-500 days of Summer: Was Summer really the evil one in this story?-

This isn't a love story. This is a story about love.

The boy, Tom, grew up believing that the world could never truly be happy until the day he met his soul mate. We are introduced to Tom with this line, telling us a lot about him with just a few words. A boy who thinks that romantic partners are supposed to fulfill the emptiness inside someone, to complete them, a totally false statement. We see that Tom is very similar to the common viewer of this movie, the one who identifies himself with Tom, as he has this belief because of early exposure to British pop music and movies like The Graduate, which isn't to say that these bands or movies are making people have wrong beliefs about relationships, but more of a misinterpretation of the artwork.

The girl, Summer, did not share this belief. A girl who because of her early exposure to many breakups and divorces, doesn't believe in true love (We can recognize a pattern here. The early years of our youth take a huge role in developing our moral values and convictions); which is also a false statement, saying that love does not exist.

Tom meets Summer, thinking she is the one who he has been searching for, almost immediately. Tom doesn't take the time to get to know Summer, he just likes her from the moment he sees her. The movie is not set chronologically, as we see different stages of their relationship all throughout the movie. What we don't see is the POV of both Summer and Tom, we just see Tom's POV, so we have to search for the clues to create a fuller context of their relationship.

The beginning

The first scene of their story is Tom, completely destroyed after Summer has told him she doesn't want to continue their relationship the way it has been going. He can't understand what went wrong, everything seemed to be going really well. Just like that, Summer breaking up their already formed bond. Summer tells Tom that she is unhappy, that she cannot stand their constant arguing. This is very understandable; as a viewer, we have the feeling that there ir more than just breaking up, there is something missing in the puzzle, something that Summer is seeing but Tom is not.

The wrong thing about Summer, in this scene, is her not taking into account Toms' feelings; she is being avoidant and doesn't want to listen to Tom's side of the story. She tells Tom that they can still be friends, very well knowing that Tom can't handle that, not after all they've been through. She is not helping Tom; this conversation is more important to Tom than it is to Summer.

Tom is really hurt, he sees Summer as the only fish in the sea for him, to him it's just Summer and nobody else. It's completely normal for someone to feel sorrow after a breakup, but we have to understand that the concept of a soul mate is false at its core. There isn't someone in this world capable of completing you. We are full individuals.

Tom doesn't want to get over Summer, he wants to get her back. If he continues to have this mindset, it will be even more difficult for him to feel happy again soon.

Summer is a pretty girl

Summer might seem just a normal girl, except she isn't. Summer is a girl who has a positive response from people, especially men, because of her good looks. This is what we call "Pretty Privilege", she has the "Summer Effect".

We see Tom's friend talking bad about Summer, saying she's a bitch, even though he hasn't even met her yet. It is easy for men in this story to talk shit about Summer because of their resentment to her. If she doesn't like them, they are going to be mad at her. Her, being a pretty girl, creates envy and jealousy in others.

Tom says he doesn't care about Summer but, in the next scene, he ends up totally stroked with love after Summer told him that she likes The Smiths, just as he does.

Tom's love for Summer

After this brief incident, he starts talking to Summer and getting to know her a little more. Summer asks Tom about his dreams and ambitions involving work, but Tom isn't very excited about that. Tom studied to be an architect but is now working at a greeting card company, something that he doesn't enjoy; he isn't eager to put more effort into achieving something more significant to him. This fact will be crucial to their story later on.

Tom is confused; he does like Summer but not because of who she is, but because of how she makes him feel, like a whole different person, more inspired and he starts thinking that life is worth living.

When Tom describes Summer and why he likes her, he describes her superficially. Most of the things he likes about her are involving her physique. It isn't wrong to like someone because of how they look; the problem begins when you only like someone because of their physical appearance, not considering their character and essence.

Do you believe in love?

Tom is volatile with his feelings. He overthinks Summers' actions more than he should; he stops working in himself because Summer occupies his mind, she lives in his mind rent free. He is always trying to get Summer's attention, even when he pretends he doesn't care.

