The director opens up about her new Netflix film, a Cyrano-que tale which a gay high schooler helps an earnt jock w over the girl they’ve both fallen for.
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- ALICE WU’S THE HALF OF IT IS A THOROUGHLY MORN QUEER ROMANCETHE DIRECTOR OPENS UP ABOUT HER NEW NETFLIX FILM, A CYRANO-QUE TALE WHICH A GAY HIGH SCHOOLER HELPS AN EARNT JOCK W OVER THE GIRL THEY’VE BOTH FALLEN FOR.BY BRANDON YUAPRIL 28, 2020BY KC BAILEY/NETFLIX.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEAMONG THE FE TALOG OF SCENARS WHICH A PERSON MIGHT E TO TERMS WH THEIR OWN QUEERNS, ALICE WU’S VERSN WAS, BY HER OWN ADMISSN, A B ON THE NOSE. IN LLEGE, WU’S FEMIST-STUDI CLASS ASKED S STUNTS TO WRE HYPOTHETIL G-OUT LETTERS TO THEIR PARENTS. WU RERD HERS VOLLY WHILE BLASTG CAT STEVENS’S “THE WD”—ALL WHILE HIDG HER CLOSET FOR FEAR OF HER ROOMMATE HEARG.“I’M GOG ON AND ON ABOUT THIS, AND I FALLY GET TO THE END, AND I’M LIKE, WELL, I SUPPOSE I’VE WRTEN SO MUCH ABOUT THIS BEE I AM GAY. SO THERE. I’VE SAID ,” THE FILMMAKER RELLED RECENTLY OM SAN FRANCIS, WHERE SHE LIV. “THAT WAS LERALLY THE MOMENT I ME OUT TO MYSELF. AND I REMEMBER THKG, I AM STG MY CLOSET, G OUT OF THE CLOSET. IF I WERE TO PUT THIS A MOVIE, PEOPLE WOULD BE LIKE, THAT IS JT CHEAP SYMBOLISM.”WHEN WU DID E OUT TO HER MOTHER—THE BELOVED CENTRAL FORCE OF HER LIFE, SOMEONE A WARMLY CHATTY WU N’T HELP RAMBLG ON ABOUT LIKE AN ENGE KICKG TO HIGH GEAR—THE PROCS DIDN’T GO SMOOTHLY. THE TWO OF THEM EVENTUALLY MA UP, AND YEARS LATER, THE EXPERIENCE MA S WAY TO A MOVIE: THE DIRECTOR’S 2004 BUT FILM, SAVG FACE. BUT WU’S LATT FILM, THE HALF OF IT—STREAMG ON NETFLIX ON MAY 1—THERE IS NO SUCH MOMENT.THE NEW MOVIE’S PROTAGONIST, ELLIE (LEAH LEWIS), IS A GAY HIGH SCHOOLER LIVG WH HER WIDOWED CHE IMMIGRANT FATHER A WHE, NSERVATIVE SMALL TOWN. BUT WHILE ELLIE STGGL TO PROFS HER LOVE TO HER POPULAR CLASSMATE ASTER (ALEXXIS LEMIRE), SHE IS NEVER EXPLICLY AT ODDS WH HER OWN SEXUALY. IN THE HALF OF IT, A CYRANO-QUE TALE WHICH ELLIE ENDS UP HELPG EARNT JOCK PL (DANIEL DIEMER) W ASTER’S AFFECTNS—FDG A MEANGFUL IENDSHIP WH PL THE PROCS—QUEERNS IS NEVER AMED AS AN TERNALIZED AFFLICTN OR A MEANS TO TRMA.IT’S A SUBTLE DIGNY THAT’S OFTEN NOT GRANTED TO CHARACTERS LIKE ELLIE. “Y, OBVLY I’VE HAD TO AL WH HOMOPHOBIA MY LIFE. BUT ’S NOT LIKE WHEN I WAKE UP THE MORNG I THK, ANOTHER DAY THAT NTENDS WH HOMOPHOBIA,” WU SAID WH A LGH. “I JT LIVE MY LIFE, RIGHT? BUT I FEEL LIKE SO OFTEN A STORY THAT HAS A ‘MARGALIZED’ CHARACTER—’S ENTIRELY ABOUT THAT PERSON’S STGGLE, ABOUT THAT THG.”THAT’S THE TIRED NARRATIVE SOME VIEWERS WANTED TO FOIST UPON SAVG FACE, WHICH FOCED ON A GAY CHE-AMERIN SURGEON AND HER UNEXPECTEDLY PREGNANT MOTHER. LTLE-SEEN UPON S RELEASE, WU’S BUT HAS SCE BEE A TOUCHSTONE FOR S RADIL SP ON THE MERCIAL-FILM