Do you believe in love? I don’t. Neither did Zooey Deschanel, the “Summer” in (500) Days of Summer, nor Jenny Beckman. Despite being labelled as a rom-com, this film is NOT a love story, as director Marc Webb already warned the viewers within the first two minutes. Now you might be wondering: it is a story of boy meets girl, why isn’t it a love story?
Life is complicated, and so is the woman’s heart. Tom Hansen, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, may seem foolish for chasing a woman who doesn’t want a serious relationship, but isn’t this a common thing happening in today’s dating culture?
“Relationships are messy, and feelings get hurt. Who needs all that? Let’s have as much fun as we can have and leave the serious stuff for later.”
- Summer, (500) Days of Summer (2009)
I still remember Tom’s disgusted face after Summer shared her opinions on love and relationships, declaring it a fantasy. For sure, Tom, who was already deeply in love with everything about Summer, couldn’t accept this, leading them to agree to disagree. This was on the 28th day of their 500 days together. If only Tom had accepted this reality sooner, he might have been able to free himself from 472 days of heartache. This part of the movie has also become iconic, with some calling the film “500 Days of Traumas.”
So when did Tom fall for Summer? Was it the love at first sight when she met Summer in the boring meeting or in the elevator where they bonded over music? Well, it is hard to explain, as when you meet someone special, you can feel it. For Tom, Summer is “the one” who makes him feel like life is worth living.
Did they go out just like any other couple, holding hands at IKEA, watching movies, and hanging out at some cafes? Of course they did. The director is quite smart with his idea of showing similar dating scenes with different endings: on the 34th day, they were happily shopping at IKEA, role-playing with the furniture as if it were their own home; then the movie continued on the 282nd day in the same setting, but you can never find Tom’s favourite smiling face on Summer anymore.
It all began with a kiss from Summer to Tom in the copy room the day after she declared that “relationships are messy.” You might think Summer is cruel, but wait; I’m not defending her, but she tried to love Tom the way he loves her too. Otherwise, why would she invite him to her house and share the past stories she never shared with anyone else? Unless he’s not anyone.
“I just woke up one day, and I knew what I was never sure of with you.”
- Summer, (500) Days of Summer (2009)
Some might think Summer is heartless for playing with Tom’s feelings. If she wasn’t serious, why didn’t she let him go? Or perhaps Tom was the one who refused to let go? This scenario is quite common in today’s dating world, where people are often unsure of their feelings, causing hurt and confusion. Relationships are messy, it really is. As humans, we should be able to express our feelings honestly. If we can’t, why even think about relationships and love? So, if you ask me if I still believe in "true love" after watching this movie, I'd say maybe, but only if I find “the one.”
On the 500th day, Tom interviews for a new job, finally. While he was still doubting “there’s no miracles, no such thing as fate, nothing is meant to be,” he met another cute girl. Her name? Autumn. And so begins the first day of Autumn.
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