Summer Lovin'

I am one of the lucky few people who is privileged with proximity.

 

In this case, it is my proximity to a movie theatre (4 actually) showing (500) Days of Summer, which is currently in limited release.

I've read a lot of internet reviews calling this one of the best of 2009. And it is…

But that just isn't enough.

Normally, when asked what I thought of a movie, I stay in shades of gray. For example, if asked about a movie I enjoyed I'll generally elicit a response along these lines. "I liked it, it was good" (Public Enemies), or even "I really liked it a lot, it was great, you should watch it" (JJ Abrams Star Trek). When pressed for a response to a movie I didn't enjoy, I'll typically answer "Nah, I didn't like it, but I don't know, you might" (Drag Me To Hell), or perhaps "Eh, it was pretty stupid" (Transformers 2), or even "That shit sucked! It was fucken terrible!! Save your money." (Max Payne).

I feel that with film, there aren't too many opportunities to stray into the black and white territory, into the Love It or Hate It realm. Plus love and hate are two extremely powerful emotions that most folks are wise enough not to throw around too loosely. Also there's the simple fact that most films tend to fall somewhere in the middle, into that aforementioned gray area.

Rarely are we burdened by a movie that bludgeons our intellect, a movie that's an insult to the very art form that gave it life. The last movie that I truly hated was The Happening, which ironically enough, also starred Zooey Deschanel.

But sadly, on the flip side of that coin, we are likewise rarely treated to such delights, cinematic or otherwise that they are to become a reference point for the rest of our lives, a thing we judge all others against.

Well my friends, today I've gained a new reference point. (500) Days of Summer just so happens to be one of these delights. It's the kind of film that makes you think you must have done something right in your life to have been fortunate enough to discover it.

 

"It's official...I'm in love with Summer." I loved (500) Days of Summer. It is one of my new favorite movies, deservedly joining the ranks of Stranger Than Fiction and Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.

It's clever and imaginative, and charming as all hell.

This wonderful film is all things at all times, witty and heartbreaking, sensible and intoxicating. It's whimsical and it's brutally honest. It's is an adult film that can also be quite silly.

But above all else, this film is precious. You want to sing it's praises from the rooftops.

Seeing this film, you feel like you've just experienced this little slice of perfection. It's like you're in on this huge secret that nobody else knows. In many ways, my feelings for this film equal the feelings Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) had for Summer (Zooey Deschanel) the first time he saw her. I had just beheld something incredibly special. It makes your heart flitter.

I've been infatuated with Zooey ever since Elf. And I've been a supporter of Joseph's since having seen him in Brick, with my opinion only being all the more solidified by his role in The Lookout. I simply wanted to preface my saying that the casting here is beyond spectacular, and I dare anyone to point out an actor that would have been better suited to play either of these roles.

This story is told from Tom's perspective, but there is so much more to it than a story about "the one that got away". If we're being sticklers, it's really more "the one" getting away. That being said though, Zooey is more than just "the one that got away" nor is she mere eye candy, despite being heavily qualified (i.e. she's purty). I mean to say, she's no one dimensional character and though we can't quite figure her out, it's not for lack of character development. On the contrary, it's due to how well Summer is fleshed out that while we aren't figuring her out, we know exactly why it is that we can't. Summer's parents divorce in her early years damaged her emotionally, and so she's built up these walls so that she can never be hurt again.

Zooey brings a tenderness to this role that makes Summer accessible and when she in turn bestows some hurt of her own on Tom, it's that tenderness that keeps us from hating her.

Joseph's affability is what compels us to continue to root for Tom even when he doesn't act in ways deserving of our support. That and the fact that we've all been where he's at. We've all been so crazy about another person that we couldn't see straight, let alone think straight or act rationally.

Things here aren't neat and tidy, because life and relationships aren't neat and tidy.

If it isn't obvious, for me, personally, this film is highly relatable in it's entirety. But two specific instances especially ring true. First, this quote:

"People don't realize this but loneliness…it's underrated."

Loneliness I feel is a high perch from where you can sit and observe. It allows you to learn and to figure things out that you might not have otherwise. If you truly embrace loneliness, then you don't jump at the first opportunity to come along, simply because it's knocking. You figure out the things that you want and the things that you would refuse to put up with. Until of course…

"There's no such thing as love. It's a fantasy. What exactly is it I'm missing?"

"You'll know it when you feel it."

I've only had one real relationship. It lasted a little over a year and a half, and while I said that word many a time, I can now honestly say, looking back, that I never felt it.

This is where that "until of course…" comes into play. Because many years later I was introduced to someone, and my reaction to her was near identical to Tom's when Summer first walks in. I was mesmerized. Everything I thought I had learned and figured out while sitting on my perch of loneliness was thrown out the window. Unfortunately, my story doesn't have an ending, or really even a beginning (yet). I just needed to say that I felt it, and I knew it when I did.

Lastly, I want to thank the filmmakers for, on top of everything else, showing us a Downtown L.A. that I think few people ever really get to see. This is coming from a (practically) native Angelino. I've seen plenty of Downtown, and believe me, you don't want to see my version of it. The Downtown of (500) Days of Summer is so lovingly depicted that at first I thought it was set in an Allen-esque New York. But it's not. You see that skyline? My newest favorite movie is set in my city. (500) Days of Summer…in L.A.

Despite all I've written here, it's movies like these that I'm most hesitant to write about because I know that my words won't do it any justice. I want people to see this film so they can be in on the secret with me.

It doesn't happen often, but sometimes all the stars align, and when they do, we're blessed with true gems like (500) Days of Summer. If it's playing near you, do yourself a favor and go see it, and if it's not playing near you, make the drive.

As a final parting thought, I leave you with this pearl of wisdom – "penis"

- Lenny