500 days of summer is the directorial debut of Marc Webb. The film begins by professing it-self not to be a love story. But at the same time the film follows the 500-day relationship of a couple.
It's primarily a romantic comedy, with the story following events from the perspective of the protagonist Tom Hansen. With its non-linear narrative manipulating the audience’s perception of events. The film moves backwards and forwards through time to different days throughout the couple's relationship. Showing both the good and bad points of their time together.
We are shown right from the start that the characters are very much opposed in their views on love. Tom believes in the fundamental idea of love, an idea that for every one of us there is someone who is our ideal match. However Summer is very much opposed to this, believing that love is a work of fiction.
In truth the film really shows Tom's growth and understanding around the subject of love. Unlike other romantic comedies 500 days of summer analyses a very flawed relationship, between two people who are looking for different things. Our protagonist has a very idealized view of the world, but this isn't to say that it doesn't have his own flaws. With his main passion being for architecture and yet he is somehow come to a situation where he's working for a gift card manufacturer. Summer on the other hand views the world much more cautiously. She keeps much of her emotions to herself and often tries to keep Tom at a distance.
When the two split up however over a short time period their perspectives soon switch. Through the pain of the breakup Tom begins to become cynical about love. This boils over in a meeting with his boss and other colleagues where he shows a heinous discontent for the idealistic view of which gift cards are marketed. Conversely this enables him to push himself towards his true passion of becoming an architect.
Summer on the other hand meets someone new and within a short space of time is married. During the time between these events she comes to the conclusion that maybe true love does exist. Maybe fate brought her to that coffee shop at that particular time so that she could meet her new husband. Questioning the fact that she could very easily of missed him by going there ten minutes earlier or just a few minutes later.
In my opinion though this shows us more how Summer has developed as a person where she has now changed in part thanks to Tom, to the point where she felt confident enough to open up to others, in the same way, Tom is no longer an idealist, he has in fact become a realist. They have both developed from their positions of pessimism and optimism on the idea of love to a more neutral and balanced perspective.
Concluding in their final scene we are given a possible conclusion to Tom. Allowing the audience the understanding that in time he to may to find someone to love.
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