500 Days of Summer: A Movie Review
500 days of summer is a 2009 comedy romance that explores a young man’s recollection of a past relationship as he attempts to figure out what went wrong. The film centers around Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Summer (Zooey Deschanel), as Tom retells the story of a complicated relationship, and challenges traditional rom-com structure through unrequited love and the bittersweet world of expectation.
Summary:
Tom Hansen is considered a hopeless romantic as he holds his belief in fate strongly, however Summer Finn (a woman skeptical of love) avoids this complexity. They form a strong bond and become close, but Summer states she doesn’t want anything serious. Tom overlooks the red flags sure they’re destined for each other, but their relationship crumbles leaving him crushed.
As Tom looks back on their time, he sees he put Summer on a pedestal and turned a blind eye to their real differences. With time, he bounces back, leaves his job, and chases his dream of architecture. At the end, he encounters someone new suggesting a fresh chapter and the notion that love can show up when you least expect it.
Review:
From the film’s opening narration, it begins with a scene panning to Summer and Tom on day 488 of knowing each other, pictured in a dreamy atmosphere, as they sit together on a bench smiling. The narrator notes, “This is a story of boy meets girl”. This simple shot portrays the height of their relationship, and then quickly returns back to day 1, the beginning of their relationship. As the screen then pans to black after capturing a walking frame of Summer he then cleverly notes critically, “This is a story of boy meets girl, but you should know up front, this isn’t a love story”.
One of the film’s strong sides is that it does not have the typical structure, which reflects how we remember the past, by recalling confusedly the ups and downs of life, and due to this framework Tom’s life feels more personal and real. Joseph Gordon-Levitt portrays the excitement and sorrow of one-sided love, whereas Zoey Deschanel’s character Summer is a mystery—not egoistic or harsh, but simply vocal about her own feelings. From the opening credits that divide home videos of two separate lives as they progress throughout their childhood with “These Days” by Nico playing, adding to the nostalgia of it all, to when they are in the elevator and she iconically notes “I love The Smiths” as noise escapes from Tom’s headphones, we are posed with the ideal starter connection between two individuals. Although, they would end up being farther from similar to one other than what’s above the surface. Later, we are met with the true reveal of complexity between Tom and Summer.
From the visual perspective, the film’s dreamy and indie charm adds to its emotional appeal, along with innovative editing and standout songs, which stuck out in the overall scheme. The “Expectations vs. Reality” part is the most striking, as it powerfully demonstrates the misunderstanding between our desire and what actually takes place.
500 Days of Summer is not just a love story, but it’s about personal growth. The film is a testament to the fact that bonds do not always develop mutually, and individuals may not fit in the molds we cast them into. Sometimes adversity can lead to newfound self-discovery. At the end of the film Tom meets another girl named Autumn, which foreshadows new beginnings, and symbolizes the end of Summer.
