by Philip E. Johnston
The opening night selection of this year’s 40th annual Nashville Film Festival was director Marc Webb’s Sundance hit 500 Days of Summer. Distributed by Fox Searchlight and set for a limited release on July 17, the film is Webb’s feature film directorial debut and proves itself a concise and entertaining treatise on young love in a postmodern world.
The first five minutes are immediately transporting. There is a narrator, there are attractive leading characters, the music is zippy, and Webb introduces his leading players as if they were walking in a narrative music video. It’s a beautiful amalgamation that can’t help but prompt an ear-to-ear smile. The story gets even more interesting directly following this masterful introduction when the narrator makes the audience a promise: “This is not a love story.”
So, in the spirit of the film, I’ll put an embargo on the word “love” from here on out. It’s just one of the ways this story is atypical – its a boy-meets-girl story the likes of which we haven’t seen before and one that is completely necessary to publicly state the romantic inclinations of millions of postmodern 20-somethings.
Joseph Gordon Levitt (Mysterious Skin, The Lookout) stars as Tom, a puppy-dog faced twenty-something slogging the days away in a greeting card company cubicle. He’s almost falling asleep at a round-table meeting one morning when he sees her: Summer (Zooey Deschanel), the new girl – an improbably cute young woman with a timeless fashion sense (straight out of Godard’s Masculin, féminin) and bewitching blue eyes that flash with more mystery than sex appeal. The initial attraction is awkward, but both of them realize that there just might be something there.
Tom and Summer’s perspective on relationships differ vastly. He is a capital-R romantic and gets his definition of relational intimacy from listening to too much British pop music and completely misreading The Graduate when he was a pre-teen. Summer is, in short, a goddess. Since her teen years she’s been making men do double-takes on buses and busy streets. She’s been around the dating block and is at the point where she doesn’t believe in love at all. She’s honest about it with Tom, too, and this honesty is one of Tom’s favorite things about her even if it hurts.
She and him hate words like boyfriend or girlfriend because, really, no one knows what they mean. They’ve realized that there are no clear definitions for any of these matters and that to define them would be juvenile. Despite this, it seems like they might be made for each other. By Day 30 they’re sleeping together regularly and having the fun times that only people who share a special bond can have. Summer has even begun telling Tom things that she’s never told anyone else. What else is Tom supposed to think?
It may all sound familiar, but the film has something most romantic comedies lack – structure. 500 Days of Summer refers to the 500 days that Tom and Summer developed their relationship and the movie skips back and forth from their relational ups and downs, each event informing another whether it be Day 58 or Day 398. The whole story is told strictly from Tom’s perspective and we see firsthand how his expectations for what a relationship should look like clash with the (sometimes) bleak reality of what ultimately comes to fruition.
Still, whether its Day 169 or Day 427, Tom and Summer never really know what they want out of being together. Is it companionship? Is it sex? Or is it simply someone to scream “PENIS” with in the park at the top of your lungs? This remains unclear, but the reason why they’re constantly floundering in indecision is not. Their definition of what it means to be together has been skewed not by bad experiences with other companions but by sitcoms, pop songs, greeting cards, and romantic comedies. All Tom wants is a bit of emotional honesty and that’s something that can only rarely be found.
Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are radiant as Tom and Summer, although its possible that Deschanel will never give a better performance than she did in David Gordon Green’s All the Real Girls. Even so, the script lets the actress keep her undeniable quirkiness and even makes room for her to sing a song – a blessing for fans of She & Him who can’t get enough of her singing voice. Levitt and Deschanel make an attractive couple for sure, but it also helps that they actually look like real people.
Following the film, director Marc Webb described the style of the movie as “kitchen-sink.”
There’s no better way to describe it. There are nods to Truffaut and Bergman, a musical sequence complete with an animated bluebird, characters sometimes break the fourth wall, and the poppy soundtrack seems to dictate the film’s movements and not vice versa.
I’m tempted to say that the script’s problems are rendered null by the end of the film. I found two characters particularly annoying – the clichés of “smart little kid” and “crazy sidekick friend” are a bit overused – but the charm of the leads and the unexpected ending made me forget these. Beginning to end, the movie presses forward with an earned amount of whimsy and is void of the self-conscious Indie culture references that plagued Juno and riddle the screenplay of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.
There’s a lot of hope at the end of this film – it will leave audiences with a smile – but the last 5 minutes offer a promise of happiness that seems different from the happiness strived for in the first 90. This unexpected twist is just one of the many things that make 500 Days of Summer an experience-laden ode to those disorienting times when deep affection seems just within your grasp and the work that must be done to finally claim it as your own. In the tradition of When Harry Met Sally and Annie Hall, I think 500 Days of Summer will be sticking around for a while.
How utterly fantastic to have the gifted Phillip Johnston of Movie Zeal’s first post here at Wonders in the Dark, and it’s typically an outstanding review, offered at a prestigious venue.
I remember Joseph Gordon Levitt’s excellent performance from LOOKOUT, (and MYSTERIOUS SKIN), and I am intrigued that this film references Godard’s MASCULIN FEMININE, as well as Truffaut and Bergman.
This is perceptive, witty, and accomplished writing, and it’s great to know in advance what we do have to look forward to here.
