500 Days of Summer

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Call Number: DVD Comedy Five
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Westgate Branch

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DVD release of the 2009 motion picture.
Special features: feature commentary with director Marc Webb, writer Michael Webber, co-writer Scott Neustadter and actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt; "Lost days of Summer:" 9 deleted and extended scenes with optional commentary by director Marc Webb, writer Michael Webber, co-writer Scott Neustadter and actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt; trailers.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend, Chloe Moretz, Matthew Gray Gubler.
For Tom, it was love at first sight when Summer Finn walked into the greeting card company where he worked. Summer is the new administrative assistant. Soon, Tom knows that Summer is the woman with whom he wants to spend the rest of his life. Although Summer does not believe in relationships or boyfriends, Tom and Summer become more than just friends. Through the trials and tribulations of Tom and Summer's relationship, Tom could always count on the advice of his two best friends, McKenzie and Paul. However, it's Rachel, Tom's adolescent sister, who is his voice of reason. After all is said and done, Tom is the one who ultimately has to make the choice to listen or not.
DVD ; widescreen (2.40:1) presentation ; Dolby Digital 5.1 surround (English), Dolby Digital surround (Spanish and French).

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

odd submitted by tree64 on January 12, 2010, 7:18pm For Tom, it was almost love at first sight when Summer Kimchee Finn walked into the greeting card company where he worked. Summer is the new administrative assistant. Soon, Tom knows that Summer is the woman with whom he wants to spend the rest of his life. They get married and have 10 children. Through the trials and tribulations of Tom and Summer's relationship, Tom could always count on the advice of his two best friends, McKenzie and Paul. However, it's Rachel, Tom's adolescent sister, who is his voice of reason. After all is said and done, Tom is the one who ultimately has to make the choice to listen or not. But he doesn't.

A Story of Boy Meets Girl submitted by celesteh on March 4, 2010, 12:26pm Tom is a young man that believes that the film, The Graduate, has a happy ending. Summer is a child of divorce that has never believed in love.

500 Days of Summer might be a great choice for a romantic comedy for people who don't typically like romantic comedies. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are perfect in this film about boy meets girl. But 500 Days of Summer is not a love story. (Don't worry - I am not spoiling anything - this is stated within the first few minutes of the film). I laughed, I cried, and identified with both Tom and Summer's characters. My favorite scene in the film involves both Tom and Summer at her garden party, and a split screen is used to show Tom's expectations and his reality simultaneously. The expectations are what Tom was hoping to happen during this party, and the reality of course, is what was actually happening. This one definitely warrants several rewatches in the future, and I think I could enjoy Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Hall & Oates musical sequence about 500 more times (at least). A great little film.

Perfectly fine submitted by CasualTim on June 11, 2010, 5:05pm First, a word from my prejudices. There was No Way this film could live up to my expectations. Zooey and Joseph are the golden children of the hipster age. I want to be Joseph (and if you watch Brick, you will too), I want to be Zooey's best friend. And this film was clearly meant - by the writers and/or cosmically - for these two actors. But recognizing my impossible expectations, I was able to appreciate this movie for the sweetly bittersweet momentum of its plot.

The story's pretty simple. Tom is a typical hipster (I'm sorry, I don't know any other words for intelligent, snappy dressers) with a mediocre job that he's better at than his friends. He believes in true love and he likes The Smiths. Summer is every hipster boy's fantasy girl (conveniently played by every hipster boy's fantasy girl) who doesn't believe in true love and likes The Smiths. The film pretty faithfully follows the inevitable tale set up by these parameters.

Some time-hopping is done (we see the '(500)' flip from day 13 to 343, back to 14, etc.) and works well early on as a way to starkly contrast the emotional roller-coaster that is any affair, but eventually falls into gimmick territory. This isn't "Amores Perros" and it's not "Memento," it's a modern version of a classic idea, and it's entertaining enough not to rely on so many bright flashy things (probably a symptom of director Mark Webb's CV being made up almost entirely of music videos).

Still, the charm, the unique quality that is simply a more realistic view of a love affair (including a recognition that the characters themselves do not view their affair in any light close to realism), the bluntness with which we are made to ride the roller coaster with the protagonists, it all overcomes the issues I'm nitpicking at. We're more 'in' the relationship with these two than anyone has ever been while watching Kate Hudson. It's a romantic comedy for those of us who are a little too cool for romantic comedies. If you roll your eyes at "Letters to Juliet," you may find the ways that Summer and Tom embarrass themselves - thus becoming more attached - a little more realistic and entertaining.

Some final supporting roles notes: while Chloe Moretz, as Tom's sister, is playing almost the same character as she does in "Kick-Ass" (grown-up in child's body, minus the murder), she is still a scene-stealer. She's so good at what she's doing, it's worth noting here as continued prediction of her great success.

