more comfortable with you and truly hope people in your life support your

[@n_f9058]

Same here

[@DonnaBrooks]

Why are you still closeted? Society in general is accepting of bi people now. Is it because of your conservative family? Are you still financially dependent on them? I know the fear of rejection by loved ones was what kept me in the closet until I started coming out in the early '90s. I can't even imagine living in the closet now. You will free up so much energy when you finally come out. The good thing is that if you're bi, you can still date until you come out w/o hiding it. If you start to date someone of the same sex, though, you really should come out. It sucks to lie & hide.

[@pastaman825]

@Donna Brooks No. The biphobia in the lgtbq+ community is everywhere, bi people are constantly being asked to choose a side, or that it’s “just a phase”, not to mention religious people or just straight people in general who are from older generations either pretend they accept it, ignore it, or just are blatantly biphobic and kick them out of the house. Sorry for the run on sentence. All of these reasons and more are why sometimes, the best decision is to stay closeted until you have a stable living situation outside of you parents home.

[@jprgaming8]

It's weird seeing Ellie Chu in make-up after watching the movie.

[@mandy2917]

God I loved the movie so much! As an Asian-American person part of the lgbtq+ community I feel so happy about this representation! ❤️ 🌈

[@anahnam7262]

Alice Wu's work btw. Try to watch her other film, saving face.

[@marieberthe99]

Yasss

[@orksca5459]

ya except im not smart

[@thatonewithoutaprofile9722]

The film was very inspiring. I think we should have more movies like this. ♡ LGBTQ COMMUNITY

[@DonnaBrooks]

@@thatonewithoutaprofile9722 There are actually a lot of LGBTQ movies, TV shows, & web series, including stories of young people coming out & coming of age.

[@flyingcranes4596]

Alice Wu rocks! Easter egg- did you see Joan Chen’s pic as Ellie’s mom? Joan was also in Saving Face y’all!

[@yan-vn5oy]

big fan of joan chen

[@orksca5459]

DID SHE SAY PERFECT BOYFRIEND HOL UP- LMAO

[@adieslv]

I know most of my favourite lgbtq+ movies and tv shows the actors are always straight

[@Pink-dc4qi]

No he wasn't

[@felix3145]

This movie was everything! I loved seeing a queer POC lead w/ a nuanced take on platonic love and friendship. Wonderful interview ♥️

[@aly8950]

I hope to see Leah in more things. She’s amazing!

[@slat13]

Alice Wu, thank you! Love the movie!

[@Gadg3t_01]

OMW Alice Wu rocks - Loved Saving Face - Loved The Half of It, I was sad when it ended. Looking forward to more of Alice's movies as well as following the cast on what they do.

[@elinathania8690]

Leah becomes my new girl crush omg she is adorable

[@shlimazl5840]

ı loveeee it. Daniel, you're running very fast, man.

[@dsummerssummers15]

I really wish this would have gotten a sequel! Something titled like “The Other Half Of It” where Ellie and Aster are together 2 years later like Ellie said! I was sooooooooooo happy with the ending! I was like Ellie you better go back and kiss your girl!!!!!! Such a cute, wholesome movie that really speaks to the minorities and lets them know they matter and what they feel is valid!! 😍😍😍😍😍👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

[@doctoriata06]

Aw! The movie is so touching 😍😍

[@quasalor1480]

❤ love this movie, so grateful to Alice Wu for existing, as well as creating and sharing these amazing stories. ❤

[@Vee-tu1wx]

this is so cool and uplifting

[@DonnaBrooks]

You have only 787 subscribers. How in the HELL did you score an interview w/ the director & all 3 cast members? I guess you took a bold move. I'm impressed!

[@mazvitaselemani]

May I say... first of all the whole cast is gorgeous... but the actress who portrays Ellie Chu looks stunning☺️ she was already very attractive in the movie but in a cute nerdy way😅

[@mooncookies7803]

I love them all sooooo much they are such great people and were perfect roles for these characters!

[@elaineluberiano2585]

The cast and the Director are pure talent!

[@danagreen4543]

Excellent and well thought out questions that generated beautiful responses. The movie was exquisite and the acting compelling!!!

[@LP-MeAndMyShadow]

@7:12 Labels. So California. Alice Wu had a good answer So sick of labels.

