Fletch's Film Review: (500) Days of Summer

It hardly seems like spoiling (500) Days of Summer (given the trailers) to say that the film's wisdom can be boiled to two pieces of dialogue. This is somewhat surprising considering that they are spoken by our protagonist Tom Hansen's best buddies. At one point, Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, heretofore to be known as JGL) chides these friends for their inexperience with love as they attempt to give him advice. But it is they that prove wise.

The first comes from his work buddy McKenzie (played by SuperTroopers vet Geoffrey Arend hilariously); Tom and Summer (Zooey Deschanel) are still in the "just co-workers" stage despite his infatuation with her. They are at a bar getting slightly toasted and the topic of boyfriends leads to the topic of love, the point where Summer and Tom lay down their beliefs on modern romance. As you no doubt know by now, Tom believes in fate, true love, a soul mate - whatever you wish to call it, and Summer, stunted by the pain of her parents' divorce, doesn't believe in love at all, and she runs from commitment the moment she smells it. McKenzie, blitzed out of his mind, has a light bulb go off inside his head: "You're a dude!"

The second is less conventional yet much more potent. In one of the many diversions from your standard rom-com that (500) Days takes, we are shown a group of characters giving When Harry Met Sally-like, black-and-white testimonials relaying their thoughts on finding "the one." Tom's unemployed friend Paul, who has apparently been with his girlfriend since high school, talks about what his dream girl might look like. He starts out like your typical guy might, talking about her "bodacious rack" and "maybe some different hair." But he quickly realizes that this dream girl can't compete with his girlfriend - after all, she's real and love's him, while dreams often disappear when you wake up.

That's the essence of (500) Days. Despite its Fox Searchlight and Sundance pedigree, it's not life-altering or monumentally deep. In fact, though it doesn't play for easy laughs and physical humor, it's just the opposite. It's light, and gets by well on the strength of a few factors, from its gimmick (which could get a tad confusing if you're not paying attention) to its hipster indie soundtrack (Regina Spektor's "Us" is the runaway standout, but it's very nice overall) to its lead, JGL. Had the screenplay included a few more quirks or a few additional lines like this ("So what’s the prognosis, FertileMyrtle?") or this ("Your eggo is preggo, no doubt about it!"), I would similarly have little doubt that Summer would be getting Juno comparisons up the yin-yang. As is stands, it has thankfully not; I say that not as one of the multitude of Juno haters, but as someone that recommends you see Summer before the inevitable group of cynical douchebags tells you that it's a "piece of overrated Juno-y crap!" There's not much in this world that's less annoying than a vocal minority shouting down a not-as-vocal majority, thus convincing the as-yet-unopinionated that Product X isn't worth their time. For whatever reason, I feel protective of Summer and don't wish this fate upon it.

The omission of her name in the list of strengths above isn't a slight to Zooey Deschanel, as Summer is indeed appealing...but she's just never as perfect to us as she is to Tom. Right from the get-go, this feels like JGL's breakout film, and he carries it all the way, reminding many at times, myself included, of his former 10 Things I Hate About You co-star. Whether he's mugging his way through the hilarious Hall & Oates dance number or moping for weeks on end, Tom remains eminently likable, and JGL's charisma is to thank. Combined with his turn in G.I. Joe, expect this to turn from the summer of Summer to the Summer of Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Fletch's Film Rating:

"Darn tootin!"