And fans of good television will recognize Clark Gregg, who plays Tom and Summer's boss in "500 Days" from his role as the mysterious stranger in the bar at the end of the second season of Sports Night. I've seen him pop up in a few other things since then, obviously, and he's always proficient enough to warrant my wishing he got more attention and bigger parts.

The bottom line? If you already think Zooey is precious or twee, your head will explode while watching "500 Days." If you like retro dresses, guys in vests looking disheveled, and have ever been crushed to a pulp by love, then you will have a dandy time watching this film.

7/10

what in the world! submitted by macmamma on August 27, 2010, 4:14pm ok this was not what i was thinking it was at all! i did like some parts, but not others. overall, i don't like it! it was just weird and so wrong how everything went down. who does that kind of stuff. i really hope there are not any girls out there like her, or guys either for that matter! nobody should ever be treated that way! summer is the kind of girl who makes guys go postal and committ a murder/suicide! this movie is not the typical love story, although, there is a happy ending. i hope i didn't just ruin it for you. to each his/her own, everybody is entitled to their own opinion right. enjoy!

loved it submitted by ColeenT on July 13, 2011, 5:04pm loved it

500 days submitted by erksnerks on July 19, 2011, 3:56pm Every summer should have 500 days. Kinda of a love story, kinda a dead end sort of story. So So.

Quirky fun downer submitted by ferdoble on July 31, 2011, 10:43pm This movie is highy entertaining, but it did make me wish I had the strength to leave my relationship.

It was funny and original, go see it, you'll love it

quirky and fun submitted by alumeng.ajl on June 24, 2012, 2:35pm Wow. I found myself laughing often. Overall, a cute, fun movie.

Cute submitted by Amber Kinder on June 15, 2013, 4:11pm This is a good movie to watch if you just want to relax and not have to think.

Ok film submitted by beeniepie on August 11, 2013, 3:28pm This is a ok romantic comedy, but it relies too heavily on the out-of-order storytelling to give it a different spin. The real star of the film is Rachel, Tom's sister. I'd like this film remade, starring Rachel.

Love submitted by leena on August 19, 2013, 1:05pm Love.. watch it and you will like it.

It wasn't bad at all submitted by pvogiatz on August 29, 2015, 3:07pm I watched the movie with my husband and we both like it.

Smart romcom submitted by KJRULEZ on July 25, 2016, 9:35pm If you like intelligent and "real"-feeling romantic comedies, this is a great pick. Ultimately, the movie is about why two people just aren't right for each other (don't worry, not a spoiler, this is covered in the first five minutes). Instead of watching a couple fall in love, you watch them fall apart. That said, if out-of-sequence stuff bothers you, then this isn't for you.

Good submitted by kelleyc on August 1, 2016, 6:33am So entertaining, a delight to watch, and a tearjerker (at least for me).

ok submitted by poptart887 on August 28, 2016, 9:57am it was good but i wasn't very impressed

good submitted by dree411 on July 13, 2017, 12:03am I really like this movie

Alright submitted by c_zhang on June 28, 2019, 11:47pm It was very entertaining and cute.

A realistic rom-com submitted by kecolyer on July 20, 2019, 4:14pm This movie is a more realistic depiction of how a typical romantic comedy plot would go in real life. At the very beginning of the movie, the narrator states that it is not a love story. The jumpy timeline of the story mirrors most memories of our own relationships, fleeting and with little stringing them together. There are memories of the best and the worst. One of my favorite parts of the movie is when the narrator says that most days start and end without any memories made in between.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a perfect "man in love" and Zooey Deschanel is a great foil to his persona. If you are looking for a lovey-dovey cheesy rom com with a happy ending, this might not be your pick. This is a shout out to all of the people who have ever been in love and not gotten the fairy tale ending they might have hoped for.

Weird submitted by Clown81 on July 26, 2019, 9:38pm It was weird that Joseph Gordon-Levitt was happy in love through out most of the movie, And he was depressed toward the end of the movie.

er submitted by GioMuzique on August 5, 2020, 6:01pm very delighted

500 Days submitted by maywang on June 11, 2021, 8:57pm I wish I had 500 days of summer to myself... lives up to its popularity, although I was a bit disappointed at the conclusion.

good submitted by cathydobbins on June 12, 2022, 2:08am amazing watch love jgl.

Eh, it's fine. submitted by journeyhawthorne on August 6, 2022, 4:47pm I didn't really care for this movie, but I can understand why people think it's charming. I really didn't know what I was getting into when my friend begged me to watch this with her--I've never been one for rom-coms.

It’s cute submitted by courtneyhooper on August 12, 2022, 10:52pm But she’s a manic pixie dream girl and no one—no one—needed Zooey Deschanel singing on the soundtrack

Interesting submitted by Xris on July 15, 2023, 11:07pm Interesting take on a rom-com, where the two main characters are on different wavelengths. But it shows how feelings might change along with circumstances. But I guess I was looking for something more uplifting, even though there was hope at the end.