This is an excellent analysis. Also worth noting and one of my favorite dialogue in the movie is when the narrator describes Summer : "Since the disintegration of her parent's marriage she'd only love two things. The first was her long dark hair. The second was how easily she could cut it off and not feel a thing." We are informed up front that Summer is someone who can let something she loves get away and not really be too bothered about it.
"There are so many stories so many movies about finding love, about the relationship that ends up being THE relationship. But in real life most relationships end in break-ups, that's why so few people ends up with the first person they ever date. And relatively speaking there aren't that many movies reflecting this. I respect this movie for being one of them." I've been trying to explain this to my friends and you summed it all in a paragraph. Good job.
This video is really good. I hate when I hear people say they hate Summer. It just says to me they viewed this as your typical romcom and missed the point of this movie completely. Summer grows cold and distant because Tom smothers her with the need for a commitment and long term thing. People often say that Summer knew what Tom wanted and therefore she still led him on, but at the same time, Tom knew what she wanted (or rather didn't want) and kept persisting anyway, so maybe Summer didn't lead him on as much as Tom tried to drag her in to something. I do also love how it deals with expectations and how because we're so in love with the idea of being in love that we romanticize people and ignore there flaws, but after we can no longer do that the glass shatters and it leaves both parties feeling empty and unfamiliar. I definitely think it inspired JGL to look more at expectations in Don Jon.
I saw this movie when it first came out in the theaters. At the time, I was with someone who I thought was the one. Not surprisingly, I thought the movie was overrated and I didn't enjoy it. Since then, that relationship has ended and after watching this review I now realize that I simply didn't relate to the main character. You've single handedly changed my mind about 500 Days Of Summer. Anyway, awesome presentation and delivery - I subscribed. Can't wait to see the There Will Be Blood review, that's my favorite movie.
Same. When this movie first came out, I hated it, hated Summer and it went right over my head lol. I was a kid at the time, totally inexperienced in love or loss or rejection. Then I eventually got my heart shattered to bits. When Tom loses Summer, he is Mother Theresa compared to how I acted in my situation. So yeah, now I really, really like the movie and have actually found it quite healing as it now makes me laugh.
I think i am growing up! I re-watched this film last night as its one of my favorite films. One thing to notice is Summer is always the one taking the lead. From the kiss to what they do. Even when Tom ask where things are going he never really put himself out there. He doesn't say what he wants. He just demands it out of Summer. Another random thing, I didn't notice this before but when Summer invites Tom to her party she says "we". Tom thinks "we" means Summer and him where it really means her fiancé and her. This sets up that epic two screen shot in such a great way.
The ending chokes me up every single time. Tom’s knowing look into the camera and that soft guitar melody just resonates so strongly and fills me with a sense of hope. You’re completely right when you say this film *is* Summer. It’s signaling to you throughout that it’s not the type of film you expect it to be, and inevitably when Tom realizes this, we’re left to wonder what happened despite the copious warning signs we’ve seen along the way. His meeting with Autumn feels like Tom finally finding that love story he was seeking, and although he and Summer do not end up together, their relationship teaches both of them *how* to love. Even if it’s with someone else.
'The cynic who doesn't believe in love, and the hopeless romantic who would teach her.' I don't think this was just the movie's way of leading on our expectations. In a way, Tom really did teach Summer, because she left that relationship being able to find love, just in another person.
nah, he definitely did not teach her how to love. That analysis denies her intelligence and sentience the way Tom mistakenly does in the movie. The truth is far more Occam’s Razor. She didn’t really believe in love because she hadn’t found it yet. That’s all there is to it. She cared about Tom but didn’t love him in that way. The next person she met happened to be a person she connected with in a way that felt different to her. The whole point of the movie is that Summer could have been almost anyone, to Tom, bc he cherry-picked things about her to obsess over and deliberately ignored all the things she showed or told him that did not fit his fantasy of a perfect relationship.
I was exactly like Tom. Creating expectations for myself with certain girls I liked and all end up falling apart. I got curious about seeing this movie after hearing about it. And Im glad I saw it. It taught me to not only to never set expectations to every relationship, but also to find solace in what we truly want to do with our lives (hence the chalk board scene).
I just went through a break-up with my girlfriend of 2 years who I thought was the one. She was my first girlfriend and I'd thought she was the only one for me. Obviously things fell apart and we broke up but I didn't see it coming, I was devastated. I saw this film and it told me exactly what I needed to know. It taught me something and has helped me to feel positive again. I love this film for teaching me reality and that it's okay, I just need to open my mind again
This video was so perfect. You made me see this movie in such a new light. I used to get so depressed with this movie. Now I understand why it made me feel that way, and now I can see it in a completely different light. I'm going to rewatch it tomorrow keeping this all in mind. Thank you!
I first saw this movie when I was probably 8-10 years old. It was probably the first movie I watched without the expected happy ending I was used to at that age, so its safe to say I hated it. I remember hating it so much, and never watching it again after it. I remember loving Joseph and hating Zoey, and being a young kid not being able to distinguish between actors and characters, those impressions lasted with me for a while. Zoey has grown on me slightly from New Girl, but I always had this annoying perception of her from this movie. Upon watching this video, I'm utterly shocked. As a kid I didn't notice any of the parallels, the story within a story, summer being a metaphor for the movie itself, any of it. Its brilliant. I had just decided that I had no need to watch this movie again, but now I know that I must. This looks like it has the potential to be one of my favorites.
Another great review (I'm still catching up). This film had me at the opening credits (Especially you Jenny Beckman). I knew I was in for something special. And, I wasn't disappointed. In spite of all the time shifts (usually hate that), I was captured from beginning to end. For those who faded away with Summer, remember that there is always Autumn.
