Love, Miracles, Destiny and 500 Days of Summer

There’s one thing that “500 Days of Summer” and I share in common: we don’t believe in destiny and miracles.

Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has always believed that he’d find “the one” someday so when Summer (Zooey Deschanel) came, he knew that it was going to be a relationship he’d hoped for. He’s terribly wrong. Summer wasn’t in love with him. This of course, broke Tom’s heart. We all know what happens when a girl dumps a guy. Guy sulks, probably won’t shave, doesn’t report to work, etc, until he gets back on his feet. Except for the shaving, this is what exactly happened to Tom when Summer told him she’s not looking for anything serious. Tom’s poor world came tumbling down. He didn’t understand it.

Because we’re used to labeling things, we too, won’t perhaps understand why Summer doesn’t want a relationship when everything works pretty fine with Tom. There’s misunderstanding, which is a given in every relationship, I suppose (I’ve never been in one), but apart from that, theirs is an ideal one. Even more ideal is the fact that that they look cute and adorable together. Eventually, some days after their break-up, during the last conversation they might have ever had in their favorite spot, we understand that it simply just happens.

“You never wanted anybody’s girlfriend, now you’re somebody’s wife,” Tom tells her obviously hurt.

“Surprised me too,” Summer quips.

“I don’t think I’ll ever understand that. It doesn’t make sense.”

“It just happened.”

“Right but that’s what I don’t understand.”

“I just woke up one day and I knew.”

“Knew what?”

“What I was never sure of with you.”

This is the part when Tom looked away, because Summer’s words were a real frisbee to the head but we know that it has thought him an important lesson. That his childhood fantasy is just a fantasy. Summer, on the other hand, learned something from Tom’s belief – that there are things that are meant to be.

Since this is not a Hollywood movie, we’re satisfied with the ending, no matter how wrong our guesses are. “500 Days of Summer” has plenty of scenes to offer in this regard. The most remarkable for me is the scene in which Tom attends to Summer’s birthday party at the rooftop. Prior to that scene, we’re compelled to believe that after their misunderstanding, they’re going to be together again. We see two frames – one is Tom’s expectations, obviously the good stuff he expected and the other is reality, that Summer and he are just friends.

I laughed too hard in the film’s last scene where Tom is having a conversation with his possibly next girlfriend named Autumn. You’ll think it’s funny but when you get to see the movie, you’ll find it sweet and remarkably uplifting.