A primary goal of most romance movies is to end with a smile on a watcher’s face. “(500) Days of Summer” is a roller coaster of emotion full of peaks and drops, smiles and tears, as it explores every corner of romance. One thing is very clear, this is not your traditional romantic comedy, as the narrator says, “This is a story of boy meets girl, but you should know upfront, this is not a love story.”
The movie opens with the main character, Tom Hansen, who is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Hansen works for a greeting card company where he is known for his ability to create catchy one-liners. He quickly meets the new assistant, Summer Finn, played by Zooey Deschanel, in an elevator where she tells him how much she loves the British rock band The Smiths.
From here, the movie flashes back across the 500 days of Hansen’s experience with Finn, showcasing the story in a nonlinear format. Viewers see his warped perspective of their story as he falls deeply in love with Finn.
As the two talk to each other at a company karaoke night, they discuss their perspectives on love, and from the start, they contrast with one another. Finn, who is a child of divorce, is disillusioned with the idea of love. Hansen is the direct opposite, as he is a strong believer of the idea of true love.
Instead of using this as reason to back away from each other, that same night Hansen and Finn go headfirst into a flurry of romance without a single label attached. Going on dates with each other and exploring their sexual chemistry, Finn and Hansen develop a deep connection that’s full of false expectations and disappointment.
The movie does not hide this as it continuously flashes forward to times where their relationship is challenging. Hansen’s frustration becomes evident as his expectations begin to misalign with reality. This is showcased in a consequential scene where Hansen’s expectations misalign with reality as the viewer sees two viewpoints comparing his expectations to his actual reality when Hansen goes to Finn’s engagement party.
In the final act of the movie, we see a conclusion between the two characters. As they meet at a park bench they are familiar with, Finn reveals to Hansen that she’s engaged to another man and finally believes in the idea of love and marriage. Hansen, on the other hand, has left his greeting card job and is finally pursuing his dream job in architecture. While their experience with each other was bittersweet, it led both of them to find themselves and finally pursue what they wanted.
The film ends with Hansen meeting a girl named Autumn as he leaves a job interview. “(500) Days of Summer” is a roller coaster of a film that embraces a complex relationship between two realistic people. While it may not leave you smiling, “(500) Days of Summer” grapples with the reality of falling in and out of love.
