The opening images of the film 500 Days of Summer are of Tom and Summer, who are sitting on a park bench. This is on the 488th day. As they hold hands, the focus shifts to the image of Summer’s engagement ring, which represents the wide rift between the lovers.
Tom, who works in a company that designs and sells greeting cards, has met Summer, a lady who works as her boss’s assistant. He falls in love with her, but she does not share her feelings with him. They become close, but their closeness is largely based on the misinterpretation of what each is supposed to be feeling (500 days of Summer).
Summer is only interested in having fun, while Tom is in search for a serious relationship and a lover. From this, it is clear that their interests in each other are conflicting, which ultimately results in complications. They have a lot of fun with each other. In fact, although their interests are different, they go out on several occasions and engage in sex, just like married people.
She is, however, occasionally upset, such as when he punches someone at a bar for being rude to her. He is beaten up by other people in the bar (500 days of Summer). She takes him to her house and tells him off for claiming that he was doing it for his self-esteem, but not for defending her “honor”.
The inciting incidence can be seen as an extended one, which follows their dramatic breakup at the café where they had gone to buy pancakes. However, some months later, they meet again at a train station on their way to the wedding of one of their friends. They chat and seem to have relapsed into a relationship. Summer once again gives Tom the impression that she wants him, and by dancing with him in the wedding, she makes him feel that she is reciprocating his love (500 days of Summer).
However, after she invites him to her house, he realizes that she does not indeed love him any more than she did before she broke up with him. He discovers that she is engaged to someone else. He gets depressed. This is the climax of the film as he crumbles, losing his self-esteem and wallowing in his self-misery for being rejected and heartbroken by Summer. The next part of the plot is dedicated to his attempts to extricate himself from his state of depression by revisiting his old ambitions and meeting a new girl (500 days of Summer).
He ends up quitting his job and leaving his house to start again to follow his dream of becoming an architect. The breakup becomes a turning point in his life as he gradually becomes more authentic. True to his beliefs, he quits his job, which he hates. However, unlike the conventional situation where the hero rediscovers himself and is rewarded with instant success,
Tom’s situation is quite different. His dreams of becoming an architect seems to dwindle with every job application. Despite his impressive portfolio, potential employers keep on rejecting him (500 days of Summer).
However , as the movie ends, he meets another girl, an architect like him, against whom he is competing for a job. He chats her up. As he turns to introduce himself, he realizes that her name is Autumn, which is a sign of his continuation and ultimate moving on in life.
Works Cited
500 days of Summer. Ex. Prod. Webb Marc. Los Angeles, CA: 20th Century Fox. 2010. DVD.