#59 - Netflix’s The Half of It | Directed by Alice Wu (with Dr. Terry Dornak of Hello Wonderful Podcast)

Tune in as Dr. Terry Dornak (Hello Wonderful Podcast) stops by the show to chat with Arthur about Netflix’s The Half of it, the 2020 coming-of-age movie that follows introverted teenager Ellie Chu as she pens love letters on behalf of inarticulate jock Paul Munsky and sends them off to his crush Aster Flores. The catch: Ellie herself has caught feelings for Aster as well. On top of breaking down this queer and contemporary spin on Cyrano de Bergerac, Arthur and Terry address the usage of media like films and podcasts to process life experiences, the conservative attitudes that drive bigotry and ignorance in small-town communities, and the smell of freshly baked flour. Written and directed by Alice Wu (Saving Face), The Half of It stars Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, Alexxis Lemire, Collin Chou, Wolfgang Novogratz, Becky Ann Baker, Catherine Curtin, and Enrique Murciano. Spoilers start at 32:30 • Terry: Saving Face • Arthur: Netflix’s First Kill Reach out at [email protected] if you want to recommend things to watch and read, share anecdotes, or just say hello! Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or any of your preferred podcasting platforms! Follow Arthur on Twitter, Goodpods, StoryGraph, and Letterboxd: @arthur_ant18 Follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram: @two_centscritic Follow Arthur on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144101970-arthur-howell