When I first watched the film "500 Days of Summer," I had high expectations. The hopeless romantic hidden within the depths of me thought I would watch a quirky little love story. But it ended up really annoying me. In fact, it was incredibly annoying. I know that Summer was just an independent character who wanted to make her own choices regarding her relationships or lack thereof, but she undoubtedly shouldn’t have led Tom on. It was kind of uncomfortable to watch how she could be so romantic but so casual. I know people have their own boundaries and preferences, but for me personally, I don’t usually associate those two words together: Romance and casual. Nevertheless, the movie was intriguing to watch and consistently hilarious. As a result, it does end up making you really contemplate the existence of love. And mutual feelings. And relationship goals, whatever they are.
Here are just a few of the lessons the film reveals about love and life:
1. Independence is great, and it's okay to be alone.
The most complicated thing you have to think about is the process behind cellular respiration or the meaning of a poem or when you're going to do your laundry.
2. No, really, you just keep reminding yourself of the benefits of the single life.
Nobody to share your food with, nobody to spend money on, nobody to impress but yourself.
3. Sometimes, bad experiences in the past or observations in the present can make you lose faith in the prospect of love.
It's kind of scary, actually. I'm sure genuine love exists, but what are the chances of it enduring? What am I supposed to be trusting in, again? The great unknown? Blind hope and optimism? Tinder?!
4. But you'll eventually meet someone you're enamored with.
The Smiths? I love The Smiths!
5. And you'll feel the simultaneous warmth of sunsets and coffee and their smile.
Goals.
6. Love can make people do ridiculous(ly awesome) things.
Such as, expressing your love for each other in IKEA.
7. But eventually, like all things in life, some relationships inevitably end, and you're allowed to be sad for a while.
You can't help but wish it didn't have to end that way.
8. When you get your heart broken, you feel the sudden need to break things, too.
Just do it. Let all those feelings out.
9. When you're single, most couples start to disgust you. This is just a fact.
And you actually used to be pro-PDA.
10. Even though you thought they were the one, they just weren't.
You're telling me that our mutual fascination with Pokemon doesn't mean anything?
11. You know there will come a time when you won't be so sad anymore.
Just keep doing you.
12. You somehow find the strength in you to hope the other person has a good life.
Even if it takes, I don't know, two whole years?
13. And after it all, you take away some pretty great lessons from the whole experience.
Openness, honesty, trust. You slowly begin to craft your own definition of love, and you aren't afraid to share what you have to say with others.
So, overall, even though the movie has its flaws, it still makes us think about what love really is, the good and bad about relationships, and the role that fate plays in everyone's life.
