At last, here's a movie that takes the wimpy, tortured, hopelessly-in-love boys from the other movies and tells them to grow up.
500 Days of Summer (2009)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:185
Fresh:161
Rotten:24
Average Rating:7.6/10
Consensus: A clever, offbeat romantic comedy, 500 Days of Summer is refreshingly honest and utterly charming.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for sexual material and language.
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:Jul 17, 2009 Limited
Box Office: $32,118,648
Synopsis: Fans of HIGH FIDELITY and ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND will be charmed by this quirky film that sheds a linear plot in favor of a memory-driven look at a failed romance. Joseph... Fans of HIGH FIDELITY and ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND will be charmed by this quirky film that sheds a linear plot in favor of a memory-driven look at a failed romance. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (BRICK) stars as Tom, a greeting-card writer who dreams of becoming an architect and finding his true love. Zooey Deschanel (THE HAPPENING) plays Summer, a vintage-looking beauty whose ideas about love are entirely modern. As Tom remembers his 500 days with Summer, his mind jumps from moment to moment, largely thinking of the good times in their trouble-filled relationship. Indie darlings Deschanel and Gordon-Levitt are perfectly cast in this sweet, funny film that infuses the typical romantic tropes with reality. Anyone else would have caused audiences to hate Summer, but Deschanel is adorable enough that she still endears herself to viewers. Arthouse favorite Gordon-Levitt hasn’t played a traditional romantic lead since 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU in 1999, but here he proves equally adept at portraying Tom’s sweetness and his neuroses. Music-video director Marc Webb makes his feature debut with (500) DAYS OF SUMMER, and it’s easy to see influences of his past work. The soundtrack boasts songs from Regina Spektor, Doves, Feist, Wolfmother, and, of course, The Smiths, the band that brings the couple together. Webb also adds an innovative style to the dramedy, combining a naturalistic look at love with a non-linear plot, animated vignettes, and a triumphant musical sequence. The film’s mixture of cynicism and romance makes it perfect viewing for happy couples, the recently dumped, and the hopeful singles in the audience. [More]
Starring: Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Clark Gregg, Minka Kelly
Starring: Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Clark Gregg, Minka Kelly, Matthew Gray Gubler, Rachel Boston, Geoffrey Arend, Chloe Moretz
Director: Marc Webb
Director: Marc Webb
Screenwriter: Scott Neustadter, Michael Weber
Producer: Mark Waters, Jessica Tuchinsky, Mason Novick, Steven J. Wolfe
Composer: Mychael Danna, Rob Simonsen
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
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Reviews for 500 Days of Summer
This is a story that most people can probably relate to, unless you are one of those lucky people never to have been on the losing end of the game of love.
Le tout est exécuté avec un tel enthousiasme que nous ne pouvons que nous laisser emporter par cette vague on ne peut plus rafraîchissante, et surtout profondément désarmante.
500 Days of Summer never quite convinces, despite the charm of the leads. This is wannabe indie, and these two Hollywood names are too 'big' to play beautiful nobodies navigating a heart-wrenching misunderstanding.
(500) Days of Summer is a classic independent film, taking a bunch of risks and trying to break as many rules as possible, yet it is in many ways a traditional ode to love, and it will leave you yearning for the opportunity to be dumped yourself.
Despite the tricky punctuation, (500) Days of Summer might be the most truthful rom-com about the sort of people you're likely to know; not inhabitants of some movie version of Fairyland.
A true re-invention of the romantic comedy genre for a male skewed audience, complete with realistic lead characters and hilarious insight.
Heartbreak is rarely enjoyable, but in this case, it's very easy company -- as are Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel.
Tom is a prime example of what happens when you grow up listening to too much sad British pop music: unrealistic expectations for romantic love and a taste for skinny ties and sweater vests. Now he's fallen, and fallen hard, for Summer. How could he not?
Charming yet brutally honest..offers a certain mainstream appeal for anyone who's experienced love's thorny and persuasive illusions.
Charm effuses from this quirky love story in which fate, coincidence, dreams, expectations and reality are chaotically intertwined.
Too timid to be truly cynical about love and too eager for box-office success to try to be a really new kind of romantic comedy, the film fails the ultimate romantic-comedy test: not only does it lack enough laughs, but you’re never emotionally involved.
Director Marc Webb's debut feature is as far from a Sandra Bullock or Hugh Grant vehicle as you can imagine. What better reason to go see it? From start to end his subtle movie feather-teases your funny spots: it amazes, refreshes and it delights.
Perfectly played, simultaneously serious and light, endlessly inventive, this is a strong contender for the most original date movie of the year. (Terrific) stuff.
If it just misses being this generation’s ‘Annie Hall’, it’s still deliciously refreshing, sweet and fizzy. A sherbet dip of a movie.
A new take on romantic comedy that doesn't quite live up to its ambitions.
It is hardly the freshest romantic comedy of the 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.
Despite clever moments and Hornbyesque touches of melancholy, it's let down by sitcom cliches, and by being weirdly incurious about the inner life of its female lead.
Latest News for 500 Days of Summer
December 01, 2009:
Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations Announced ![]()
The most prestigious awards ceremony for independent films has just been announced! Did your favorite movie that you probably didn't watch make it? More...
September 16, 2009:
Total Recall: Offbeat Romantic Comedies
This week's (500) Days of Summer isn't the first film to mess with our rom-com expectations. So, to mark its release, we've gathered together what we think are 10 of the most... More...
August 03, 2009:
New Jesus Christ Superstar On the Horizon? ![]()
According to the Risky Biz Blog's sources, Universal is "in active development" on a "Jesus Christ Superstar" remake -- with "(500) Days of Summer" director Marc Webb at the helm. More...
July 16, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is Certified Fresh
This week at the movies marks the return of the young wizards of Hogwarts with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson. How does the... More...
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