| (500) Days of Summer | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Marc Webb |
| Written by | |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Eric Steelberg |
| Edited by | Alan Edward Bell |
| Music by | |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $7.5 million[1][2] |
| Box office | $60 million[1] |
(500) Days of Summer is a 2009 Americanromanticcomedy-drama film directed byMarc Webb in his feature directorial debut,[3] written byScott Neustadter andMichael H. Weber, and produced byMark Waters. The film starsJoseph Gordon-Levitt andZooey Deschanel as Tom and Summer respectively, and in anonlinear narrative structure, Tom chronicles the story of his relationship with Summer.
As anindependent production, the film was picked up for distribution byFox Searchlight Pictures and premiered at the25th Sundance Film Festival. It received positive critical reviews and became a successful "sleeper hit", earning $60.7 million in worldwide returns, far exceeding its $7.5 million budget. Many critics lauded the film as one of the best from 2009 and drew comparisons to other acclaimed films such asAnnie Hall (1977) andHigh Fidelity (2000).[4][5][6] The movie is considered as acult classic.[7][8]
The film receivedBest Original Screenplay andBest Screenplay awards at the14th Satellite Awards and25th Independent Spirit Awards, respectively, as well as two nominations at the67th Golden Globe Awards:Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy andBest Actor – Musical or Comedy (Gordon-Levitt).[9]
Aspiring architect Tom Hansen works as a writer at a greeting card company inLos Angeles. He meets Summer Finn, his boss Vance's new assistant. They bond over their similar musical tastes, and at a company-sponsoredkaraoke night, they discuss love, which he believes in, unlike her, as her own parents had divorced. Tom's friend and co-worker drunkenly reveals that Tom likes Summer, which both assert is merely a close friendship. A few days later, Summer spontaneously kisses Tom in the office; Tom agrees to acasual relationship, and that night, they have sex. Over the first few months of their relationship, they grow closer.
Tom accompanies Summer to a park bench in the city, his favorite location. Eventually, Tom's friends and work colleagues as well as his adolescent half-sister Rachel urge him to ask Summer about their relationship status, but Summer insists it is unimportant as long as both parties are satisfied. One night, Tom brawls with a man who attempts to make sexual and romantic advances toward Summer in a bar. After an argument, they reconcile and Summer concedes that Tom deserves some certainty but cannot promise to always feel affection for him.
Slowly, their relationship becomes less passionate and they begin to continuously argue. After Summer quits her job at the greeting card company and ends things with Tom, citing their unhappiness, Vance transfers him to the consolations department, as his depression is making him unsuitable for happier events. Ablind date with a woman named Alison fails, as Tom spends it complaining about Summer.
Months later, Tom is invited to attend the marriage of a work colleague named Millie and attempts to avoid Summer on the train heading to the occasion, but she notices him and invites him for coffee. At the ceremony, Summer catches the bouquet thrown by Millie, and dances with Tom at the wedding reception. After she invites him to a party at her apartment, he arrives, hoping to rekindle their romance, but notices her wearing an engagement ring and tearfully departs.
Sinking further into depression, Tom secludes himself in his apartment, only emerging for alcohol and junk food. After a few days, he returns to work heavily inebriated and emotionally quits his job on the spot. Rachel criticizes Tom's attitude, explaining that Summer was the wrong woman for him and that his depression stems from focusing solely on happy instances in the relationship. Tom finally reflects on the incompatibilities he'd overlooked. One day, he energetically rededicates himself to architecture, as Summer had encouraged him to do. He assembles a portfolio and secures job interviews.
Tom and Summer re-encounter each other at the park bench. She has recently married, and he admits his inability to comprehend it as she never wanted to be serious with anyone. She explains that when she met her now-husband, she was sure of him in a way she wasn't about Tom. When he acknowledges his shortcomings about believing in true love, she reassures him that his beliefs are justified, but stresses their own romantic incompatibility. He wishes her happiness as she departs.
On Wednesday, May 23, Tom encounters a young woman who is interviewing for the same position at an architectural firm as him, and they connect over his favorite location. He invites her for coffee once both of them are finished with the interview. She declines, but then changes her mind, revealing that her name is Autumn.
