500 Days of Summer is not your typical love story. Directed by Marc Webb, this offbeat romantic dramedy takes a brutally honest look at love, heartbreak, and the blurry line between expectation and reality. With its nonlinear storytelling and relatable characters, it’s both charming and painfully real.
Detailed Summary
The Nonlinear Love Story Begins
The film follows Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a hopeless romantic who believes in true love, and Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel), a woman who doesn’t. The story unfolds across 500 non-consecutive days of their relationship, jumping between highs and lows, showing how perception and memory distort our understanding of love.
Day 1 – The Spark
Tom first meets Summer at his job as a greeting card writer in Los Angeles. He’s instantly drawn to her quirky charm and beauty. Summer, however, is more detached. She enjoys Tom’s company but insists that she doesn’t believe in love. Despite this, they start spending time together, bonding over their mutual love of The Smiths and vintage aesthetics.
Day 34 – The Relationship Blossoms
Their connection deepens through spontaneous adventures, IKEA dates, and inside jokes. Tom is convinced that Summer is “the one.” Yet, cracks begin to show as Summer subtly reminds him she doesn’t want anything serious. Still, Tom chooses to ignore the warning signs, seeing only what he wants to see.
Day 259 – The Breakup
One day, Summer suddenly ends things, leaving Tom devastated and confused. The film captures his descent into heartbreak—his emotional collapse, his obsession with where things went wrong, and his refusal to accept the truth.
Days After the Breakup – Expectations vs. Reality
In one of the film’s most iconic scenes, Tom attends a rooftop party thrown by Summer. The scene is split into two parallel sequences labeled “Expectations” and “Reality.” On one side, Tom imagines reconciliation and romance; on the other, we see the cold truth—Summer has moved on. This moment captures the film’s essence: the painful dissonance between what we wish for and what truly happens.
Day 488 – The Revelation
Months later, Tom and Summer meet again. She reveals she’s married someone else—someone she met soon after breaking up with Tom. She explains that while she didn’t believe in love before, her new partner made her feel something she never felt with Tom. It’s a heartbreaking but honest moment. Tom finally realizes that love isn’t about destiny or “the one”—it’s about timing, mutual feeling, and reality.
Movie Ending
In the final scene (Day 500), Tom, now more mature and healed, has quit his greeting card job to pursue his dream of becoming an architect. During a job interview, he meets a woman named Autumn (played by Minka Kelly). They share a few words, and when she turns to leave, Tom—learning from his past—decides to take another chance and asks her out. She agrees. The screen cuts to black as the counter restarts at “Day 1.”
This ending perfectly encapsulates the movie’s message: love isn’t a single story—it’s a cycle. Tom’s heartbreak led him to growth, and maybe, this time, things will be different. It’s hopeful but grounded, neither cynical nor naïvely romantic.
Are There Post-Credits Scenes?
No, 500 Days of Summer does not have a post-credits scene. The story concludes definitively with Tom’s encounter with Autumn, which serves as the symbolic “reset” for his romantic life. Once the credits roll, that’s the emotional closure.
Type of Movie
This is a romantic dramedy—a mix of romance, comedy, and drama. It’s known for subverting traditional love story tropes, presenting a realistic, bittersweet view of relationships.
Cast
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Tom Hansen
- Zooey Deschanel as Summer Finn
- Geoffrey Arend as McKenzie
- Chloë Grace Moretz as Rachel Hansen
- Matthew Gray Gubler as Paul
- Clark Gregg as Vance
Film Music and Composer
The soundtrack plays a massive role in the film’s tone. It features indie pop and alternative rock hits from bands like The Smiths, Regina Spektor, and Simon & Garfunkel. The score was composed by Mychael Danna and Rob Simonsen, blending melancholic and hopeful melodies that mirror Tom’s emotional journey.
Filming Locations
Most scenes were filmed in Los Angeles, primarily in downtown and Echo Park. The filmmakers intentionally showcased the romantic, overlooked side of L.A., avoiding the typical Hollywood clichés. The park bench scene, for example, was shot at Angel’s Knoll Park, now an iconic tourist spot known as “Tom’s Bench.”
Awards and Nominations
- Nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Writers Guild of America Awards
- Nominated for Best Picture – Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes
- Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt received nominations for Best Actor/Actress in a Comedy at various film festivals
Behind the Scenes Insights
- Director Marc Webb drew heavily from his own past relationships when writing the story.
- The film’s non-linear editing was inspired by how we remember love—not chronologically, but emotionally.
- Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt had previously worked together in Manic (2001), giving them natural chemistry.
- The IKEA scene was improvised in parts, with genuine laughter from both actors.
- The “Expectations vs. Reality” split-screen sequence took nearly three weeks to plan and storyboard.
Inspirations and References
The film is loosely inspired by screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber’s real-life heartbreak. It also pays homage to classic romance films like Annie Hall (1977) and features stylistic nods to French New Wave cinema, especially in its use of direct narration, split screens, and meta humor.
Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes
There were minor alternate endings in early drafts where Tom would not meet Autumn, leaving the story more melancholic. However, Webb decided to end with a hopeful twist, suggesting emotional growth rather than cynicism. Deleted scenes mostly include additional conversations between Tom and his friends that further explore his emotional breakdown.
Book Adaptations and Differences
500 Days of Summer is not based on a book but has inspired several screenplay analyses and academic essays on postmodern romance and nonlinear storytelling.
Memorable Scenes and Quotes
Key Scenes
- The IKEA Date Scene – a playful yet bittersweet metaphor for “playing house.”
- The Expectations vs. Reality sequence – the emotional core of the film.
- The park bench conversation – the heartbreaking truth about love’s unpredictability.
- The Day 500 ending – Tom meeting Autumn, signaling rebirth and hope.
Iconic Quotes
- Narrator: “This is a story of boy meets girl, but you should know upfront, this is not a love story.”
- Tom: “I love how she makes me feel, like anything’s possible, or like life is worth it.”
- Summer: “I woke up one day and I knew. What I was never sure of with you.”
- Tom: “People don’t realize this, but loneliness is underrated.”
Easter Eggs and Hidden Details
- Tom’s clothing color palette darkens as his relationship with Summer deteriorates.
- Summer is often associated with blue tones, a color representing calmness and distance.
- The days are shown out of order to mimic the fragmented way we recall memories.
- Summer’s name itself symbolizes the fleeting, temporary nature of their relationship.
Trivia
- Marc Webb went on to direct The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), a big shift from indie romance to superhero action.
- The dance scene set to Hall & Oates’ “You Make My Dreams” was inspired by classic musical sequences.
- The narrator (voiced by Richard McGonagle) gives the film a storybook tone, adding irony to the realism of the events.
Why Watch?
Because 500 Days of Summer is the rare romantic film that tells the truth. It’s witty, stylish, emotional, and painfully relatable. Whether you’ve just fallen in love or had your heart broken, it reminds you that growth often comes from heartbreak—and that every ending can be a new beginning.
Director’s Other Movies
- The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
- The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
- Gifted (2017)
- The Only Living Boy in New York (2017)
