My Weekend Crush

Few films lesbian films are as underrated, or stand up so well, as “Saving Face.” So I’m thrilled that the movie continues to receive well-deserved flowers. The movie celebrated its 20th anniversary (gulp) by being selected for the Criterion Collection and having an all-star reunion with writer-director Alice Wu and stars Michelle Krusiec and Lynn Chen. I’d like to think Wilhelmina and Vivian are still together, and Viv is still teasing Wil and making her blush on the regular. I guess it’s time for a rewatch. Happy weekend, all.

My Weekend Crush

Well, now, here is what I think classifies as some very, very good news. The long (long, long, like 16 years long) awaited follow-up to writer-director’s Alice Wu’s 2006 debut film “Saving Face” is out in exactly one week. “The Half of It” debuted on Netflix May 1, and from the trailer it looks like it will be well worth have been worth the wait. What sounds like on its surface a teenage retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac with a queer twist looks both sweet and sincere. But then, if you’ve seen “Saving Face” once (or like dozens and dozens of times, what, it’s one of the few good lesbian movies) that should come as no surprise. I’m also pretty thrilled the movie isn’t going down the usual, clichéd “dumb jock” route. The world could use more depictions of genuinely kind-hearted and empathetic young men. And the world could also use more depictions of nerdy, smart, super-shy and super-gay Asian-American girls. But, you know, I may be biased on that note. Happy safe and healthy weekend, all.

Saving This Year

While there’s a lot NOT to look forward to in 2020 (like, I’m already so exhausted and the general election hasn’t even fucking started yet…), there are still many wonderful things to look forward to. And one of the biggest is a new Alice Wu movie. Alice, if you’ll recall, wrote and directed the utterly delightful “Saving Face,” which is easily among my Top 10 favorite lesbian films of all time. But after such an assured and nuanced debut, she basically disappeared from the film landscape. Now, 16 years later, we’re finally getting her follow-up.

As reported last April, “The Half of It” which is a modern and queer reimagining of the classic Cyrano de Bergerac story.

The description per Netflix:

“Shy, straight-A student Ellie is hired by sweet but inarticulate jock Paul who needs help wooing the most popular girl in school. But their new & unlikely friendship gets tricky when Ellie discovers she has feelings for the same girl. From writer/director Alice Wu.”

Ellie Chu is played by Leah Lewis, who had roles in the new “Nancy Drew” series and “Charmed” reboot on the CW. Relative newcomer Alexxis Lemire plays “the most popular girl in school” Aster Flores. And the And “inarticulate jock” Paul Munsky is played by other relative newcomer Daniel Diemer. Man, how’d you like “inarticulate jock” on your resume?



The film was shot last year, and wrapped in June. Now we’re just waiting - rather impatiently - for it to drop on Netflix.

After wrapping, Leah posted this about the film on her Instagram:
“This story is so special. The people attached to this are even more special. I raise a glass to our incredible director Alice Wu. It is her golden mind that planted these ideas, her heart that has sewn it all together…”



I mean, look how cute they look together. My heart, my damn heart.

Saving Sequel

If you’re anything like me you consider “Saving Face” among the best lesbian rom-coms of all time. Sweet, well-acted and nicely-paced, the film was a refreshing look at being queer as a young, modern Asian-American woman growing up in a tight-knit immigrant community. You know, the kind of stuff Hollywood doesn’t even do that much of even when it’s straight stories.

So now, 15 years later, we finally get a follow-up film from “Saving Face” filmmaker Alice Wu. (Yes, I too raised an eyebrow at the fact that it took Wu 15 years to get a chance at a follow-up film when rando white male directors get one film into a festival and are promptly signed to helm a three-film, billion-dollar franchise.)

Netflix has picked up the project, called “The Half of It,” which is being billed as a teenage retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac with a queer twist.

It’s about “a shy, introverted, Chinese-American, straight-A student finds herself helping the school jock woo the girl they both secretly love. In the process, each teaches the other about the nature of love as they find connection in the most unlikely of places.”

As delightful as “Saving Face” was, I have no doubt “The Half of It” will be a wonderful, and very very welcome, addition to the LGBTQ pantheon of movies. Now, if we can get Alice to make her next movie in fewer than 15 years, we’ll really be getting somewhere.