Review of (500) Days of Summer (2009) by Amanda C — 18 Jun 2014

"This is a story of boy meets girl, but you should know upfront, this is not a love story.".

Do you know how it feels to be in love one minute and heartbroken the next? Have you been in love with someone who does not "believe" in love? If you said, "Yes," to any or both of these questions, you can relate to relate to a romantic-comedy called (500) Days of Summer. Directed by Marc Webb, Tom Hansen, portrayed by the handsome Joseph Gordon-Levitt, falls in love with a mysterious young woman named Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel), who supposedly does not believe in love. Jumping from the days where Tom believes he is the "king of the world" to the days where he feels like a worthless piece of garbage, the nonlinear format of this film captures the viewers' attention as they can compare the livelihood of being in love to the loneliness of experiencing a breakup. Although there is not a happy ending between Tom Hansen and Summer Finn, (500) Days of Summer relates more to the audience's lives rather than the absurdness of other romantic films.

Tom Hansen grew up believing he would not be happy until he met "the one." Tom was an aspiring architect; however, he ended up living as a 20-something year old greeting card designer at a typical office. Nothing was so spectacular about his life until he met a beautiful girl at his office named Summer Finn. Unfortunately, Summer did not believe in the concept of love due to her parents' separation. While their similar interests and chemistry could have sparked up a successful long-lasting relationship, their differing views on love led to a breakup that took a toll on Tom's life and happiness. This leads Tom to experience a state of loneliness and hopelessness that Summer did not ultimately face.

At the introduction of this fantastic film about boy meets girl, the narrator makes it clear that this is not a love story. When I first watched (500) Days of Summer at the time it came out on DVD, I did not realize that this movie was not just about the story behind Tom and Summer's relationship. Since I did not pay attention to the warning in the introduction and the non-chronological format of the days, I actually thought it was just a common love story that ended with breakup. However, I hoped that (500) Days of Summer excelled as a romantic film, and I knew there was more to the story of Tom and Summer. When I watched this film for a second time, I perceived the narrator's warning at the start of the film and the logical nonlinear format of the days. This realization left me in the state of awe and led to me to believe that (500) Days of Summer is one of the most unique and well-made films of the 21st century.

I enjoyed how the nonlinear format of (500) Days of Summer provides an emphasis on how this movie is not a love story. I noticed that the 500 days would not be in order since the breakup scene was shown after the introductory scene of the movie. Instead of following the "love story" of Tom and Summer, the movie's purpose is to compare Tom's feeling about Summer before and after the breakup. With contrasting scenes throughout the movie, the audience can relate to Tom's experiences since many people have felt the same grief and sorrow that he felt after someone he fell in love with broke up with him.

My favorite scene of (500) Days of Summer was the musical dance number shown after Tom made love with Summer. This scene depicts the happiest Tom has ever been since he finally found someone he loved. In addition, this scene is the most unrealistic and animated scene of the entire movie. I loved how "You Make My Dreams Come True" by Hall & Oates played in the background of this scene because this song adds an upbeat vibe to the scene while emphasizing on the emotion of joy. I also loved the dance number that randomly went on in the scene because it represented the cheerful atmosphere that Tom experienced. This scene ends with another breakup scene, which emphasizes the contrasting nature of this movie.

If you are looking for an alternative to a "love story" or are just getting over a breakup, (500) Days of Summer is the perfect movie for you. The nonlinear storyline and the preciseness of the atmosphere of each scene will blow your mind as you compare how it feels to be in Tom's shoes before and after his relationship with Summer. This movie will definitely hit you hard during the breakup scenes, but at the end you will be left satisfied since this movie is a spectacular rendition of a real life situation.