ROMANCE. THE MOVIE IS ALMOST SOLELY POPULATED BY ASIAN FAC. IT PARS THE DYNAMICS OF THREE GENERATNS OF AN IMMIGRANT FAY AND THEIR PLITED RELATNSHIPS TO FILIAL SHAME AND REPRSN. IT NSIRS A MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN’S SEXUALY, AND NOT AS A JOKE. MOST OF ALL, RPECTS S QUEER CHARACTERS AND (SPOILER ALERT!) ACTUALLY OFFERS THEM A ROM-’S HAPPY ENDG—A CISN TO WHICH SOME CRICS OBJECTED, SAYG RENRED THE FILM A MDL FAIRY TALE.WU, OF URSE, DISAGRE. “I THK FOUGHT AGAST SOME SORT OF NARRATIVE THAT PEOPLE WANTED TO BELIEVE ABOUT WHAT MEANT TO BE ASIAN AMERIN, OR WHAT MEANT TO BE QUEER,” SHE SAID. “THAT HAPPY ENDGS ARE NOT REALLY FOR . OUR LIV ARE FULL OF STGGLE, AND THAT’S OUR NARRATIVE.” COULD AN ENDG LIKE THE ONE WU WROTE FOR SAVG FACE REALLY HAPPEN? “I HOPE SO,” WU REMEMBERED THKG. “I KNOW THAT IF I NEVER EVER GET TO SEE THOSE IMAG, HOW ULD I BELIEVE THAT ULD HAPPEN FOR ME?”NOWADAYS THAT ENDG IS NO LONGER NTROVERSIAL; THE WORLD, WU SAID, HAS CHANGED. BUT MANY WAYS HOLLYWOOD HAS BEEN SLOW TO FOLLOW SU. EVEN SOME 15 YEARS LATER, A MASTREAM FILM THAT CENTERS A LBIAN OR SIMPLY A CHE-AMERIN GIRL FEELS REMARKABLY NEW.WU SPENT THOSE YEARS LARGELY AWAY OM THE DTRY, MOVG TO SAN FRANCIS TO HELP HER MOTHER, WHO HAD FALLEN TEMPORARILY ILL. SHE FOUND AN UNORTHODOX WAY TO MOTIVATE HERSELF TO GET BACK TO FILM WORK: “I WROTE A CHECK FOR $1,000 TO THE NRA, AND I GAVE TO MY IEND,” WU RELLED. SHE GAVE HERSELF FIVE WEEKS TO WRE THE SCRIPT FOR THE HALF OF IT, LT THE CHECK BE SENT AND SHED.MOST POPULARSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISRUTH HANDLER: SEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM AND THE ORIG OF BARBIEBY ANTHONY BREZNINWU SUCCSFULLY PLETED A DRAFT A STRSFUL FLURRY, PERHAPS PARTLY BEE THE IA FOR THE FILM HAD BEEN GERMATG FOR ALMOST A . THE UNLIKELY IENDSHIP THAT BLOSSOMS BETWEEN ELLIE AND PL IS BASED ON A IENDSHIP WU HAD WH A STRAIGHT WHE MAN OM THE HEARTLAND HER 20S, AND S EVENTUAL DISSIPATN.THE FILM ULTIMATELY VIAT OM WU’S LIFE—BUT THE RE OF HER IAL IA REMAS. THAT’S WHAT MAK THE HALF OF IT FEEL PECIALLY NOVEL. “WHEN I WAS WRG, I WAS TRYG TO AL WH THE QUTN: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MEET YOUR SOUL MATE, BUT YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO SIRE TO HAVE SEX WH THEM?” WU SAID. WHILE THE HALF OF IT RRI THE TRAPPGS OF THE HIGH SCHOOL ROM-—THE JOCK, THE VISIBLE NERD, THE BETIFUL, POPULAR GIRL— LARGELY EXPLOS THE GENRE AS PROGRS.AS ELLIE AND PL WORK TOGETHER, THEIR VERSN OF A HAPPY ENDG BE LS ABOUT WHO ENDS UP WH WHOM. “THAT’S REALLY JT A RED HERRG. WHO GETS THE GIRL—NOT ONLY IS NOT THE IMPORTANT THG THIS MOVIE, ’S NOT THE IMPORTANT THG LIFE,” WU SAID. “THE IMPORTANT THG LIFE IS WHO YOU END UP NNECTG WH THAT ENDS UP HELPG YOU BEE THE PERSON YOU NEED TO BE.”IN WU’S TELLG, THE