I normlly dont like movies like this but I really found this movie memorable. It really gives you perspective on the psychology of modern day relationships. And the dysfunction that grows out of them sometimes.
Pretty good analysis. Its all about perspective, from Toms point of view he was so in love with Summer that he felt she was the "one" for him yet he didn't take the time to consider it from her point of view and ask himself if she felt that he was the "one" for her. However, I also believe it wasn't right of Summer to play on Tom's feelings the way she did when they met on the train where she becomes all flirty rather than friendly which brings Tom's expectations back into play. Just goes to show that love sucks real bad and hurts like a bitch. Brilliant movie!
And how do we know that "really" happened? Around the film we can see Tom memory is selective. Perhaps she never flirts with him, but he choosed to remember it that way.
The more i see comments, i actually did this to a guy who didn't want to be my boyfriend. I am like Summer and Tom but this video made me remember how my expectations were too high just like Tom for another church guy. Reality struck when i invited him for my karaoke birthday party last year, thinking we can be normal friends and talk to each other normally but no, it didn't happen that way. It made me feel devastated, stupid and really awkward. He didn't wish me and didn't want to say goodbye too. Just left. That was my reality that kicked in and it devastastes me still. Thank you for making me realize this. 😐
it actually makes me sad that so many people, even critics, just Put this movie away for it being just another romance with a Twist without giving it a Chance or thinking about it some more. love this Video, Thank You so much man!
me on a date: So, what do you think of 500 days of summer? them: Uggh, Summer is such a bitch! How could she lead Tom on like that? me, shoving breadsticks into my purse: I have to go immediately right now
Seriously, though, I had a guy say to me once, "If a woman says she relates to Summer, run. Run far away"-and that's when I decided to break up with him.
1scatterbrainednerd Really, neither Tom nor Summer is innocent in the film. While it is biased by being shown from Tom's point of view, what we see of summer does have a lot of negatives. When people talk about her leading him on, they're not entirely wrong. If you watch the film, every time she dismisses their relationship or says they're just friends, she immediately does something that could be seen as contradicting it. She knew what Tom wanted, and probably should have ended the relationship earlier, but like I said, he wasn't entirely innocent either. It's really unfair to be so dismissive, because like the review said, it's all about perspective.
Summer's behavior could be interpreted as either friendly or flirty. But she explicitly tells Tom (and the audience) which of those interpretations is correct. He ignores this because he views everything she does through this pop-culture veil. He (and you guys) may see her behavior at the wedding as flirtatious and misleading, but there was nothing inherently romantic about it! Everything she did with Tom there is something a woman might do with any of her close friends. And if she made it clear that she wanted to be his friend (which she did), then it's not her fault he ignored that. I will concede that she could have broken up with him earlier, but to say she led him on in anyway is to fundamentally miss the point of the movie.
1scatterbrainednerd I guess it bothers me a little that even though she said it many times that she just wants to be his friend, that is not how a friend or even a best friend would act. It works with girl-girl or guy-guy friendship, but you don't really see a friendship like that with a guy and a girl. And also, most relationships start like that, with a friendship. So I can't blame Tom for thinking that friendship was going somewhere. And that's why i want to blame Summer, because even though she knew she only wanted a friendship, and she knew how it was affecting his friend Tom, she continued. I don't know, I loved the movie, it made me feel bad for Tom, and I guess I didn't want to blame Tom, so I have to blame Summer.
Excellent. Perfect timing, also. I just watched this movie last night (For the 3rd time) with my GF (Her 1st time). One of my 2 favourite "romantic" movies (Being the other Notting Hill)
This is one of my favorite movies. It taught great lessons that I could never explain using words. Though I knew the message of the movie, it was great hearing it all organized and explained. Thanks for the video!
Amazing commentary. Especially the point about the movie intentionally shaping the audience to be Tom, and the film itself as Summer. This point is often missed/glossed over for those who say Tom was foolish/delusional (and same for those in the audience who inherently sympathize with him), for ignoring the direct warning signs. While this is indeed true, it's also understandable why Tom based on his experiences/expectations fell into this inevitable heartache, as with the audience who spiral downward along with him - as the film's presentation capitalizes on our preconceptions making us ignore the warning signs too.
Just seeing this, excellent analysis, I do think there is a major chunk missing in the lack of a woman’s perspective here. Namely, that it’s common to have someone’s expectations superimposed over your own individuality while dating and when reality does NOT align with this narrative (for instance when the relationship fails) women have a tendency to be demonized. Treated as having lead someone on. When really we’re just all out here getting to know people until we find the right one. The movie does such a good job of showing how women aren’t listened to as readily when trying to advocate for themselves in relationships. Because of patriarchal ideas, it’s still too common a film trope (and similarly plays out in real life) that men have a tendency to feel confident they “know better” about what a woman wants or how she feels, deliberately overlooking her words in favor of their own fantasy and then becoming very upset when that falls apart. Also, while I agree there is some bit of hopefulness in the conclusion, seeming to show that once he is “ready” a perhaps truer love potential finds her way into his life, I believe the more realistic and likely intended point here is that here it is, another woman he knows nothing about beyond her beauty, that he is ready to impose yet another narrative onto. SHE is the one, the real true love that, per every other movie, only emerges when you’ve gotten over someone who you feel hurt you. With his breaking the 4th wall at yet another “season” name, he’s telling us “wow this is a sign, her name is literally Autumn!” and you can see he has already turned this into a romance film in his head. Denying her autonomy just as with Summer. Basically he treats the women in his life as NPCs that he will try to shoehorn into an unrealistic mold borne out of immature expectations from pulp culture. The truth of this movie is that Tom is so charming and well cast that we excuse that he is incredibly unfair and toxic to the women in his life.
