Love stories are not supposed to start on the night of a breakup, but Marc Webb’s film, 500 Days of Summer, does. This abrupt heartbreak scene puts a magnifying glass on how painful relationships can still be worthwhile. 

Over the course of the movie, the main character, Tom Hansen, is reflecting on why Summer Finn, the woman he loves, broke up with him. As their paths intertwine, we see that neither should entirely be blamed for the natural, realistic process of how relationships work. They’re flawed people, fumbling with their emotions and ideas about love. Tom grew up believing everything would fall into place once he found the one, due to his misinterpretations of British pop music. In contrast, Summer can’t fathom the idea of ever settling down after the emotional trauma caused by her parent’s divorce. It’s an oddity that despite these contradicting perspectives, the two still became attracted and found comfort in one another一 until they were left to face the reality of having no future together. 

I kept rewatching the movie over and over again to catch the subtle details that foreshadowed their breakup. There was one scene where Tom and Summer pretended to be a married couple in IKEA home displays. Throughout that scene, Tom didn’t realize he was becoming obsessed with the fantasy of Summer becoming a loving, settled-down wife, instead of accepting the person she told him she was: an uncommitted person who can’t see herself being someone’s wife. When rewatching the movie, I realized Summer wasn’t the villain. Summer cares about Tom, but she knows he is not who she needs in her life. 

I felt emotionally conflicted while watching them grapple with their feelings and connected with Summer especially when she didn’t know where to go in her relationship. When they were fully broken up, it became clear why they didn’t need each other and could form healthier relationships with people better suited for them. While they may not have been good for each other, they were able to learn from their relationship and accept the changes of life, even when it took 500 days.