(500) Days of Summer
Sneak Preview Entertainment
2009 • Rated PG-13
Directed by Marc Webb

~ by Joel Try

Depending on where you look, this film’s genre is listed as either Comedy or Romantic Comedy. And while I am a hopeless romantic, much like the main character Tom, I am not at all a fan of Hollywood’s romantic comedies. I generally find them trivial, unimaginative and not funny.

So I sat down to watch 500 days with a very skeptical view, that lasted for about 46 seconds. From the very beginning we are told, “this is a story of boy meets girl”. Ok, seen a few of those. But then they do something unheard of, they give us a warning, “this is not a love story”.

How refreshing for a movie to come out from the beginning and tell the audience where the story is headed. And while it seems like bad story telling, it’s not.
On the contrary, it’s the confidence of first time Director Marc Webb (music video fame) and his ability to tell this story of boy meets girl.

The film jumps all over from day 488, this is where it starts, to day 1 and then day 343 and so on.

We know early on that Tom is heartbroken. The how and who, along with the agony of heartbreak, lost dreams and all around life disappointment is where most of the movie swims. But the real heart of the movie is in its two main characters, Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Summer (Zooey Deschanel), and how they view life and love.

Tom a hopeless romantic who believes he will not be happy until he finds “the one”. Summer, on the other hand, does not share in that belief, nor in love at all.

The film is laced with some very meaningful and insightful lines, mostly given by the narrator and Tom’s little sister. It is creative and clever in both its writing and direction. Demonstrated in a musical/dance number and an amazing scene in which they split the screens, and on one side is “Reality” and the other is “Expectations” (it really is brilliant!)

But don’t let the cleverness distract you from the heart of the movie, which is two late 20 something’s from broken homes trying to find happiness and contentment in this life.
One who is not willing to risk their heart or own any responsibility. And one who believes that true happiness can only come in the love of another.

I thought two things while watching this movie. The first was, how hard it is to trust as an adult when you have been wounded as a child. And I will stop here and say to all those over 40 who think this is a movie for a younger generation… Don’t! This is the generation of divorce. This is a tragically typical modern day love story. I would suggest you pay close attention because these are the ones we will be mentoring, should you chose to love those coming behind you.

The second thought was this. Wow, I am grateful I have Jesus! I could so easily be this story. Even today I fight with feelings of discontentment. I can find myself looking other places for my happiness. Even being married to an amazing woman and having two beautiful children, I find myself at times wanting something else, something more.

But then I get reminded of this Jesus, this perfect love that never changes. That He has given me exactly what I needed when I needed it. He has put me with the perfect woman at the perfect time, and has a perfect plan for my life. And the best part of it, for me, is that He chooses to tell me this many times through the relationships I have. The relationships that 5 years ago I did not have, because 5 years ago I could not have trusted others with my heart, out of fear of them wounding it. I now know they will, but that’s OK, it’s worth it. God has designed us to be in relationship. And in them we learn much about each other, about Him, His love and His faithfulness.

I highly recommended this movie. But it is not a Christian film. It does not have a Christian theme. And it does not point to Jesus. But it does a wonderful job of telling a tragically typical modern day love story…sorry I forgot “this is not a love story”.

It reminds us that if we chose to enter into relationships with others we do so, not with the possibility of hurt but the promise of it. It’s not if we get hurt but when and how bad. And the question is, will you risk that pain for the joy that relationships can bring you? It might make you ask “how much do I let others in with me? And how much do I protect out of fear of….”

And finally, it reminds us that in the end we can always find hope, even if it’s in Autumn and not in Summer (that’s funny, trust me).

~Joel

(500) Days of Summer is now available on DVD