Can't believe this is the same director who made the Amazing Spider-Man films. He should come back to doing stuff like this because Sony's a piece of shit.
I love this video, your analysis is perfect! It's so nice when someone makes you understand or notice things that weren't clear or evident before, thank you for your clarity and originality, I really enjoyed the video
Love how at the very end there is a note saying 'next, there will be blood', right when Tom is introduced to Autumn and looks into the camera. If that isn't setting up a horror sequel I don't know what is.
I like how the movie we expected it to be started at the end of this one showing yeah you may find someone and break up with them and you'll think to yourself you will never find someone else but it will pass and someone else will come along.
I remember watching this in 2009 when it came out, I only really realized the true intentions of the film today after i saw the post about JGL interview. This has been such a awakening
It really gets to you because as they said in the beginning, its not a love story and thats what this movie is about. You fell in love with Summer along with Tom and when we (Tom and the audience) found out she was engaged we could feel exactly what he felt. That's the beauty of it because as she said, she didn't want anything serious, it was a warning to us just like they warned us in the beginning about this movie not being a love story.
When you are in love it is so easy to miss the flaws of a relationship and the other person. When I first saw this move I didnt really get it. I had never loved someone so much that they could mess up my world. When that actually happened I finally got it. How could I not be the right guy for her? Why is this other guy able to get her love when I cant? It was a hard time but eventually time heals it and you met someone else. Maybe not right away like in the movie, but you do.
If you love 500 Days of Summer, check out Paper Towns. The book at least, plays with expectations in the same way. It's a bit more insistent on it being a fundamental part of human interaction though, that we as people often fail to imagine others complexly. We project our own fantasies and expectations on others. We sometimes construct an imagined version of ourselves by manipulating the perceptions of others. This isn't just a question of pop culture lying to us; it's a question of the fundamentally constructed nature of meaning and relationships. And the necessity to appreciate others for the complex people that they are.
This was really great, man. I think this movie is just about perfect. Funny enough, the ONE thing i don't love about it, is that her name is Autumn. Just a tad too easy for my dollars, but yeah, everything else about this movie was just stunningly refreshing,
Cstefos That's a legit complaint. I write it off as mostly a cheeky wink to the audience (Tom almost _literally_ winks to the audience). I get that it's also a "the painfully obvious answer he's been looking for has been there all along, he just hasn't been looking", but it's a reallllly cutesy way of getting that point across.
MarcusHalberstram88 Hey, sometimes otherwise perfect things have less than perfect things within them (See: Elijah Wood in Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind) but we forge on.
Your mention of The Notebook immediately brought to mind the co-stars’ relationship. Noah and Allison (the characters): grow old together and die side by side; Ryan and Rachel (the respective actors): date off-screen, re-enact the *rain* kiss at the awards ceremony, then break up
I went through, oh I don't know, a break up I guess, with someone like Summer in my life a few months ago. Watching this brings back memories. This analysis is perfect and this video deserves more views.
You have a done a great analysis bro... People always blame summer, feel sorrow for Tom.. but summer is not meant to Tom... that's the reality... You deserve alot more...
Man, I L-O-V-E this movie so much... And I enjoyed this analyse!! One quote from this movie really has stuck with me since I saw it years ago "One day I just knew... what I was never sure of with you" and it's so true I've been Summer to some people who I really liked but never really felt they were the one,, and one day you meet that one person you can see yourself with for the rest of your life and among everyone else they are just different and without even trying they make you feel like you've never felt with anyone else!! ♥
LfunkeyA You will!! :) It may take longer but don't worry one day without you expecting it you will, just keep living your life and don't settle for anything less...
Thanks for this analysis - you pointed out a lot of parallels that I missed when I watched the movie the other night. I wonder if people in general tend to dislike Summer, or if there's a difference between how males tend to react to the movie versus how females do? Or, as some other commenters said, maybe our reactions to it are about where we're at in our relationships / relationship experience. I ask this because I really empathised with Summer, and felt frustrated that Tom ignored what she said, how she felt and who she was for their whole relationship. I was relieved when they didn't get back together, because it was so obvious how miserable she was in it. I also see the most positive part of the ending being not when Tom meets Autumn, but when Tom got his personal and professional life together, and sits down and talks with Summer and realises that she's a person, not the answer to his prayers and not a monster either.
I love this analysis. The first time I watched this I felt bad for Tom and hated Summer but then once I watched it again and I realized what Summer have said all along. Although I empathize with both of them, I was kinda sorta in the same boat. A guy that I was friends with recently told me he liked me and has feelings for me. I've always reminded him that he is like a brother to me and I don't see him in that way, but love hanging out with him. People found out about it and now is pressuring me to date him. Now I look like the bad guy because I wont go out with him.
Brilliant analysis man ! I didn't know there were so many levels of interpretations to the movie. Also a movie where brilliant editing and great song selection aid the story telling in a way I did not think possible.
Excellent analysis. I loved the movie, and caught some of the details you mentioned when I first watched it, but I didn't even realize it was this deep. Time to re-watch :)
I cannot begin to count the number of marriages I've seen where it started with one (or both) of the parties stating very directly that he/she did not want anything serious. If people bailed everytime the other person said that there'd be about a tenth of the long term relationships that exist today.
+Movies I Love (and so can you) I don't blame her for not changing. I'm saying that many people (guys and gals) say the same things and the same messages Summer did and the next thing you know they're getting married to each other. I hope this movie doesn't discourage people from forging ahead if it feels right. There's always the risk of getting hurt but the fact is that comes with the territory of love and relationships.