[@DonnaBrooks]

Me too. Because society is more accepting of LGB people than before, "hetero" people, especially women, are more fluid in their sexuality & more open to a same sex relationship, whereas they would never have entertained the thought just 2 decades earlier. Netflix has an original series called "Dead to Me", & it's also about a very deep friendship between 2 women (it's great to see GOOD FRIENDSHIPS portrayed on TV & film, too!) & one of the women who has only dated men on the show starts a relationship w/ another woman & it is treated just like any other relationship. There's no hiding it from her housemate, no coming out scene, no surprised reaction, no questioning her identity. Nobody even says the words gay, lesbian, or bisexual. It's just treated in a matter of fact way, as if the love interest was a man. Having a female love interest is not a significant part of the story, any more than the person's eye color. It's a detail, not some seismic discovery. The show's creator & producer said she based it on the experiences of friends women she knew who fell in love with a woman in the their 30s & 40s. I am really glad I've lived to see this day. I really think it's the pressure to label oneself that has kept lots of people from exploring their same-sex attraction. If they could just be with someone they love w/o having to answer the questions, "Am I gay? Am I bi?", they could put that time & emotional energy into the relationship itself, bringing more happiness to both partners.

[@LP-MeAndMyShadow]

@@DonnaBrooks Yes! Now if the rest of Hollywood could catch up. It is frustrating and embarrassing to watch movies like that. It's as if they were written with degradation in mind. Alice Wu is a breath of fresh air.

[@Poln4]

as a Latin American bi who has crushes with Asian people, I also felt represented!

[@MM-bq9um]

I would also say that it is not a sex gender movie at all, it is about universal feelings: love, friendship, happiness. It is a deep and deliacte at the same time movie. thanks from Italy

[@DonnaBrooks]

Gender is completely irrelevant to this story. Sex is relevant to the extent that there are romantic feelings involved, which develop out of one's sexual attraction. Assuming Paul is hetero, he wouldn't have been attracted to Aster had she been a guy (well, maybe if he looked like a young George Clooney). We don't know if Ellie is lesbian or bi, but I think most people assume she's lesbian (b/c we've only ever seen her attracted to a girl). Sex & gender are not the same thing.

[@lyndavid9876]

Sana may part 2

[@szewei85]

Haha this is an asian flick with big difference with 2019 and 2020 has been the renaissance of asian hollywood representation🥰😘😍🤩

[@chiomunkpark9468]

i love everything about this 🥺🥺

[@jadeprevert]

I only saw the trailer, but I already love

[@Wats06071]

I think leah Lewis looks better in Ellie's character than like this. Anyway, This was a very charming movie, and I really had a great time watching it.

[@unstableratdog4179]

Ellie at the beginning kinda reminds me of every y/n

[@MelissaDeCastro768]

Where's the other half of it?

[@michellepauling7449]

alice wu is FIFTY??? Asian rlly don't raisin I guess

[@DonnaBrooks]

Don't raisin? You mean wrinkle? It's just a combination of genes & taking care of yourself (esp. not smoking). Plus not having the stress of raising kids. I've always looked 10-15 years younger than I am (well, not when I was 20, obviously LOL).

[@mcaelaz]

i love them so much🥺❤

[@carlesber69]

Paullie ❤️

[@xxcris20xx]

Wtf.

[@thatoneperson897]

Ew no

[@greycat8028]

Yuck

[@karendevera4342]

Why is it ew?

[@Arkangel77]

Movie was almost great and easily could have been had the director not become a bit self-indulgent in the 3rd act. Instead of making a movie about love which everyone can relate to she made a movie about being gay.

[@DonnaBrooks]

What? I didn't think the movie was ABOUT being gay. Neither Ellie nor Aster ever labels herself. Paul had to deal with it just b/c he's never had to think about it before & he'd always been told gay people were going to Hell so he freaks out when he thinks his friend is going to Hell & he tries to understand. I think that was organic to the story. I think the movie really steered clear of labels, in fact. Paul, who was hetero, and his mom are the only people who even use the word, "gay" and it was played as a comedy of errors even then.

[@garth56]

This is boring..I really wish I could have asked Alice..Sorry for the bad pun!!!

[@JETeva]

Love this interview!!!

[@noaeikelenboom2262]

2:05 hihi they put "I'm here" instead of "I'm queer"

[@TheSomeawesome]

the irony that it's this channel too haha

[@zieun1226]

I really love Leah's voice !

[@xxcris20xx]

I love Leah and Alexxis chemistry. It's so good! We need a sequel!

[@DonnaBrooks]

I thought they had great chemistry, too. I would be very interested to see a sequel of where these characters are in 2 or 5 years!

[@urgirlkaywii5550]

aster’s so prettyyyyy

[@rm454]

I adore how Alexxis answers the questions 😍😍😍 It’s very real...She’s very real!

[@EE-xw4sb]

I love this movie and it is a bummer that we are not seeing them all together and doing inteviews. It seems that they really have a good friendship with each othet

[@DonnaBrooks]

At least they are all together via technology! That's amazing to be able to do that. I don't think there's a big difference between this & seeing them all in the same room.