SHY, QUEER CHE GIRL IS THE ONE ON THE PATH TO SELF-ACTUALIZATN. DPE HIS ENLISTG ELLIE’S EXPERTISE, PL, THE STRAIGHT WHE JOCK, IS THE ONE ASSISTG HER JOURNEY.BUT PL IS ALSO THE KD OF PERSON WU HOP WILL WD UP WATCHG HER FILM. THOUGH HER SCRIPT ATTRACTED TWO OTHER VELOPMENT OFFERS, SHE WOUND UP CHOOSG NETFLIX PART BEE SHE KNEW THE STREAMG SERVICE ULD HELP LIVER HER WORK TO THE TYP OF FAI THAT POPULATE SMALL TOWNS LIKE THE ONE AT THE CENTER OF THE HALF OF IT. THEY MIGHT CI TO WATCH THE FILM BEE THEY THK ’S A STANDARD-SEEMG ROM-, THEN WD UP UNWTGLY DRAWN TO ELLIE’S STORY.“YOUR HOPE IS THAT SOMEONE OUT OF WATCHG SOMETHG, AND THEY SOMEHOW FEEL ENLARGED SOME WAY TERMS OF THEIR SIRE TO NNECT WH HUMANY,” WU SAID. “IF I ULD GET A 17-YEAR-OLD, STRAIGHT, NSERVATIVE WHE BOY TO RELATE TO THIS ASIAN AMERIN IMMIGRANT, POSSIBLY CLOSETED GIRL, OR MAYBE HER DAD, THEN I’VE WON.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— BEHOLD DUNE: AN EXCLIVE LOOK AT TIMOTHéE CHALAMET, ZENDAYA, OSR ISAAC, AND MORE— HOW TO WATCH EVERY MARVEL MOVIE ORR— DAVID SIMON ON THE WIRE AND HIS EQUALLY PISSED-OFF NEW SHOW, THE PLOT AGAST AMERI— BEYOND TIGER KG: 8 TE-CRIME DOCUMENTARI THAT SPARKED A SEND LOOK FROM THE LAW— DOWNTON ABBEY’S JULIAN FELLOW ON HIS NEW SERI AND THE BETY OF A SCHEMG WOMAN— ALL THE NEW 2020 MOVI STREAMG EARLY BEE OF CORONAVIS— FROM THE ARCHIVE: THE NOTOR RIVALRY OF HEDDA HOPPER AND LOUELLA PARSONS, HOLLYWOOD’S DUELG GOSSIP COLUMNISTSLOOKG FOR MORE? SIGN UP FOR OUR DAILY HOLLYWOOD NEWSLETTER AND NEVER MISS A STORY.BRANDON YU
- TOM HOLLAND’S GAY SEX SCENE SETS SOCIAL MEDIA ALIGHT AFTER THE ACTOR SAID PLAYG THE ROLE ‘BROKE HIM’
- ‘THE HALF OF IT’ FILM REVIEW: ‘CYRANO BERGERAC’ GETS A GAY HIGH SCHOOL SP
ALICE WU’S THE HALF OF IT IS A THOROUGHLY MORN QUEER ROMANCETHE DIRECTOR OPENS UP ABOUT HER NEW NETFLIX FILM, A CYRANO-QUE TALE WHICH A GAY HIGH SCHOOLER HELPS AN EARNT JOCK W OVER THE GIRL THEY’VE BOTH FALLEN FOR.BY BRANDON YUAPRIL 28, 2020BY KC BAILEY/NETFLIX.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEAMONG THE FE TALOG OF SCENARS WHICH A PERSON MIGHT E TO TERMS WH THEIR OWN QUEERNS, ALICE WU’S VERSN WAS, BY HER OWN ADMISSN, A B ON THE NOSE. IN LLEGE, WU’S FEMIST-STUDI CLASS ASKED S STUNTS TO WRE HYPOTHETIL G-OUT LETTERS TO THEIR PARENTS. WU RERD HERS VOLLY WHILE BLASTG CAT STEVENS’S “THE WD”—ALL WHILE HIDG HER CLOSET FOR FEAR OF HER ROOMMATE HEARG.“I’M GOG ON AND ON ABOUT THIS, AND I FALLY GET TO THE END, AND I’M LIKE, WELL, I SUPPOSE I’VE WRTEN SO MUCH ABOUT THIS BEE I AM GAY. SO THERE. I’VE SAID ,” THE FILMMAKER RELLED RECENTLY OM SAN FRANCIS, WHERE SHE LIV. “THAT WAS LERALLY THE MOMENT I ME OUT TO MYSELF. AND I REMEMBER THKG, I AM STG MY CLOSET, G OUT OF THE CLOSET. IF I WERE TO PUT THIS A MOVIE, PEOPLE WOULD BE LIKE, THAT IS JT CHEAP SYMBOLISM.”WHEN WU DID E OUT