This movie, and "Her" (the one with the AI) fucked me up good when I first saw them. Shame on parents for not being required by law to teach their children these things. And if you go and say "well it should be obvious"... well you don't get it. The way others act can shape the way you view reality.
Not necessarily requesting a video on these movies (it would be awesome), but i think you would like the two movies "Donny Darko" and "The Prestige"! Great work!
I think a lot of the hate comes from that last scene with Summer, when the audience puts themselves in the place of the place of Tom. They ask what was wrong with Tom that she wouldn't commit to him and yet let herself fall in love with another man. They feel like there was no good reason for her reluctance, which she drops as soon as she meets this guy. It makes her seem capricious at least if not a hypocrite. On a more meta note, the audience feels jerked around by the story, as it develops into a "no bullshit" story but right at the end it turns around and says "Nope! True love does exist, you just gotta find the right person," which is a return to old convention. It's like this movie wants to critique the old romantic classics while not totally departing from them.
What a beautiful breakdown of the film. The color palette also is an amazing touch to the whole summer & autumn "seasons" moving on comparisons. Great analysis man. Subscribed.
I totally agree that you cannot force that romantic fantasy to every relationship that you have or it would be too intense and go south. It was a very good review. I love this film and watched it several times already.
I enjoyed your video, and the film is one of my favourites too, but I disagree that the ending is a happy ending and that Tom has turned the corner, so to speak. Maybe I'm too cynical but his whole interaction with Autumn has echoes of his relationship with Summer - he idealises her, and seems to fall for the whole 'love at first sight'/'meant to be' tropes that the movie warns us about. The 'reset' of the counter to '1' emphasises this, and so does the name 'Autumn', suggesting a cycle of the seasons, where Tom is just going to repeat the same mistakes.
Wow... I really liked your comparison regarding how the film is Summer, and the parallels... I never considered it like that! One of my favorite films :) It's not a happy ending how you'd expect, but it's more realistic than any romcom ever created! It's how things happen IRL, and that gives the film a really unique charm. I was enjoying this video and I thought your details and the elements you brought to attention were neatly explained, but once you got to the whole "the audience is Tom and the film is Summer" concept, I was very impressed! Subbing :) Keep making vids!
Awesome video! You really nail it all on the head it's a great film because it plays on the viewers expectations. Although I do think the ending is a strange one because is autumn the one? Has tom learnt anything ?
+Sh0vels Doesn't really matter, I think, it's the fact that Summer is over and it's starting a new chapter, it kinda gives us hope, and (just like seasons) if Autumn ends there will always be Winter and so on, I find it very reasuring :)
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This is an excellent analysis. Also worth noting and one of my favorite dialogue in the movie is when the narrator describes Summer : "Since the disintegration of her parent's marriage she'd only love two things. The first was her long dark hair. The second was how easily she could cut it off and not feel a thing."
We are informed up front that Summer is someone who can let something she loves get away and not really be too bothered about it.
Oh she's bothered all right, but numbs herself not to feel loss; it's too painful.
"There are so many stories so many movies about finding love, about the relationship that ends up being THE relationship. But in real life most relationships end in break-ups, that's why so few people ends up with the first person they ever date. And relatively speaking there aren't that many movies reflecting this. I respect this movie for being one of them."
I've been trying to explain this to my friends and you summed it all in a paragraph. Good job.
+Timotius Marbun And those people who DO find lasting happiness with one of the first people they date have no idea how fortunate they are. Damn them!
This video is really good. I hate when I hear people say they hate Summer. It just says to me they viewed this as your typical romcom and missed the point of this movie completely.
Summer grows cold and distant because Tom smothers her with the need for a commitment and long term thing. People often say that Summer knew what Tom wanted and therefore she still led him on, but at the same time, Tom knew what she wanted (or rather didn't want) and kept persisting anyway, so maybe Summer didn't lead him on as much as Tom tried to drag
her in to something.
I do also love how it deals with expectations and how because we're so in love with the idea of being in love that we romanticize people and ignore there flaws, but after we can no longer do that the glass shatters and it leaves both parties feeling empty and unfamiliar. I definitely think it inspired JGL to look more at expectations in Don Jon.
+John King exactly ! they don't realize that this movie is from Tom's POV so obviously he feels she is a bitch for dumping him
+John King Oh thank you! Finally, someone gets it. :D
John King their *
Hugh jazz o shit u right
@@hellowalkman4506 so correct. I feel for him totally.
I saw this movie when it first came out in the theaters. At the time, I was with someone who I thought was the one. Not surprisingly, I thought the movie was overrated and I didn't enjoy it.
Since then, that relationship has ended and after watching this review I now realize that I simply didn't relate to the main character. You've single handedly changed my mind about 500 Days Of Summer.
Anyway, awesome presentation and delivery - I subscribed. Can't wait to see the There Will Be Blood review, that's my favorite movie.
Same. When this movie first came out, I hated it, hated Summer and it went right over my head lol. I was a kid at the time, totally inexperienced in love or loss or rejection.
Then I eventually got my heart shattered to bits. When Tom loses Summer, he is Mother Theresa compared to how I acted in my situation. So yeah, now I really, really like the movie and have actually found it quite healing as it now makes me laugh.
Yup :(
I think i am growing up! I re-watched this film last night as its one of my favorite films. One thing to notice is Summer is always the one taking the lead. From the kiss to what they do. Even when Tom ask where things are going he never really put himself out there. He doesn't say what he wants. He just demands it out of Summer.
