"500 Days of Summer" is a Perfect Rom-Com

I just rewatched 500 Days of Summer (for viewing #22 at least in my life) and I can confidently say it’s a perfect rom-com. It’s funny when humor is needed, raw when rawness is needed and relatable throughout the entire movie. Plus, the soundtrack, supporting characters, back stories, staggered timelines, and ending are quite literally perfect. Here are a few things I noticed:

1. Situationships. Before we knew what the term “situationship” meant from Gen-Z, this movie showed it perfectly. When one person is more into the other and the relationship is left undefined (“I’d like to take things slow”), then this is clearly not a two way street. Relationships are two way streets, not situationships.

2. Honeymoon Phase. We’ve all been there before in the “vortex” which is the honeymoon phase. You get lost in the world. Here in 500 Days, they get lost in Ikea’s, record stores, parks, museums and just about every other place you could find on a Time Out date night list.

3. Their Quirks. One of the most powerful scenes is when Tom the main character goes through an identical montage of Summer’s quirks like her lips and teeth. Earlier when he was madly in love, he was obsessed with these quirks. Later in the movie, he hilariously mocked them because she rejected them. It makes total sense. You must love your partner’s foibles because no one is perfect.

4. Supporting Characters. The writer decided to make Tom’s all-knowing & wise beyond her year sister the oracle of his dating life was nothing short of brilliant and unexpected. It was the kind of character building you love to see in a rom-com that makes it different and outside the box. His two guy friends were also great and down to earth dudes who wanted to see nothing but his friends succeeding.

5. Leading Someone On. Summer’s low point came when she failed to tell Tom that she had met someone while they were at the wedding dancing and flirting all night. This was mind-boggling behavior and we are all proud of Tom for standing up to her in the end. While we could somewhat sympathize with her earlier in the movie for simply not feeling the true love that Tom felt, it was hard to relate to her here. If she clearly wanted to just be friends, why not tell your “friend” Tom that you met someone else? It was selfish, rude and completely shifted the audience perception of her.

This movie is as creative as it gets. From the greeting card writer occupation to the “expected vs. reality” dual camera scene, there are endless ways this movie goes outside the box to bring you a relatable love story with an important message.

I LOVE THIS MOVIE!

P.S. Marin and I have played the end song “She’s Got You High” on repeat for three days straight (also, shoutout to the incredible soundtrack and using Sweet Disposition in the film multiple times).