"(500) Days of Summer" is the Best Love Story That Isn't Really A Love Story (spoilers)

I remember the first time I ever watched "(500) Days of Summer". I was in middle school and I was staying the night at my older sister's apartment in D.C.. As a seventh-grader, I didn't critically analyze the movies I watched, so I can't really describe the exact thoughts I had at the time about the movie, but what I can tell you is that I fell in love with the way the film made me feel. Since that day at my sister's apartment, I've watched the movie about a gazillion more times. 

Just to give you some background, the movie "(500) Days of Summer," directed by Marc Webb, made its debut in 2009 at a film festival in Switzerland. The movie swiftly gained popularity and was picked up by Fox Searchlight Pictures and reached wide release shortly thereafter. 

"(500) Days of Summer" is a story about a young man named Tom who works in a card-making company. When Summer joins the company, Tom is smitten by her vintage look and classic tastes. He is fascinated with her and enjoys the thrill of not being able to fully figure her out. Summer remains detached, letting only a few people into her life. It becomes unclear whether Tom is more infatuated with the idea of being an exclusive member of her world, or her world itself. 

The story begins with the narrator saying that the audience should be warned that "this is not a love story." This introduction prompts the audience to be committed to determining what kind of story they will be encountering. I think that using a narrator was an excellent choice because it provides the audience with an unbiased, objective perspective of Tom and Summer's relationship. 

Summer makes it known that she doesn't believe in love and that she doesn't feel comfortable with the idea of being someone's girlfriend. She goes as far as to say she "doesn't feel comfortable being anyone's anything." This doesn't stop Summer from forging a romantic relationship with Tom. Summer's perspective on love causes conflict between the two because Tom is constantly left feeling like his love for her is unreciprocated and that her affection could disappear at any given moment. Summer cannot provide the reassurance he seeks from her.

The movie poses many questions about love and how difficult it can be to navigate a relationship. Can you ever have the reassurance that your partner won't wake up the next morning and change their mind about how they feel about you? How do we know when someone is "the one" when so many promising relationships and marriages have failed? How often is it that we project our unrealistic expectations onto the ones we love? How do we know when we are doing it? Why do we need labels? What do you do when you believe in your partner more than they believe in themself? How do you know if you're with someone because they have the same interests as you or because you actually like their character? So many questions! 

Marc Webb does an amazing job directing this film. One of my favorite artistic choices that he made for this film is the non-linear sequencing. In one moment, Tom and Summer are at the record shop holding hands and smiling. In the next scene, Tom and Summer are at the same record shop months later, but this time something is different. You can feel the disconnect between the two so much stronger when the scenes are compared back to back. This non-linear sequencing also creates beautiful pacing. The subtle unexpected turns keep the audience engaged in the story-line. This sequencing also prevents the audience from wallowing in the sad parts of the movie - it knows when you need a switch to something lighter and happier. 

Webb also does an excellent job of making his characters feel like authentic people. One of the reasons I love this movie so much is because I feel like I have been both Tom and Summer before. Right now I feel like Summer - I love my own company, coursing through life independently, and not owing anyone anything. However, there have been moments where I've been Tom. I have been infatuated with solely the idea of a person, I have had an overly-romantic perception of relationships, I have felt relationship insecurity. 

Webb never lets the audience pier too deeply in Summer's life. While we get to meet Tom's sister and best friend, the deepest we see into Summer's personal life is her apartment. Even when Summer eventually gets married to someone else, the shot cuts out her husband's face. These meticulous directing decisions add to Summer's elusive aura and cause the audience to empathize with Tom and his struggle to understand someone he adores. I think having the ability to manipulate an audience's perspective so easily and so strongly is the mark of an excellent director. 

This multifaceted nature of "(500) Days of Summer" is what sets this film apart from your average indie rom-com. From random and ridiculous orchestrated dance scenes with animated birds, to side-by-side comparisons between Tom's expectations and reality, to cinematic montages of Los Angeles, it is difficult fitting this film into one category. 

Aside from the plot, the soundtrack is spectacular. With artists like Regina Spektor, The Smiths, and Simon and Garfunkel, the soundtrack features tunes that perfectly highlight the story's emotional highs and lows. Each stunning cinematographic decision is matched by the music - and it all feels so effortless. 

While I could go on forever about this movie, I should probably end it here. I think "(500) Days of Summer" is a seemingly simple film yet has so many complexities that to this day I notice something new about the film each time I watch it. While this film didn't cause any paradigm shifts, it certainly has changed my life for the better. 

Resources: 

https://ktswblog.net/2018/10/22/music-in-film-a-look-inside-the-soundtrack-of-500-days-of-summer/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1022603/reviews#:~:text=The%20film%20shows%20the%20good,unique%2C%20and%20true%20to%20life.

https://goat.com.au/500-days-of-summer/500-days-of-summer-just-turned-10-and-it-took-me-this-long-to-realise-tom-was-the-problem/