Another random thing, I didn't notice this before but when Summer invites Tom to her party she says "we". Tom thinks "we" means Summer and him where it really means her fiancé and her. This sets up that epic two screen shot in such a great way.
+Jeremy Balliston No that we meant nothing actually because She wasn't engaged with him then ..
True.
The ending chokes me up every single time. Tom’s knowing look into the camera and that soft guitar melody just resonates so strongly and fills me with a sense of hope.
You’re completely right when you say this film *is* Summer. It’s signaling to you throughout that it’s not the type of film you expect it to be, and inevitably when Tom realizes this, we’re left to wonder what happened despite the copious warning signs we’ve seen along the way. His meeting with Autumn feels like Tom finally finding that love story he was seeking, and although he and Summer do not end up together, their relationship teaches both of them *how* to love. Even if it’s with someone else.
Holy shit I didn't realize this movie was so deep!
+Andrew Ng Me too... Definitely. I shocked for seconds or for minutes :D
'The cynic who doesn't believe in love, and the hopeless romantic who would teach her.'
I don't think this was just the movie's way of leading on our expectations. In a way, Tom really did teach Summer, because she left that relationship being able to find love, just in another person.
nah, he definitely did not teach her how to love. That analysis denies her intelligence and sentience the way Tom mistakenly does in the movie. The truth is far more Occam’s Razor. She didn’t really believe in love because she hadn’t found it yet. That’s all there is to it. She cared about Tom but didn’t love him in that way. The next person she met happened to be a person she connected with in a way that felt different to her. The whole point of the movie is that Summer could have been almost anyone, to Tom, bc he cherry-picked things about her to obsess over and deliberately ignored all the things she showed or told him that did not fit his fantasy of a perfect relationship.
I really liked this movie when I first saw it...and your breakdown of it makes me want to watch it again. Well done sir
+ProphetBeal Same here!! I love the movie and this would make me look at it in a different light **off to download it :D**
I was exactly like Tom. Creating expectations for myself with certain girls I liked and all end up falling apart. I got curious about seeing this movie after hearing about it. And Im glad I saw it. It taught me to not only to never set expectations to every relationship, but also to find solace in what we truly want to do with our lives (hence the chalk board scene).
I just went through a break-up with my girlfriend of 2 years who I thought was the one. She was my first girlfriend and I'd thought she was the only one for me. Obviously things fell apart and we broke up but I didn't see it coming, I was devastated. I saw this film and it told me exactly what I needed to know. It taught me something and has helped me to feel positive again. I love this film for teaching me reality and that it's okay, I just need to open my mind again
+1 brother
Hope you are doing your good now
Yes.
This is probably my favourite movie ever, the themes, the soundtrack, the humour, the way it was shot, cast... perfect.
My favorite movie for the reasons you mentioned: it’s depth and authenticity. Fantastic synopsis. Thank you for this.
literally my favorite movie i love how many people agree
This video was so perfect. You made me see this movie in such a new light. I used to get so depressed with this movie. Now I understand why it made me feel that way, and now I can see it in a completely different light. I'm going to rewatch it tomorrow keeping this all in mind. Thank you!
I first saw this movie when I was probably 8-10 years old. It was probably the first movie I watched without the expected happy ending I was used to at that age, so its safe to say I hated it. I remember hating it so much, and never watching it again after it. I remember loving Joseph and hating Zoey, and being a young kid not being able to distinguish between actors and characters, those impressions lasted with me for a while. Zoey has grown on me slightly from New Girl, but I always had this annoying perception of her from this movie. Upon watching this video, I'm utterly shocked. As a kid I didn't notice any of the parallels, the story within a story, summer being a metaphor for the movie itself, any of it. Its brilliant. I had just decided that I had no need to watch this movie again, but now I know that I must. This looks like it has the potential to be one of my favorites.
You know how good an essay is when it makes you love and appreciate a movie you already loved even more. Great stuff.
wow great analysis man! you deserve more subs!
Another great review (I'm still catching up). This film had me at the opening credits (Especially you Jenny Beckman). I knew I was in for something special. And, I wasn't disappointed. In spite of all the time shifts (usually hate that), I was captured from beginning to end. For those who faded away with Summer, remember that there is always Autumn.
this movie is absolutely beautiful
I normlly dont like movies like this but I really found this movie memorable. It really gives you perspective on the psychology of modern day relationships. And the dysfunction that grows out of them sometimes.
Pretty good analysis. Its all about perspective, from Toms point of view he was so in love with Summer that he felt she was the "one" for him yet he didn't take the time to consider it from her point of view and ask himself if she felt that he was the "one" for her. However, I also believe it wasn't right of Summer to play on Tom's feelings the way she did when they met on the train where she becomes all flirty rather than friendly which brings Tom's expectations back into play. Just goes to show that love sucks real bad and hurts like a bitch. Brilliant movie!
And how do we know that "really" happened? Around the film we can see Tom memory is selective. Perhaps she never flirts with him, but he choosed to remember it that way.
The more i see comments, i actually did this to a guy who didn't want to be my boyfriend. I am like Summer and Tom but this video made me remember how my expectations were too high just like Tom for another church guy. Reality struck when i invited him for my karaoke birthday party last year, thinking we can be normal friends and talk to each other normally but no, it didn't happen that way. It made me feel devastated, stupid and really awkward. He didn't wish me and didn't want to say goodbye too. Just left. That was my reality that kicked in and it devastastes me still. Thank you for making me realize this. 😐
"It just wasn't me that you were right about."
and I'm crying again. It's such a beautiful twist.