TO HER MOTHER—THE BELOVED CENTRAL FORCE OF HER LIFE, SOMEONE A WARMLY CHATTY WU N’T HELP RAMBLG ON ABOUT LIKE AN ENGE KICKG TO HIGH GEAR—THE PROCS DIDN’T GO SMOOTHLY. THE TWO OF THEM EVENTUALLY MA UP, AND YEARS LATER, THE EXPERIENCE MA S WAY TO A MOVIE: THE DIRECTOR’S 2004 BUT FILM, SAVG FACE. BUT WU’S LATT FILM, THE HALF OF IT—STREAMG ON NETFLIX ON MAY 1—THERE IS NO SUCH MOMENT.THE NEW MOVIE’S PROTAGONIST, ELLIE (LEAH LEWIS), IS A GAY HIGH SCHOOLER LIVG WH HER WIDOWED CHE IMMIGRANT FATHER A WHE, NSERVATIVE SMALL TOWN. BUT WHILE ELLIE STGGL TO PROFS HER LOVE TO HER POPULAR CLASSMATE ASTER (ALEXXIS LEMIRE), SHE IS NEVER EXPLICLY AT ODDS WH HER OWN SEXUALY. IN THE HALF OF IT, A CYRANO-QUE TALE WHICH ELLIE ENDS UP HELPG EARNT JOCK PL (DANIEL DIEMER) W ASTER’S AFFECTNS—FDG A MEANGFUL IENDSHIP WH PL THE PROCS—QUEERNS IS NEVER AMED AS AN TERNALIZED AFFLICTN OR A MEANS TO TRMA.IT’S A SUBTLE DIGNY THAT’S OFTEN NOT GRANTED TO CHARACTERS LIKE ELLIE. “Y, OBVLY I’VE HAD TO AL WH HOMOPHOBIA MY LIFE. BUT ’S NOT LIKE WHEN I WAKE UP THE MORNG I THK, ANOTHER DAY THAT NTENDS WH HOMOPHOBIA,” WU SAID WH A LGH. “I JT LIVE MY LIFE, RIGHT? BUT I FEEL LIKE SO OFTEN A STORY THAT HAS A ‘MARGALIZED’ CHARACTER—’S ENTIRELY ABOUT THAT PERSON’S STGGLE, ABOUT THAT THG.”THAT’S THE TIRED NARRATIVE SOME VIEWERS WANTED TO FOIST UPON SAVG FACE, WHICH FOCED ON A GAY CHE-AMERIN SURGEON AND HER UNEXPECTEDLY PREGNANT MOTHER. LTLE-SEEN UPON S RELEASE, WU’S BUT HAS SCE BEE A TOUCHSTONE FOR S RADIL SP ON THE MERCIAL-FILM ROMANCE. THE MOVIE IS ALMOST SOLELY POPULATED BY ASIAN FAC. IT PARS THE DYNAMICS OF THREE GENERATNS OF AN IMMIGRANT FAY AND THEIR PLITED RELATNSHIPS TO FILIAL SHAME AND REPRSN. IT NSIRS A MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN’S SEXUALY, AND NOT AS A JOKE. MOST OF ALL, RPECTS S QUEER CHARACTERS AND (SPOILER ALERT!) ACTUALLY OFFERS THEM A ROM-’S HAPPY ENDG—A CISN TO WHICH SOME CRICS OBJECTED, SAYG RENRED THE FILM A MDL FAIRY TALE.WU, OF URSE, DISAGRE. “I THK FOUGHT AGAST SOME SORT OF NARRATIVE THAT PEOPLE WANTED TO BELIEVE ABOUT WHAT MEANT TO BE ASIAN AMERIN, OR WHAT MEANT TO BE QUEER,” SHE SAID. “THAT HAPPY ENDGS ARE NOT REALLY FOR . OUR LIV ARE FULL OF STGGLE, AND THAT’S OUR NARRATIVE.” COULD AN ENDG LIKE THE ONE WU WROTE FOR SAVG FACE REALLY HAPPEN? “I HOPE SO,” WU REMEMBERED THKG. “I KNOW THAT IF I NEVER EVER GET TO SEE THOSE IMAG, HOW ULD I BELIEVE THAT ULD HAPPEN FOR ME?”NOWADAYS THAT ENDG IS NO LONGER NTROVERSIAL; THE WORLD, WU SAID, HAS CHANGED. BUT MANY WAYS HOLLYWOOD HAS BEEN SLOW TO FOLLOW SU. EVEN SOME 15 YEARS LATER, A MASTREAM FILM THAT CENTERS A LBIAN OR SIMPLY A CHE-AMERIN GIRL FEELS REMARKABLY NEW.WU SPENT THOSE YEARS LARGELY AWAY OM THE DTRY, MOVG TO SAN FRANCIS TO HELP HER MOTHER, WHO HAD FALLEN TEMPORARILY ILL. SHE FOUND AN UNORTHODOX WAY TO MOTIVATE