The film is presented as a non-linear narrative. Each scene is introduced using a title card showing which of the 500 days it is.[10] Co-writer of the filmScott Neustadter admitted the film was based on a real romance. Neustadter explains that when he met the real girl who inspired the character Summer as a student at theLondon School of Economics in 2002, he was rebounding from a bad breakup back home, and promptly fell "crazily, madly, hopelessly in love" with the girl who "returned his kisses but not his ardor." The ending of the relationship was "painfully and unforgettably awful," which prompted him to co-write the film with Michael H. Weber. When Neustadter later showed the script to Summer's real-life counterpart, she said she related more to the Tom character.[11] Weber also stated that, "we've all been in the trenches of love, we've all gone through the highs and lows, so Scott and I felt that the only way to tell this story was to come at it from a completely real place. It was pretty interesting for us because Scott was just going through a break-up and I was in a long-term relationship, so we each brought a totally opposite perspective, living it and not living it, and I think that tension helped to bring out more of the comedy".[12]
Director Marc Webb has described the film as more of a "coming of age" story as opposed to a "rom-com". He stated, "We arrive at a different conclusion, for one thing. Plus, most romantic comedies are more loyal to a formula than to emotional truth. It's about happiness, and learning that you'll find it within yourself, rather than in the big blue eyes of the girl in the cubicle down the hall. I wanted to make an unsentimental movie and an uncynical movie. In my mind, I wanted it to be something you could dance to. That's why we put a parenthesis in the title – it's like a pop song in movie form. It's not a big film. It's not about war or poverty. It's about 500 days in a young guy's relationship, but it's no less deserving of scrutiny. When your heart is first broken, it consumes you. And it's an emotion I wanted to make a movie about, before I forgot how it felt".[12]Webb also stated that Deschanel's character, Summer, is based on astock character type; "Yes, Summer is an immature view of a woman. She's Tom's view of a woman. He doesn't see her complexity and the consequence for him is heartbreak. In Tom's eyes, Summer is perfection, but perfection has no depth. Summer's not a girl, she's a phase."[12] Gordon-Levitt explained that he was drawn to the role of Tom because of his relatability to the character. "I've had my heart broken before. Truly, truly broken. But when I look back at me in my heartbroken phase, it's pretty hilarious, because it felt so much more extreme than it really was. One of the things I love about(500) Days of Summer is that it doesn't make light of what we go through in romances, but it is honest about it and shows it for what it is, which is often profoundly funny".[12]
David Ng of theLos Angeles Times describes architecture as a star of the film.[13]Tom is seen readingAlain de Botton'sThe Architecture of Happiness.The film was originally set in San Francisco but was later moved to Los Angeles and the script rewritten to make better use of the location.[14] Buildings used include theLos Angeles Music Center (which includes theDorothy Chandler Pavilion) and the towers ofCalifornia Plaza.[13]The olderFine Arts Building is featured in the film, in a scene where Tom shows it to Summer and mentions its designers,Walker and Eisen, two of his favorite architects. TheContinental Building is also visible from Tom's bench at Angel's Knoll, and has become a notable symbol of the film.
Christopher Hawthorne of theLos Angeles Times describes the film as having "finely honed sense of taste" to include theBradbury Building where Tom goes for his job interview.[15][16]
Tom's favorite spot in Los Angeles was shot at Angel's Knoll, which became a populartourist attraction after the film's release. Since July 2013 it has been closed off to the public due to state cutbacks.[17] In his article about cinematic cartography, Dr. Chris Lukinbeal suggests that the location of Angel's Knoll mirrors Tom's view of the world. He argues that Tom only perceives the beauty of the buildings surrounding them and only acknowledges the parking lot when Summer points it out to him. He states that "Tom is also unable to see beyond his expectations of hopeless romance."[18]
Costume designer, Hope Hanafin has revealed through interviews that Marc Webb insisted on the color blue being worn exclusively by Summer. He based his decision on Zooey Deschanel's eye color, but as Hanafin disclosed, it works on a subconscious level as well, attracting attention at all times. The only scene to break this "rule" is the Hall & Oates dance sequence where many of the extras appear in blue. "The point of that was to show that, in his morning-after glow, Tom's whole world is a reflection of Summer".[19] The costumes are a mixture of vintage andfast fashion with the emphasis on staying realistic to what the characters could afford. Summer's wardrobe is refreshing and stylish without anything tying it to the years around the film's release which gives the aesthetics a timeless quality.[19][20]
Twosoundtrack albums were released for(500) Days of Summer. The first, consisting of variouspop songs from the film, was released throughSire Records and reached no. 42 on theBillboard 200 sales chart.[21] Andrew Leahey ofAllMusic rated the album three and a half stars out of five, saying "With music playing such an integral role in the story line, it's refreshing to see that the accompanying soundtrack does its job well, distilling the characters' record collections (not to mention the movie's quirky, nostalgic ambiance) into one eclectic track list."[22] The second album consists of the film's musical score, composed byMychael Danna andRob Simonsen.