All these great film essay channels coming out with good stuff.
it actually makes me sad that so many people, even critics, just Put this movie away for it being just another romance with a Twist without giving it a Chance or thinking about it some more. love this Video, Thank You so much man!
me on a date: So, what do you think of 500 days of summer?
them: Uggh, Summer is such a bitch! How could she lead Tom on like that?
me, shoving breadsticks into my purse: I have to go immediately right now
Seriously, though, I had a guy say to me once, "If a woman says she relates to Summer, run. Run far away"-and that's when I decided to break up with him.
1scatterbrainednerd Really, neither Tom nor Summer is innocent in the film. While it is biased by being shown from Tom's point of view, what we see of summer does have a lot of negatives. When people talk about her leading him on, they're not entirely wrong. If you watch the film, every time she dismisses their relationship or says they're just friends, she immediately does something that could be seen as contradicting it. She knew what Tom wanted, and probably should have ended the relationship earlier, but like I said, he wasn't entirely innocent either. It's really unfair to be so dismissive, because like the review said, it's all about perspective.
1scatterbrainednerd I saw the video, loved the review... but... so Summer wasn't a bitch??? I'm confused bc I love the movie...
Summer's behavior could be interpreted as either friendly or flirty. But she explicitly tells Tom (and the audience) which of those interpretations is correct. He ignores this because he views everything she does through this pop-culture veil. He (and you guys) may see her behavior at the wedding as flirtatious and misleading, but there was nothing inherently romantic about it! Everything she did with Tom there is something a woman might do with any of her close friends. And if she made it clear that she wanted to be his friend (which she did), then it's not her fault he ignored that.
I will concede that she could have broken up with him earlier, but to say she led him on in anyway is to fundamentally miss the point of the movie.
1scatterbrainednerd I guess it bothers me a little that even though she said it many times that she just wants to be his friend, that is not how a friend or even a best friend would act. It works with girl-girl or guy-guy friendship, but you don't really see a friendship like that with a guy and a girl. And also, most relationships start like that, with a friendship. So I can't blame Tom for thinking that friendship was going somewhere. And that's why i want to blame Summer, because even though she knew she only wanted a friendship, and she knew how it was affecting his friend Tom, she continued. I don't know, I loved the movie, it made me feel bad for Tom, and I guess I didn't want to blame Tom, so I have to blame Summer.
Awesome breakdown of the film. I love these kind of films where expectation is shattered.
Excellent. Perfect timing, also. I just watched this movie last night (For the 3rd time) with my GF (Her 1st time). One of my 2 favourite "romantic" movies (Being the other Notting Hill)
This is one of my favorite movies. It taught great lessons that I could never explain using words. Though I knew the message of the movie, it was great hearing it all organized and explained. Thanks for the video!
The t-shirt young tom wears is Joy Divisions love will tear us apart.
It's the album cover for unknown pleasures by joy division
Amazing commentary. Especially the point about the movie intentionally shaping the audience to be Tom, and the film itself as Summer. This point is often missed/glossed over for those who say Tom was foolish/delusional (and same for those in the audience who inherently sympathize with him), for ignoring the direct warning signs. While this is indeed true, it's also understandable why Tom based on his experiences/expectations fell into this inevitable heartache, as with the audience who spiral downward along with him - as the film's presentation capitalizes on our preconceptions making us ignore the warning signs too.
Jeezus, hell of an analysis. Great job.
Just seeing this, excellent analysis, I do think there is a major chunk missing in the lack of a woman’s perspective here. Namely, that it’s common to have someone’s expectations superimposed over your own individuality while dating and when reality does NOT align with this narrative (for instance when the relationship fails) women have a tendency to be demonized. Treated as having lead someone on. When really we’re just all out here getting to know people until we find the right one. The movie does such a good job of showing how women aren’t listened to as readily when trying to advocate for themselves in relationships. Because of patriarchal ideas, it’s still too common a film trope (and similarly plays out in real life) that men have a tendency to feel confident they “know better” about what a woman wants or how she feels, deliberately overlooking her words in favor of their own fantasy and then becoming very upset when that falls apart. Also, while I agree there is some bit of hopefulness in the conclusion, seeming to show that once he is “ready” a perhaps truer love potential finds her way into his life, I believe the more realistic and likely intended point here is that here it is, another woman he knows nothing about beyond her beauty, that he is ready to impose yet another narrative onto. SHE is the one, the real true love that, per every other movie, only emerges when you’ve gotten over someone who you feel hurt you. With his breaking the 4th wall at yet another “season” name, he’s telling us “wow this is a sign, her name is literally Autumn!” and you can see he has already turned this into a romance film in his head. Denying her autonomy just as with Summer. Basically he treats the women in his life as NPCs that he will try to shoehorn into an unrealistic mold borne out of immature expectations from pulp culture. The truth of this movie is that Tom is so charming and well cast that we excuse that he is incredibly unfair and toxic to the women in his life.
After watching 500 days of Summer, I always go back to this. Great video!
Can't believe this is the same director who made the Amazing Spider-Man films. He should come back to doing stuff like this because Sony's a piece of shit.
I love this video, your analysis is perfect! It's so nice when someone makes you understand or notice things that weren't clear or evident before, thank you for your clarity and originality, I really enjoyed the video
Absolutely loved your analysis. It actually made me rewatch the film and see it from a different perspective and I finally see why it's so beautiful.
Love how at the very end there is a note saying 'next, there will be blood', right when Tom is introduced to Autumn and looks into the camera. If that isn't setting up a horror sequel I don't know what is.
I like how the movie we expected it to be started at the end of this one showing yeah you may find someone and break up with them and you'll think to yourself you will never find someone else but it will pass and someone else will come along.
