Finally Saw 500 Days of Summer

I finally saw 500 Days of Summer last Saturday, and it was immediately one of my new favorite movies:



It's hard to describe my reaction to this movie, actually. It was just so completely refreshing to see a story that was utterly believable and real to me while being so uplifted at the end. Maybe I over-identified with the lead character because of some personal experience, but I left the theater feeling like I'd just been through what he went through but with a bright, hopeful, motivated outlook on life in general, looking forward to what lies ahead. I just couldn't help but feel a deep, peaceful sense of well-being, which made me smile quizzically to myself as I walked away that I was feeling so darn good over a stupid movie! But I decided it was probably because the movie didn't resort to fairy tales or outlandish scenarios, nor did it have to wrap up a "happily ever after" ending, to accomplish its hopeful message. It was real, aside from being fiction. I could trust it, in a way.

Bear in mind, my crush on Zooey may bias me. For the first half hour of the movie, I found myself practically wiggling in my seat and grinning ear-to-ear every time she came on screen. I absolutely relish her quirky, awkward, sort of ambiguous persona. As the movie progressed, and I realized she would probably be trouble for me because I'd potentially get all wrapped up in that and fall while she's mostly having fun and not falling. I've done something like that a couple of times. I saw myself in the lead, and it was beautifully uncomfortable watching him go through everything. While I like to think I handled things a little differently than he did, I felt for him. When he asks, "What are we?" and she replies, "Are you happy? Then what does it matter?" I said, "Oh, no you di-int!" But that's maybe another post for another time, to explain how much I disagree with that attitude/perspective.

But whatever the reasons I left feeling so good about life, I think it's a well-made movie and, although some parts might make conservative audiences squirm, and others might not delve into tougher questions as much (like what if her perspective hadn't changed?) is an overall eye-opening and uplifting take on relationships and human nature. Good stuff, I say.