HERSELF TO GET BACK TO FILM WORK: “I WROTE A CHECK FOR $1,000 TO THE NRA, AND I GAVE TO MY IEND,” WU RELLED. SHE GAVE HERSELF FIVE WEEKS TO WRE THE SCRIPT FOR THE HALF OF IT, LT THE CHECK BE SENT AND SHED.MOST POPULARSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISRUTH HANDLER: SEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM AND THE ORIG OF BARBIEBY ANTHONY BREZNINWU SUCCSFULLY PLETED A DRAFT A STRSFUL FLURRY, PERHAPS PARTLY BEE THE IA FOR THE FILM HAD BEEN GERMATG FOR ALMOST A . THE UNLIKELY IENDSHIP THAT BLOSSOMS BETWEEN ELLIE AND PL IS BASED ON A IENDSHIP WU HAD WH A STRAIGHT WHE MAN OM THE HEARTLAND HER 20S, AND S EVENTUAL DISSIPATN.THE FILM ULTIMATELY VIAT OM WU’S LIFE—BUT THE RE OF HER IAL IA REMAS. THAT’S WHAT MAK THE HALF OF IT FEEL PECIALLY NOVEL. “WHEN I WAS WRG, I WAS TRYG TO AL WH THE QUTN: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MEET YOUR SOUL MATE, BUT YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO SIRE TO HAVE SEX WH THEM?” WU SAID. WHILE THE HALF OF IT RRI THE TRAPPGS OF THE HIGH SCHOOL ROM-—THE JOCK, THE VISIBLE NERD, THE BETIFUL, POPULAR GIRL— LARGELY EXPLOS THE GENRE AS PROGRS.AS ELLIE AND PL WORK TOGETHER, THEIR VERSN OF A HAPPY ENDG BE LS ABOUT WHO ENDS UP WH WHOM. “THAT’S REALLY JT A RED HERRG. WHO GETS THE GIRL—NOT ONLY IS NOT THE IMPORTANT THG THIS MOVIE, ’S NOT THE IMPORTANT THG LIFE,” WU SAID. “THE IMPORTANT THG LIFE IS WHO YOU END UP NNECTG WH THAT ENDS UP HELPG YOU BEE THE PERSON YOU NEED TO BE.”IN WU’S TELLG, THE SHY, QUEER CHE GIRL IS THE ONE ON THE PATH TO SELF-ACTUALIZATN. DPE HIS ENLISTG ELLIE’S EXPERTISE, PL, THE STRAIGHT WHE JOCK, IS THE ONE ASSISTG HER JOURNEY.BUT PL IS ALSO THE KD OF PERSON WU HOP WILL WD UP WATCHG HER FILM. THOUGH HER SCRIPT ATTRACTED TWO OTHER VELOPMENT OFFERS, SHE WOUND UP CHOOSG NETFLIX PART BEE SHE KNEW THE STREAMG SERVICE ULD HELP LIVER HER WORK TO THE TYP OF FAI THAT POPULATE SMALL TOWNS LIKE THE ONE AT THE CENTER OF THE HALF OF IT. THEY MIGHT CI TO WATCH THE FILM BEE THEY THK ’S A STANDARD-SEEMG ROM-, THEN WD UP UNWTGLY DRAWN TO ELLIE’S STORY.“YOUR HOPE IS THAT SOMEONE OUT OF WATCHG SOMETHG, AND THEY SOMEHOW FEEL ENLARGED SOME WAY TERMS OF THEIR SIRE TO NNECT WH HUMANY,” WU SAID. “IF I ULD GET A 17-YEAR-OLD, STRAIGHT, NSERVATIVE WHE BOY TO RELATE TO THIS ASIAN AMERIN IMMIGRANT, POSSIBLY CLOSETED GIRL, OR MAYBE HER DAD, THEN I’VE WON.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— BEHOLD DUNE: AN EXCLIVE LOOK AT TIMOTHéE CHALAMET, ZENDAYA, OSR ISAAC, AND MORE— HOW TO WATCH EVERY MARVEL MOVIE ORR— DAVID SIMON ON THE WIRE AND HIS EQUALLY PISSED-OFF NEW SHOW, THE PLOT AGAST AMERI— BEYOND TIGER KG: 8 TE-CRIME DOCUMENTARI THAT SPARKED A SEND LOOK FROM THE LAW— DOWNTON ABBEY’S JULIAN FELLOW ON HIS NEW SERI AND THE BETY OF A SCHEMG WOMAN— ALL THE NEW 2020 MOVI STREAMG EARLY BEE OF CORONAVIS— FROM THE ARCHIVE: THE NOTOR RIVALRY OF HEDDA HOPPER AND LOUELLA PARSONS, HOLLYWOOD’S DUELG GOSSIP COLUMNISTSLOOKG FOR MORE? SIGN UP FOR OUR DAILY HOLLYWOOD NEWSLETTER AND NEVER MISS A STORY.BRANDON YU
