Like many 2000’s films, “500 Days of Summer” (2009) has recently resurfaced and quickly became another generation’s favorite.
The film begins with a statement that it is not a love story, which may be confusing to first time watchers, but quickly proves true. The ever quirky Summer Finn, played by Zooey Deschanel, is a young woman who seems to have a special light about her. Tom Hansen on the other hand, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is described as perfectly adequate his whole life.
Their first real interaction was quickly popularized by social media, with the now famous line “I love The Smiths,” being easily recognizable. I think it foreshadows how Tom never truly heard Summer, her opinions, the times she was obviously upset, they all went over his head.
Tom’s incapability to accept that Summer just wants a fun relationship becomes old after the first 30 minutes. However, it also adds a layer of relatability for some, since in many relationships one person feels disregarded. Summer made it crystal clear that they would never be anything other than friends, but for some reason Tom is confused when their situationship ends.
His quickly sparked “love” also calls into question how true those feelings are. How many times can one person fall in love over their life? After a while doesn’t it get repetitive and have these same, consistently upsetting endings? This fast falling boy needs to close his heart if he wants it to keep beating.
The emotional roller-coaster that Tom is put in, or realistically is putting himself into, is so very reminiscent of a teenager that it is hard to believe he’s a corporate worker in his late twenties. The amount of hope he has for his romance with Summer also seemingly outweighs all his common sense, of which there isn’t much. Tom is never hate-able though, as all his qualities equate to that of a sad puppy.
The entirety of the movie showcases that no matter how hard you try to hold on to love, being the perfect person for somebody cannot be forced. This is one of the most relatable movies, because who hasn’t had a situationship where you and them want different things? It’s an unparalleled pain because no matter what you do your wishes will never align. This film brings those feelings back, and introduces them to those who have never experienced it first hand. While some might consider this depressing, it also reminds people that life moves on and, eventually, summer will always change to autumn.