The film made its debut at the25th Sundance Film Festival. It proved a huge success and received astanding ovation from festival crowds upon screening.[23] In Europe,(500) Days of Summer premiered in Switzerland as the opening film of the 62ndLocarno Film Festival.[24]
Filmedindependently, it was picked up for distribution byFox Searchlight Pictures and opened in the United States and Canada on July 17, 2009, later expanding to wide release on August 7, 2009.[25] It was later also released on September 2, 2009, in Ireland and the United Kingdom, and opened in Australia on September 17, 2009.[26]
To help promote the film, Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel starred in the debut episode ofMicrosoft Zune andMean Magazine'sCinemash series. In the episode, they "mash" the characters from the filmSid and Nancy with story elements from(500) Days of Summer.[27][28]
Marc Webb created a music video as a companion piece to the film, titled "The Bank Heist". It features Deschanel and Gordon-Levitt dancing to "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?", a song by Deschanel's folk groupShe & Him.[2] Webb remarked, "when we didn't include Zooey in the dance sequence [in500 Days], she was a little heartbroken and I felt like I needed to remedy that."[29]
Upon the film's initiallimited release in the U.S, it was expected to become the "breakoutindie hit of the summer".[30] By September 8, the film had taken in $1.9 million from 318 screens in the United Kingdom. This was regarded as a successful five-day opening by Fox Searchlight, earning around half as much as the science-fiction blockbusterDistrict 9, which took in $3.5 million.[31] The film ended up grossing $32.4 million in the United States and Canada and $60.7 million worldwide.[1]
OnRotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 86% based on 230 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "A clever, offbeat romantic comedy,(500) Days of Summer is refreshingly honest and utterly charming."[4] At the website's year-end "Golden Tomato Awards", which honored the best reviewed films of 2009, the film placed second in the romantic category.[32] OnMetacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[33]
Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times gave the film four stars out of four, describing the film as "a delightful comedy, alive with invention". He particularly praised the strong performances of Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel and summarized his review by adding, "Here is a rare movie that begins by telling us how it will end and is about how the hero has no idea why".[34]Premiere also awarded the film four stars out of four, stating "Much like the actual summer (the season, not the character), we never wanted it to end".[35]
Michael Ordoña of theLos Angeles Times wrote, "(500) Days of Summer is something seldom seen: an original romantic comedy. It bristles with energy, emotion and intellect, as it flits about the dizzying highs and weeping-karaoke lows of a passionate entanglement".[36]Dana Stevens ofSlate also praised the film and described it as "a keeper. It's fun both to watch and to talk about afterward, and it possesses the elusive rom-com sine qua non: two equally appealing leads who bounce wonderfully off each other".[37]
Entertainment Weekly criticOwen Gleiberman gave the film an "A", and also praised the originality of the story; "Most romantic comedies have half a dozen situations at best: Meet Cute, Infatuation, Pop Song Montage, Contrived Mix-Up, Angry Breakup, and Final Clinch.(500) Days of Summer is about the many unclassifiable moments in between. It's a feat of star acting, and it helps make500 Days not just bitter or sweet but everything in between".[38]Film Threat critic Scott Knopf gave the film a maximum five stars, writing: "Of course they meet. Of course they fall for each other. Of course there are problems. It sounds cliché but what's remarkable about500 Days is how the film explores new ways to tell the world's oldest story". He concluded that the film was "the best romantic comedy sinceLove Actually."[39]
Peter Travers ofRolling Stone gave the film three and a half stars out of four. He wrote, "Boy meets girl, boy loses girl. It's been done to emo death. That's why the sublimely smart-sexy-joyful-sad(500) Days of Summer hits you like a blast of pure romantic oxygen" and concludes: "500 Days is otherwise a different kind of love story: an honest one that takes a piece out of you".[40]USA Today's Claudia Puig wrote: "Much likeAnnie Hall did for a previous generation,(500) Days of Summer may be the movie that best captures a contemporary romantic sensibility."[6]
IGN critic Eric Goldman gave the film 9 out of 10, and praised the film as "one of the best of 2009" and particularly complimented the innovative nature of the story in an oftenclichéd genre; "(500) Days of Summer proved there is a way to bring something fresh and new to one of the most cliché and often frustrating genres – the romantic comedy".[41]A. O. Scott ofThe New York Times gave the film 4 out of 5 and called it "Slight, charming and refreshingly candid little picture."[42]
Scott Tobias ofThe A.V. Club graded the film B−, criticizing it for its "dispiriting clichés," which make it "wind up in a no-man's land between Hollywood and something real."[43]NPR was more dismissive: "For all its rhetorical whimsy and hipster dressings,(500) Days of Summer is a thoroughly conservative affair, as culturally and romantically status quo as anyJennifer Aniston vehicle."[44]
Joe Morgenstern ofThe Wall Street Journal was also more critical, calling it, "synthetic and derivative, a movie that's popping with perceptions while searching for a style."[45] British newspaperThe Times gave a mixed review.Toby Young awarded the film three stars out of five, but conceded that "It is hardly the freshest romantic comedy of past 20 years. Taking the best bits from other movies and rearranging them in a non-linear sequence does not make for an original film."[46]The Guardian film criticPeter Bradshaw said the film was "let down by sitcom clichés, and by being weirdly incurious about the inner life of its female lead."[47]
Mark Adams of theDaily Mirror, though, gave the film a glowing review, awarding it five stars, and writing, "It is a modern romance for grown-ups... a sweet-natured, funny, deeply-romantic tale that brims with energy and is blessed with top-notch performances by Deschanel and Gordon-Levitt, who are both charming and have real chemistry".[48]Empire gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, and wrote: "Perfectly played, simultaneously serious and light, endlessly inventive, this is a strong contender for the most original date movie of the year."[49]
In 2025, it was one of the films voted for the "Readers' Choice" edition ofThe New York Times' list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century," finishing at number 230.[50]
The film was also included in several "Top Ten" year-end lists for 2009 by various film critics.
