Released in the year 2009, "500 Days of Summer" was one of the first "grown up" (PG-13) movies I saw. Though my 12-year-old self didn't truly understand or appreciate the film the way I do now, it captivated me enough at the time to make sure I watched it again (and again and again). These are the reasons why it has remained my favorite movie for over 6 years now.
1. Tom
He’s the perfectly endearing, hopeless-romantic boyfriend that looks at Summer the way every girl hopes to be looked at someday.
2. Summer
She’s perfectly quirky and unashamedly herself. She knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to voice her opinions.
3. The Ikea Shopping Trip
During the happy times of their relationship, Summer and Tom go on a shopping trip to Ikea and turn a seemingly mundane search for sheets or kitchen supplies into a romantic and fun adventure.
4. Paul's Description Of What Love Is
When asked about love, Tom’s best friend Paul, who has been in his relationship since he was a kid, expresses how the love he found may not be the “girl of his dreams,” but is still exactly what he needs.
5. The Soundtrack
It's the perfect mix of old and new, happy and sad. It perfectly goes along with the emotions of the film and I can't ever hear a single song off of it without being reminded of how much I love this movie.
5. The Awkwardness Of The Interactions
I am impressed each time I watch this movie with how true to real life it feels to me, showing both the good and the bad of relationships, portraying everything from the awkwardness of some conversations, to the moments that feel flawless just as they truly feel.
Finally and most importantly:
6. What It Showed Me About Relationships
My takeaway from this movie has varied through different points in my life. I will say though that I realized, in one of my more recent viewings, the significance of the movie being told through Tom’s perspective. Though it isn’t narrated by Tom himself, throughout the film it is his emotions that the viewer is made aware of and his thoughts on his relationship with Summer that are being expressed. We watch as he enters into this undefined relationship with the woman he believes is the “girl of his dreams” and what we see from there is the series of events that is him very much building up in his mind the perfection of the situation. Relationships can vary so much, even just between the two members of a couple. Even before Tom and Summer shared their first kiss, Summer was clear on her intentions—she did not want a boyfriend. Though Tom believed that it was Summer that he wanted, what he truly wanted was the “love of his life” and a defined relationship. Not to say that Tom’s pain towards their “breakup” is entirely his own fault, he could have saved himself from a lot of this pain if he were to have adjusted his expectations and been honest with himself about what it was he really wanted.
This isn’t to say that everyone should wait around single and completely unattached until they’ve found “the one” (if you even believe in that). What I mean is that I strongly believe that the most important part of relationships is being honest with yourself about what it is you want. This can change too, this is not a single decision; it is something that is being constantly updated as you change and grow as a person. All I know is that if you’re not honest with yourself with what it is you’re looking for, more often than not you’re going to end up hurt and unhappy with your situation at some point.