[@everynamesliterallybeentaken]

Isn't 'Hell is other people' sort of foreshadowed this love triangles, since it was quoted from 'No Exit' which concerns three characters locked up in hell and end up got involved in love triangle as well. And actually, this 'No Exit' was repeated in between the movie, when Paul mentioned about his 'No Exit' from the town, until the end when the quote showed up again.

[@DonnaBrooks]

Is _No Exit_ a novel, a play, or a short story? Who wrote it? Did Paul use the words, "No Exit"? I love insights like this.

[@everynamesliterallybeentaken]

Donna Brooks No Exit is a play written by Jean-Paul Sartre, a French Philosopher. It was first mentioned as an assignment in the class - for student to write about it, i guess. And Paul mentioned it in one scene when he talked about his interpretation about No Exit from the town.

[@StitchyDaze]

Cool interviews! The questions were great! I have to agree with the cast... it wasn’t a traditional they get together happy ending, but it was an awesome... “ I am going to college and I have cool friends and family to come back to” happy end... or really beginning. I’m older... and to finally see a young adult movie (because even though I’m older ... still a kid at heart)... that focuses on discovery, friendship, and family through a Cyrano de Bergerac misunderstanding.... so poetic ! Sorry but a lot of YA content tends too be super raunchy or glamorizes sex and tends to go super light on connection. Totally appreciate Alice Wu for Saving Face and now this movie... simple but complicated relationship feels... Thanks for the cool content...

[@pragyaagarwal7229]

I exactly felt that for the end. They all looked HAPPY! What else do you want from an end, right? I am so sick of people saying they should have ended up together. It's not about that. They finally got a sense of belonging in the world which is the best feeling ever!

[@spidersiri104]

i´m so in love with this movie that Netflix thinks that i´m giving my password for someone else to watch. I watched it like 5 times now! Today i watched 2 times! lol... great cast! They built an amazing atmosphere shooting this!

[@HERSTORYMUSIC]

Loved every second of this movie. We so need the other half of it! 🥰

[@meganmorgan5319]

This is amongst my favorite films, it's such a beautiful story and I believe it did actually have a happy ending, all the characters found something in themselves whereas they were looking before. Although, did they ever hint at making a sequel to this? Like maybe years down the road they all reunite?! In life we're all so worried about our destinations, but the simple truth is they would be meaningless without the journeys we take getting there. And to me life is the journey we all live, the choices we make, or don't. It's all the experiences we have who make us who we are. It's truly a beautiful chaos.

[@chlo3mak]

this movie makes me so happy, i love all the friendships and relationships between the characters so much.

[@adaraprestonblack1431]

ALICE WU THANKYOU FOR THE MOVIE...

[@xxcris20xx]

Perfect boyfriend?? Alexxis, my luv??? What are you saying? 😂

[@DonnaBrooks]

Yeah, it made me wonder if she ever saw the finished movie! Aster did not seem into him at all & he was only into himself. She also said she had a family who loves her a lot, but Astor compared her strict family to Nazis! I know he didn't have time for follow-up questions with these folks, but I would have def pushed back a little on that. Of course if I was interviewing her, I might be distracted by how beautiful she is! I wonder if maybe she meant that Astor SHOULD be happy with a handsome, popular boyfriend that everyone thinks is great & a family who, although strict in their religious beliefs, does love her, so that's comfortable when you are living in a small town & that's all anyone expects of you until this whole situation rocked the boat, to continue her metaphor.

[@RobinHood3000]

I read it as Alexxis saying how Trig is the perfect boyfriend on paper -- good-looking, well-off, fixture in the community. I don't think Alexxis would have been able to put forward the performance she did if she didn't understand, as an actor, what was wrong with Aster and Trig's relationship (and with Trig as an individual).

[@lyndavid9876]

I love the movie

[@striderreborn1467]

I know this is sort-of your definition of a "happy ending" but Aster should've also bitch-slapped Ellie for her equal part in Paul's deception. She smacks him but not Ellie?

[@the-vr4ek]

Strider Reborn you are right lol! But I think that slap was also meant for Ellie, but she couldn’t bring her self to do it. So she settled with slapping Paul. If you noticed, when she slapped Paul, she was keeping eye contact with Ellie the whole time.

[@chloeseb6884]

i think the whole point is, ellie hurt aster through paul, so now aster is hurting (i mean...physically this time lmao) ellie through paul too. taste of her own medicine kinda thing

[@DonnaBrooks]

@@chloeseb6884 Interesting perspective.

[@DonnaBrooks]

She was angry with Ellie. You saw that in their last scene. I'm glad Ellie said, "I'm sorry." ETA: But also, Aster had to have known that Paul initiated the whole thing & he was trying to get her under false pretenses, so while Ellie's guilty of her part (she should have said no), Paul does bear a greater share of the blame.

