‘500 Days of Summer’ tugs on heartstrings

Glory Yount, Staff Writer

The unique romantic comedy, “500 Days of Summer,” came out in 2009 and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival as an independent film. The quirky film earned over $60 million worldwide, which was almost ten times its budget. The story is told from the point of view of Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), as he tries to understand where his relationship with the charismatic Summer (Zooey Deschanel) went wrong. Tom walks the viewers through the events the couple experienced together from their very first interaction to their last. As the film progresses, the viewer is taken on a roller coaster of emotion while Tom displays the reasons he fell in love with Summer in the first place and the reasons that the relationship slowly decayed until the things he once loved about Summer turned into bitterness. The director, Marc Webb, does an excellent job of expertly crafting the love story into modern day tale with realistic twists and turns while providing an ending that was not only unexpected but also satisfying. The film captures viewers’ attention with the charming actors and the aesthetics of the set design, along with many other aspects such as the well put together soundtrack. The film displays excellent character development leaving the viewer feeling as if they know Tom individually. Not only does it exhibit strength in the composition of the characters, but the film is relatable to many viewers.

This emotional cinematic masterpiece takes you through a range of emotions, from anger to sadness, to defeat and happiness. It can make you laugh until you cry with the memorable lines that display a quirky sense of humor. Addressing hard topics such as rejection, heartbreak and unrequited love, “500 Days of Summer” captures its audience in a creative, comical and emotional manner while remaining interesting for most audiences.