Sounds like a worthwhile American inde is on the horizon, which these days is a rarity. It’s great that you guys have covered of the Nashville film fest, and Mr. Johnston’s work here is exceptional.
Hi! Sam Juliano,
hmmm…You have another “new writer?”
Great!….Ahh!…actress Zooey Deschanel, I must admit that Film critic Dean Treadway, introduced me her work on films.
I must admit after reading this review for the film 500 Days of Summer it (The film 500 Days of Summer) seems quite interesting.
Tks,
Deedee 😉
Hi Dee Dee!!!
Phillip has served as one of Movie Zeal’s writers for well over a year, and his work has (frankly) been extraordinary.
Phillip is a college student whose time is in short supply. We are thrilled to have his work showcased at WitD.
………..I do remember Phillip well from Movie Zeal, and it’s always a treat to read his reviews. These kinds of films don’t usually say all that much, but Phillip seems to believe this is an exception. Must see it when it opens here………
Most of the time these kind of films have little to say, and are pedestrian in execution. It’s nice to know there may be one here that is an exception to the rule. Great to have coverage of the Nashville Film Festival, especiaslly from the East Coast base. I look forward to Mr. Johnston’s future writings, if he is planning any.
So here we have something that goes against the proverbial grain, and succeeds in spite of it’s pedestrian subject, as was contended above.
Looks like you weren’t a big fan of “Juno.” But this would seem to indicate that you don’t normally buy into this cliche-ridden terrain. As a result, this must have really been appealing to overcome some of the inherent flaws that normally plague this material. I’ll make it a point to look for it. The prose here is terrific.
Yup, good to have Philip on board.
Sorry guys, wordpress was not taking comments, thanks for re-entering some, Frank, and John, I delted the repetitious replacement follow-ups.
It may all sound familiar, but the film has something most romantic comedies lack – structure.
That may be the key as to why people, this one may work, while so many others have not.
Right out of the horse’s mouth.
I’am not sure if this question can be answered, but what is going to happen after this film limited release? ….Is it going to go “straight” to dvd? 😕
Deedee 😉
Excellent write-up, Philip! I enjoyed the first few pages of the screenplay, but then set it down and never got back to it. It’ll likely be a while before it makes it to Arkansas, so I may just have to dig it out again.
I remember an interview with Gordon-Levitt when The Lookout (so underappreciated, that movie) came out in which he said he’d be interested in doing a romantic comedy if he could ever find a script for a smart one, but that he was very very particular. It looks like maybe he found it, a rom com (& maybe drama hybrid?) that defies the typical rom com cliches and pitfalls.
I’m a big fan of both the leads, who I think have each exhibited a lot of talent in small roles and small movies (good and bad), but who could really use a solid vehicle to propel their careers. Very much looking forward to seeing this film.
Thanks to all of you for your kind words. I always enjoy reading conversations here about films although many of you are way out of my league. Heck, I haven’t even seen 20 films from the 1930s. Of course, I am only 21…
It was great to see this film, one I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. After the limited release this summer, it should go wide (I would think) much like other Fox Searchlight offerings Little Miss Sunshine and Juno.
Just to clarify, I very much liked Juno for its human elements. I thought the screenplay completely nailed characterization of all the cast and it very much affected me but no one will be watching it in 10 years, IMO. It has itself too stuck in the now.
500 Days of Summer really does have a lot going for it. It has a wonderful soundtrack and two attractive, talented leads. I will confess to a huge crush on Miss Deschanel ever since All the Real Girls (which is, BTW, a masterpiece). 🙂
The film certainly has its low points – those cliches I mentioned are evident and there’s some very obvious humor that grates on the nerves in the first act – but it won me over and the last act is wonderful. Granted, it might not bode well with the over-30 crowd being that its strictly made from a young person’s perspective but I think it could certainly inform even those who can’t relate to the characters.
If I had to give it a star rating, it would be a solid ****/*****.
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can some one please tell me what kind of headphones Joseph Gordon Levitt has on??
That’s a good question Martin, but I don’t have a sure answer. Perhaps Phillip Johnston, who penned this exceedingly popular review (since it appeared on Wonders several months ago, it has consistently placed every day among our most popular posts), in fact in the 15 months WitD has existed, this may be our single most popular post ever. Martin, I’ll try and contact Phillip now. Thank You.
Hi! Sam Juliano,
After seaching out there on the internet, I discovered that the headphones that actor Joseph Gordon Levitt, (Pictured) is wearing around his neck is a brand called Wesc…
…Here goes additional info(rmation) about the headphones that he is wearing in the film 500 Days of Summer.
Where you can purchase the headphones…
…urbanoutfitters…
…The Topic Thread in Which I Discovered This Information…
Topix
I hope that this info(rmation) is helpful…
DeeDee 😉 🙂
…Sam Juliano, Here goes additional info(rmation)…
…The full name of the headphones are… Wesc’s Stash-Bong-Headphones
I found the additional information about the headphones in this article…
…An Article About Wesc’s Headphones…
For you comparison shoppers…Check-out these stores…
…Amazon.com
and…
Tilley’s
Note: Please when in doubt check the store out with the BBB before ordering from a store that you aren’t familiar with or if you have never ordered merchandise from their stores.
Thanks,
DeeDee 😉 🙂