I remember watching this in 2009 when it came out, I only really realized the true intentions of the film today after i saw the post about JGL interview. This has been such a awakening
It really gets to you because as they said in the beginning, its not a love story and thats what this movie is about. You fell in love with Summer along with Tom and when we (Tom and the audience) found out she was engaged we could feel exactly what he felt. That's the beauty of it because as she said, she didn't want anything serious, it was a warning to us just like they warned us in the beginning about this movie not being a love story.
When you are in love it is so easy to miss the flaws of a relationship and the other person. When I first saw this move I didnt really get it. I had never loved someone so much that they could mess up my world. When that actually happened I finally got it. How could I not be the right guy for her? Why is this other guy able to get her love when I cant? It was a hard time but eventually time heals it and you met someone else. Maybe not right away like in the movie, but you do.
If you love 500 Days of Summer, check out Paper Towns. The book at least, plays with expectations in the same way. It's a bit more insistent on it being a fundamental part of human interaction though, that we as people often fail to imagine others complexly. We project our own fantasies and expectations on others. We sometimes construct an imagined version of ourselves by manipulating the perceptions of others. This isn't just a question of pop culture lying to us; it's a question of the fundamentally constructed nature of meaning and relationships. And the necessity to appreciate others for the complex people that they are.
This was really great, man. I think this movie is just about perfect. Funny enough, the ONE thing i don't love about it, is that her name is Autumn. Just a tad too easy for my dollars, but yeah, everything else about this movie was just stunningly refreshing,
Cstefos That's a legit complaint. I write it off as mostly a cheeky wink to the audience (Tom almost _literally_ winks to the audience). I get that it's also a "the painfully obvious answer he's been looking for has been there all along, he just hasn't been looking", but it's a reallllly cutesy way of getting that point across.
MarcusHalberstram88 Hey, sometimes otherwise perfect things have less than perfect things within them (See: Elijah Wood in Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind) but we forge on.
Cstefos What's wrong with Elijah Wood in Eternal Sunshine? His character or the acting?
Ggroflhax312 Uh, mostly his stupid fucking face
Cstefos That was actually my one problem with the film too.
Amazing analysis. Open my eyes on the magic of editing. Please keep on posting. One of the best movie TH-cam so far.
I'm in love with your analysis. But I also think that we all are idealizing the movie, just like tom idealizing summer.
Kylenovalet that's kind of what he said
Oh my god!!!! Yaaayyy...finally the movie 500 days of summer is quite clear to me. Thank you so much!!!
Fantastic analysis and review. Really opened some aspects of the story for me. Still love this movie and i know I'll watch it again.
Your mention of The Notebook immediately brought to mind the co-stars’ relationship. Noah and Allison (the characters): grow old together and die side by side; Ryan and Rachel (the respective actors): date off-screen, re-enact the *rain* kiss at the awards ceremony, then break up
Incredible video, once again. Can't wait for There Will be Blood. One of my all time favorites as well.
I went through, oh I don't know, a break up I guess, with someone like Summer in my life a few months ago. Watching this brings back memories.
This analysis is perfect and this video deserves more views.
Thank You for making this.
I love this movie so much & you've helped me understand why.
great analysis! the audience is totally tom and the movie is totally summer!
This is my favorite movie by far and you did an amazing job summing it up.
You have a done a great analysis bro... People always blame summer, feel sorrow for Tom.. but summer is not meant to Tom... that's the reality... You deserve alot more...
Damn I feel I like I just watched the whole movie!
This was top notch analysis of one my favorite movies of all time. Great job sir!
Love your analysis of this movie. I really love 500 Days of Summer!
amazing analysis, hats off to you. As a guy, I'm not afraid to admit i love this movie down to its core
Man, I L-O-V-E this movie so much... And I enjoyed this analyse!!
One quote from this movie really has stuck with me since I saw it years ago "One day I just knew... what I was never sure of with you" and it's so true I've been Summer to some people who I really liked but never really felt they were the one,, and one day you meet that one person you can see yourself with for the rest of your life and among everyone else they are just different and without even trying they make you feel like you've never felt with anyone else!!
♥
+mpnl21 you really don't meet those people though, most of us don't anyway.
LfunkeyA You will!! :)
It may take longer but don't worry one day without you expecting it you will, just keep living your life and don't settle for anything less...
Thanks for this analysis - you pointed out a lot of parallels that I missed when I watched the movie the other night.
I wonder if people in general tend to dislike Summer, or if there's a difference between how males tend to react to the movie versus how females do? Or, as some other commenters said, maybe our reactions to it are about where we're at in our relationships / relationship experience.
I ask this because I really empathised with Summer, and felt frustrated that Tom ignored what she said, how she felt and who she was for their whole relationship. I was relieved when they didn't get back together, because it was so obvious how miserable she was in it. I also see the most positive part of the ending being not when Tom meets Autumn, but when Tom got his personal and professional life together, and sits down and talks with Summer and realises that she's a person, not the answer to his prayers and not a monster either.
Rat Sack youre one of the rare few
wow ive watched several of your reviews now and they're very impressive . nice work!!
I love this analysis. The first time I watched this I felt bad for Tom and hated Summer but then once I watched it again and I realized what Summer have said all along.
Although I empathize with both of them, I was kinda sorta in the same boat.
A guy that I was friends with recently told me he liked me and has feelings for me. I've always reminded him that he is like a brother to me and I don't see him in that way, but love hanging out with him. People found out about it and now is pressuring me to date him. Now I look like the bad guy because I wont go out with him.