[@DonnaBrooks]

@@the-vr4ek I noticed that she looked at her the whole time from the reveal to the slap & only looked away when she turned to leave the church.

[@neeha480]

I love Alice Wu. She's so incredibly real and inspiring :0

[@TokyoDogz]

The movie was nice. Better than most cuz friendship. But i must say the scene where the two girls went to the secret place of Aster was random af lol like i was lost af at that moment

[@justsumteennn6778]

That moment confused me too. From a first time watcher Aster never showed signs of interest for Ellie before that scene so her being comfortable and open with Ellie was kinda out of character. But when you really observe Aster's behavior around her before and after that scene, you can tell she's always liked Ellie but never really had the courage to sit and evaluate her feelings. Sorry for the paragraph lol

[@TokyoDogz]

@@justsumteennn6778 as in the feeling was there, but she herself never noticed? No its okay. Its fun to exchange thoughts.

[@katiehuynh03]

Sometimes that’s how friendships/relationships start? Out of nowhere. I’ve had experiences where I’ve gone to school with someone for years and then all of a sudden they’re my best friend

[@justsumteennn6778]

@@TokyoDogz yeah, like it was pretty obvious aster was geeking when she was looking at her through the bathroom mirror sksksk

[@DonnaBrooks]

​@@justsumteennn6778 I saw Aster's interest in Ellie from the first time we see them together. The way she keeps eye contact was one thing I noticed, but there was something more intangible in the vibe between them that wasn't just her being friendly. In fact, the book she later gives Paul to read is the same title as the book Ellie dropped, & Astor commented on it when she handed it to her. So I think Astor felt something for Ellie all along. (Re your comment: It's sad we live in an age when you feel the need to apologize for asking people to read more than 1 sentence. No wonder we're becoming illiterate.)

[@izabellanunes6753]

I loved this interview! Such great questions!

[@camipco]

The subs translate Alice Wu saying "I'm queer" to "I'm here" and I'd like to imagine instead of an error, that's just filling in the next line of the classic chant...

[@heirling25]

Just watched. Great movie! Great script! Great cast!

[@glendaaxtell6397]

Leah aka Ellie seems smart in real life the way she spoke and also very talented!

[@Marlene837]

Alice Wu is smart and hot - I want that package!

[@elaineluberiano2585]

Ellie Chu is so professional and amazing!

[@pastaman825]

I think that what defines you isn't what you do, its what you’re most afraid of, what you won't do.

[@DonnaBrooks]

*you're* It's a contraction for "you are". (ETA: I like your comment. I'm going to have to think about that.)

[@dadsonworldwide3238]

Cute movie but Actually, I think that every movie for years portrays a lead or main character that LGBTQ with color.even Multiple at times. Nothing against it but it's over portrayed compared to how not so common it is.might have a friend at some point in life but every group or click doesn't have that friend. I see more portrayed than I actually meet in life .

[@DonnaBrooks]

That's interesting. Tell me more. Do you live in an urban area where there are a lot of minorities? You mention that every movie for years has portrayed a main character who is LGBTQ person of color. I don't watch many movies. Could you list some of them, please? I tend to follow love stories between women on TV more than film, but I know of no lesbian or bi women characters of Asian descent in AMERICAN films since Saving Face in 2004. There have been films from Asian countries, of course, like Yes or No, and there was a gay male from a Chinese family in "The Wedding Banquet", which was an American film. I can't recall any others. Are you including TV characters??

[@outkast978]

lol at 1 movie very few years (Or even multiple?!?!) featuring LGBTQ characters and that being a sign of over portrayal. Do you know how many movies get released every year, and what percentage of the population is LGBTQ?

[@dadsonworldwide3238]

@@outkast978 Idk the total pop but I do know that 350 million Americans don't have one of everything friend clicks. In fact I havnt seen a teen or adult drama representative of normal everyday clicks on tv in over a decade. Its not just that 1 gay silly friend no one hangs out with 1 Asian 1 trans 1 this 1 that lol Just based on our capita they cant even they want to lol

[@dadsonworldwide3238]

@@outkast978 minority of minority of minorities are so over represented its just silly .. I do have lgb nieghbor and they don't hang out or surround themselves with straight people intentionally. Lol People like to be around likeminded people of sorts. Doesn't have to be a conspiracy or even mean anything other than they just want to be around people that share their views. It is hard to find a movie these days that you can reflect or recognize and get into because of this. Movie click types are very annoying

[@outkast978]

@@dadsonworldwide3238 What are the movies/tv shows that feature 'one of everything cliques'?