(500) Days of Summer
Grade: A | Genre: Romantic Comedy
Summary: “(500) Days of Summer” is a very good film that sheds the conventions of Hollywood to give us an honest look at why relationships work and why some don’t.
Too often Hollywood gets too bogged down in its own ‘happily ever after’ mischief when approaching romantic comedies. Granted most people would rather leave the theater uplifted and happy than have our protagonists hurling plates at one another ala “the Break-Up,” but shouldn’t real life factor in to the movie making process? The reality is most relationships end badly or else we’d all be paired up with the first person who caught our fancy in kindergarten. That’s what makes “(500) Days of Summer” so intriguing. It opens the movie telling us that this isn’t a love story. Just like our title character Summer, we aren’t held under any pretenses that these two characters will somehow back their way into love. It’s just not in the cards for this couple, but watch your mind as it furiously tries to put the pieces together and somehow figure out how we can trigger that spark of love between these two wet branches.
Tom, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“3rd Rock from the Sun,” “10 Things I Hate About You”), is our hopeless romantic, working as a greeting card writer while always keeping his eyes peeled for ‘the one’ to sweep her way into his life. Enter Summer, played by Zooey Deschanel (“Almost Famous,” “All the Real Girls”), a relationship scarred cynic who doesn’t believe in love and isn’t interested in commitment or a relationship in any form. Tom is smitten from the moment he lays eyes on her and constructs silly ways in which to keep from talking to her. Fortunately, she doesn’t play ball, commenting on the Smiths’ song piping through his headphones in the elevator one afternoon, blowing the crap out of his world. Every sad sack male knows that women don’t like the Smiths.
After several painful interactions, they finally share a moment together — drunk and wading in the mutual embarrassment brought on by karaoke. Tom’s co-worker lets the cat out of the bag concerning Tom’s stalker-esque crush over Summer. In true form, Tom fails to grow a set of balls and slap one on her as the moment lingers past, and Summer is left to corner Tom in the copy room the next day. With that one kiss our fledgling relationship is off.
Tom has heard all of Summer’s protests about the fallacy of love and that she isn’t buying into the whole relationship myth, yet he believes that he’s the one that can change her. Through his eyes and his love for her, she will eventually see the light. I think most of us can relate to Tom’s seeing Summer through the artificial halo of new love. Her flaws are minuscule, their problem areas are fixable, and love will conquer all. From the mountain of heartache that inevitably follows such botched logic, I’d say most of us wish reality would settle in just to afford us a moment of clear perspective.
As you’ve no doubt figured out, not all is well in Tom and Summer land. The story is told in a fashion that flip flops between time sequences. We are stepping through the days that birth their romance at the same time as we retrace the steps that led to their ultimate breakup. At the end of the reel, the movie seeks answers. Were there signs from the beginning that Summer and Tom were doomed? What were the triggers that led to the relationship to violently derail? Is there any vestiges of hope we can cling to here to try to fit these two back together? If all is lost, how will Tom get past the girl who he’s so quickly dubbed the love of his life?
This movie is a lot like a Woody Allen film — strangely satisfying despite itself. These two characters are very likable and good together, and we desperately want to root for them even though we realize the exercise is ultimately futile. As we trace the path Tom and Summer construct for us, we learn about each character’s strengths and limitations, and we see how those set of traits reflect off the other person. We come to an understanding of the relationship they will eventually settle into and what brought them there.
The jagged story telling by Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber really works well to define these characters, and director Marc Webb gets the most out of his talented actors. Joseph Gordon Levitt scored a best actor Golden Globe nomination for his work, and Deschanel sparkles in the indie spotlight as she always does. Her understated sensuality really makes Summer radiate, and there is never a question as to why Tom is so head over hills for her. It’s evident whenever she enters the screen. The soundtrack may just be the best of the year. Every song seem custom made for the scene in question and draws from the ranks of modern rocks budding starlets and stalwarts — Regina Spektor, The Smiths, Doves, Wolfmother and the Pixies. “(500) Days of Summer” is a very good film that sheds the conventions of Hollywood to give us an honest look at why relationships work and why some don’t.
Release Date: July 17, 2009