Very thorough and thoughtful look at this movie! Good work!
dude. i've watched this video 4 times. One of my fav in the whole youtube. Thanks
Brilliant analysis man ! I didn't know there were so many levels of interpretations to the movie. Also a movie where brilliant editing and great song selection aid the story telling in a way I did not think possible.
Men. Everytime I see a movie in your analisis videos... I just stop just liking it and I start loving it. Thanks dude.
Excellent analysis. I loved the movie, and caught some of the details you mentioned when I first watched it, but I didn't even realize it was this deep. Time to re-watch :)
My favorite movie of all time, you did an impressive job breaking it down 👍👍👍
This movie is a masterpiece. Same holds true with this analysis. Thanks bro!
I cannot begin to count the number of marriages I've seen where it started with one (or both) of the parties stating very directly that he/she did not want anything serious. If people bailed everytime the other person said that there'd be about a tenth of the long term relationships that exist today.
People _can_ change, but can you blame them if they don't?
Because Tom (and a lot of the audience) blames Summer for..._not_ changing.
+Movies I Love (and so can you) I don't blame her for not changing. I'm saying that many people (guys and gals) say the same things and the same messages Summer did and the next thing you know they're getting married to each other. I hope this movie doesn't discourage people from forging ahead if it feels right. There's always the risk of getting hurt but the fact is that comes with the territory of love and relationships.
Please do more of these video's. I absolutely love those.
I don't usually comment but I have to say that this was an excellent video. Really good job there man!
I love this film. I had the blues from a couple days, Zooey Deschanel is so beautiful and her music is great.
My goodness, this is incredible.
He rebuilds and then falls right back into the same cycle. She's called Autumn... and the days are numbered
+Zoe Elizabeth yea .. x days of Autumn :P
next winter, spring
Doesnt mean the countdown stops
This movie, and "Her" (the one with the AI) fucked me up good when I first saw them. Shame on parents for not being required by law to teach their children these things. And if you go and say "well it should be obvious"... well you don't get it. The way others act can shape the way you view reality.
You’d be surprised how similar “500 Days of Summer” is to “Her” when you stop and think about it
Not necessarily requesting a video on these movies (it would be awesome), but i think you would like the two movies "Donny Darko" and "The Prestige"! Great work!
The movie is great.... but this is one of the greatest reviews I've read. It really made an impression.
Although I watched it like 3 times, you made me want to watch it again.
I think a lot of the hate comes from that last scene with Summer, when the audience puts themselves in the place of the place of Tom. They ask what was wrong with Tom that she wouldn't commit to him and yet let herself fall in love with another man. They feel like there was no good reason for her reluctance, which she drops as soon as she meets this guy. It makes her seem capricious at least if not a hypocrite.
On a more meta note, the audience feels jerked around by the story, as it develops into a "no bullshit" story but right at the end it turns around and says "Nope! True love does exist, you just gotta find the right person," which is a return to old convention. It's like this movie wants to critique the old romantic classics while not totally departing from them.
What a beautiful breakdown of the film. The color palette also is an amazing touch to the whole summer & autumn "seasons" moving on comparisons. Great analysis man. Subscribed.
The 1st time I saw this I thought Summer was terrible and upon second viewing I realized how upfront she was
Jesus Christ dude you are freaking amazing at this!!!!! I literally love all of your reviews keep up the good work brotha!!!
i watch this movie at least once a year, still i learnt many new things from ur video... awesome job dude...
The ending always gives me goosebumps.
Glad I found this channel. Keep up the good work!
I totally agree that you cannot force that romantic fantasy to every relationship that you have or it would be too intense and go south. It was a very good review. I love this film and watched it several times already.
Thanks for this man. I needed this a lot right now, and I think I need to re-watch this film.
I never usually go for the rom-com bullshit but this film was really fantastic.
For all the reasons you just named I suppose... and Zooey Deschanel :)
I enjoyed your video, and the film is one of my favourites too, but I disagree that the ending is a happy ending and that Tom has turned the corner, so to speak. Maybe I'm too cynical but his whole interaction with Autumn has echoes of his relationship with Summer - he idealises her, and seems to fall for the whole 'love at first sight'/'meant to be' tropes that the movie warns us about. The 'reset' of the counter to '1' emphasises this, and so does the name 'Autumn', suggesting a cycle of the seasons, where Tom is just going to repeat the same mistakes.
Great analysis man. Definitely did not remember the movie this way. Thanks!
Really great analysis man. Really made me see the movie in a different light
i absolutely loved the soundtrack though.... :D
this is why i love this movie ;)
thanks for the break down
Wow, Josh did a great job!
Wow... I really liked your comparison regarding how the film is Summer, and the parallels... I never considered it like that! One of my favorite films :) It's not a happy ending how you'd expect, but it's more realistic than any romcom ever created! It's how things happen IRL, and that gives the film a really unique charm. I was enjoying this video and I thought your details and the elements you brought to attention were neatly explained, but once you got to the whole "the audience is Tom and the film is Summer" concept, I was very impressed! Subbing :) Keep making vids!
Awesome video! You really nail it all on the head it's a great film because it plays on the viewers expectations. Although I do think the ending is a strange one because is autumn the one? Has tom learnt anything ?
Yeah exactly! I like to believe that she is the one though. Or at least he has learn't from his time with summer.
+Sh0vels Doesn't really matter, I think, it's the fact that Summer is over and it's starting a new chapter, it kinda gives us hope, and (just like seasons) if Autumn ends there will always be Winter and so on, I find it very reasuring :)
+mpnl21 yeah that's a good point!
I'd love a sequel!
I am sure he did..
Excellent. One of my favorite movies. I forgot about Autumn.
Man your analysis of movies are great. Very glad your gonna do there will be blood next.