This classification only scratches the surface of the debates that the cult classic has prompted since its release in 2009. Directed by Marc Webb, the film chronicles Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) reminiscing on his 500-day casual relationship with Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel), the new colleague that Tom instantly knows is ‘the one he’s been looking for’, in an attempt to understand where the affair went wrong– and audiences have spent the last 15 years reminiscing on the film in an attempt to understand who was at fault. Was it Tom? Was it Summer?
Spoiler alert: it’s neither of them.
From the get-go, it’s clear that we’re dealing with the downfalls of your typical opposites-attract couple. The pair are characterised by their differences: Tom, a hopeless romantic, clashes with Summer, who deems love a mere fantasy. With the film being portrayed through Tom’s perspective in a non-linear narrative, we see a messy, breathless reflection of the relationship. Tom, left distraught by the break-up, searches for the root of the issue, with scenes using recurring backdrops in a mirror maze of comparison to survey how the relationship wilts – and with the film being from Tom’s point-of-view, the audience is subconsciously encouraged to villainise Summer.
We see ourselves in Tom and champion that one day Summer will realise what is in front of her, despite clearly stating that she doesn’t want a serious relationship
She’s the bad guy! She doesn’t know what she wants! She’s leading him on! Summer Finn has since been hailed as one of the most recognisable Manic Pixie Dream Girls in cinema; the romantic love interest with quirky personality traits whose purpose is to teach a man life lessons, all before disappearing after receiving nothing in return (think Clementine in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). She’s blunt, spontaneous, a lover of music, and doesn’t take things too seriously, juxtaposing Tom’s diligence when it comes to dissecting her. The audience collectively seethes watching our hero (Tom) fall in love with the monster (Summer) who holds his hand and pretends they’re married in IKEA showrooms whilst still wanting to keep things casual, hindering the happy ending that we all want. Ultimately, we see ourselves in Tom and champion that one day Summer will realise what is in front of her, despite clearly stating that she doesn’t want a serious relationship. As Tom spirals and flits between ‘I hate Summer, I love Summer, I hate Summer, I love Summer’, Summer lives according to the cynical belief that love doesn’t exist, plagued by her parent's divorce.
However, it’s crucial to note that everything we learn about Summer, we learn through Tom - whose recollection of the relationship is clouded by his own lovelorn emotions, making him an unreliable narrator and unfairly portraying Summer to be one-dimensional.
His behaviour is typical of someone going through heartbreak for the first time, with his idealisation of Summer being a mere product of his investment in finding his fairytale romance
In true rom-com fashion, Tom instantly believes that Summer is 'the one' after she tells him she likes The Smiths. From then on, her existence is anchored by the idealised version of her that Tom has designed in his head according to his romanticism, and falls into the common trap of believing you can change someone's mind when they reject you – essentially spurring him on. As he falls deeper in love with her and soars into the honeymoon phase, the chance of her waking up and confessing her love for him becomes a tormenting desperation – but Summer remains stagnant. Almost as if she warned him from the beginning. However, this doesn’t make Tom a villain. His behaviour is typical of someone going through heartbreak for the first time, with his idealisation of Summer being a mere product of his investment in finding his fairytale romance.
Categorising the film as a romcom encourages viewers to assume that there is either a happy ending or somebody to blame
500 Days of Summer is an unflinching portrayal of the complexities of two people exploring a relationship, dismantling the cliches and tropes associated with the idealised depiction of relationships in media. In cinema, audiences tend to automatically position characters in either hero or villain roles, rather than acknowledging that toxic patterns can coexist, which then audiences apply to their own relationships. Categorising the film as a romcom encourages viewers to assume that there is either a happy ending or somebody to blame. Instead, through incredibly creative storytelling and clever writing, the film explores the nuances of navigating a modern relationship, encouraging audiences to acknowledge that sometimes two people just don’t work together. And that’s okay.
The ultimate lesson to take away is that a person is not automatically the love of your life if they know the lyrics to There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.
Despite how tempting it may seem.