In the Entertainment Weekly's interview of the 10th anniversary of the film's release, the lead actors, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, addressed its cultural impact and the viewers' frequent misconception of their characters, such as thinking Summer is a villain. Even though the film is told from Tom's point of view, "Summer is completely honest the entire movie."[57] Gordon-Levitt repeatedly warned against sympathizing with his character Tom, who "develops a mildly delusional obsession over a girl onto whom he projects all these fantasies [...] That's falling in love with the idea of a person, not the actual person."[58]
Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber received numerous awards for their screenplay; including the 2009Hollywood Film Festival's Hollywood Breakthrough Screenwriter Award on October 26, 2009,[59] theSatellite Award for Best Original Screenplay,[60] the Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay (with the film also being named in the Top Ten Films of the Year),[61] as well as the Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Screenplay.[62]
Alan Edward Bell won theSan Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Editing,[63] as well as the film being named one of the ten best movies of the year by theNational Board of Review Awards 2009.[56]The film also received two nominations at the67th Golden Globe Awards announced on December 15, 2009, forBest Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and for Joseph Gordon-Levitt forBest Actor – Musical or Comedy.[9] It has been nominated for fourIndependent Spirit Awards and won the award forBest Screenplay.
| Awards | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Group | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | Most Promising Filmmaker | Marc Webb | Nominated |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | Best Comedy | Nominated | |
| Best Original Screenplay | Scott Neustadter andMichael H. Weber | ||
| Denver Film Critics Society | Best Original Screenplay | Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber | Nominated |
| Detroit Film Critics Society | Best Film | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Marc Webb | ||
| Best Actor | Joseph Gordon-Levitt | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Nominated | |
| Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Joseph Gordon-Levitt | ||
| Hollywood Film Festival | Breakthrough Screenwriter | Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber | Won |
| Houston Film Critics Society | Best Picture | Nominated | |
| Independent Spirit Award | Best Film | Nominated | |
| Best Screenplay | Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber | Won | |
| Best Male Lead | Joseph Gordon-Levitt | Nominated | |
| Indiana Film Critics Association | Top 10 Films of the Year | ||
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society | Best Screenplay | Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber | Won |
| National Board of Review | Top 10 Films of the Year | ||
| Best Directorial Debut | Marc Webb | Won | |
| Oklahoma Film Critics Circle | Best Film | Nominated | |
| Best Original Screenplay | Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber | Won | |
| People's Choice Award | Favorite Independent Movie | Nominated | |
| San Diego Film Critics Society | Best Editing | Alan Edward Bell | Won |
| Satellite Award | Top 10 Films of the Year | ||
| Best Original Screenplay | Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber | Won | |
| Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Zooey Deschanel | Nominated | |
| Southeastern Film Critics Association | Top 10 Films of the Year | ||
| Best Original Screenplay | Scott Neustadler and Michael H. Weber | Won | |
| St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association | Best Picture | Nominated | |
| Best Comedy | |||
| Best Screenplay | Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber | Won | |
| Most Original, Innovative or Creative Film | Nominated | ||
| Favorite Scene | 'Expectations vs. reality' split-screen sequence | ||
| 'Morning after' dance number | |||
| Utah Film Critics Association | Best Screenplay | Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber | Nominated |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | Best Original Screenplay | Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber | Nominated |
| Writers Guild of America | Best Original Screenplay | Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber | Nominated |