Bee here's the thg, I didn't want this to be a story of this girl wak up and has to ntend wh homophobia immediately. The thg is, for me particular - I’m glad you're askg this bee this really gets to the heart of why I set where I did - I told you that when I fally started wrg the first draft, Tmp had already been elected and I was probably like a lot of people - 's not like I didn't know sexism and racism and homophobia existed, of urse I know existed, but I thk I jt assumed maybe jt somehow I had e to this belief that we were always progrsg as a untry, and we're all tryg to work on and we're all gettg better.
My parents were totally racist and sexist and homophobic, and so was I. ’ And the thg is, even today, I would still say I'm sexist and racist and homophobic and transphobic, even though I'm an old Asian dyke, right?
TOM HOLLAND’S GAY SEX SCENE SETS SOCIAL MEDIA ALIGHT AFTER THE ACTOR SAID PLAYG THE ROLE ‘BROKE HIM’
“I’m gog on and on about this, and I fally get to the end, and I’m like, Well, I suppose I’ve wrten so much about this bee I am gay. But Wu’s latt film, The Half of It—streamg on Netflix on May 1—there is no such new movie’s protagonist, Ellie (Leah Lewis), is a gay high schooler livg wh her widowed Che immigrant father a whe, nservative small town.
“Y, obvly I’ve had to al wh homophobia my life. But ’s not like when I wake up the morng I thk, Another day that ntends wh homophobia, ” Wu said wh a lgh. ”That’s the tired narrative some viewers wanted to foist upon Savg Face, which foced on a gay Che-Amerin surgeon and her unexpectedly pregnant mother.
‘THE HALF OF IT’ FILM REVIEW: ‘CYRANO BERGERAC’ GETS A GAY HIGH SCHOOL SP
He was so good at treatg me no differently when he found out I was gay. I'm cur why you cid to set The Half of It a place where the ma character feels so culturally isolated, addn to her beg gay. The Half of It film review: gay Che teen romance on Netflix marks belated return of Alice Wu, director of Savg Face.
He fds difficult to accept her homosexualy and matas a distance om her for a while. As his iendship grows wh Ellie, he falls love wh her, but then realiz that she is gay.
Pl also needs to e this time to sudnly reveal that he thks beg gay is a s, even though that’s not somethg that has been tablished as part of his character to that pot. All of this to a head what is somehow simultaneoly the movie’s bt and worst scene, a nontatn set at the same church we’re supposed to blame for Pl’s surprise homophobia. ‘Tom Holland gay sex ma me google The Crowd Room real quick, ’ another trigued viewer shared.