When Tom's friend, Summer and Tom go to a karaoke together, Summer and Tom start talking about love and their beliefs about it. Summer thinks that relationships are messy and people get hurt; she uses her words as a coping mechanism; she doesn't want to get involved with anybody so that no one can hurt her. This isn't a heathy way to approach love but, at least, Summer is being honest with how she feels and what she wants. Tom doesn't agree with how she views love at all; he is more of a hopeless romantic.

Tom's friend spills the tea and tells Summer that Tom likes her. Summer doesn't want to accept that Toms likes her as something more than friends because she isn't prepared for that, but she is very aware of his feelings.

Troubles arise

Summer isn't the best being coherent with what she says and her actions. She says she doesn't want a relationship; however, she kisses Tom, knowing that he wants something more than a casual thing. She knows Tom wants something more and, yet, she keeps pushing his love for her even further.

It is true that he tells Tom, in various times, that she doesn't want anything serious and that she wants to take things slow, but she still needs to take some accountability for her actions.

Tom is also not telling the truth to her. He says he doesn't mind that Summer doesn't want a boyfriend, but he does mind. We'll see that their problems begin once Tom shows that he is not ok with Summer's decision.

Tom is right in one thing; they begin to do couple stuff when they aren't a couple, making the situation even more confusing. There needs to be some consistency.

There is scene where Tom shows Summer his favorite spot in the city, explaining the history of that place and that he wants to make something so that people notice his work, something like those buildings; Tom does have dreams for the future. I get the feeling that, maybe, Summer did like Tom, but he lacks the character growth for Summer to truly engage in their relationship. Tom lacks self-work and ambition. Summer lacks commitment. Tom is really passionate and Summer sees that, but he is not ready to change his life yet.

Summer's secret story

Summer lets Tom enter her home.

Summer and Tom start talking; she trusts in him enough to tell him a secret about a dream of hers. Instead of paying attention to her story, he focuses on the fact that Summer doesn't tell these types of stories to everyone. He focuses on the fact that he thinks of himself as special for her, instead of thinking about what Summer is trying to tell him. We don't even get to know Summer's secret because he isn't hearing.

What are we?

When Toms talks with his little sister, she says that Tom should tell Summer the truth. He should ask Summer where they are going with their relationship. Tom is afraid of screwing everything up between them, he is afraid of scaring Summer away.

When Tom asks Sumer about the path they're taking involving their relationship, she says that things are going well, she says she is happy and that they don't need to put a label to their relationship. That isn't enough for Tom, he wants her to be his girlfriend.

We are shown a scene where Tom and Summer are at a bar and Summer gets approached by and agresiva guy, who doesn't respect Summer's decision of not wanting a drink from him. The guy mocks Tom, making Tom angry and Tom decides to give him a hard punch in the face. Later on, Summer is upset about Tom's attitude, saying she is capable to speak for herself. Tom can't understand why Summer is upset; to him, he was just trying to defend her and now she is upset. Summer tries to get away from the conflict, but Tom wants to speak up. He tells all of his concerns about the whole "situationship". Summer tries to tell him that they are just friends, which isn't completely true as they keep acting as a couple. Summer can't keep running away from trouble, she has to face it.

They both have good reasons to be upset. Tom can't keep forcing Summer into a relationship she doesn't want to be in, and Summer can't keep pretending like there is nothing going on. After the fight, they make up, however, their problems are not resolved completely.

What could have been

In a way, they could've been a good couple, but they weren't ready. They met at a time of self-discovery for both of them, so they couldn't work out.

There is another scene where Tom and Summer are talking about Summers' ex partners and Tom asks why they didn't work out for her. What she answers can summarize what I was trying to say; she says that life happens. We can't always be with someone; maybe is not the person, maybe it's the time when we meet them, or the conditions in which we met them. Sometimes people are not prepared for each other and that's ok. Life doesn't end when you can't be with someone. It can be a hard process to get over, though.

Summer and Tom worked together, that's why they liked each other, but they couldn't be.

The breakup

After Summer breaks the bond between them, Tom is completely devastated and his boss notices it, so he redirects his work. Tom uses his sadness to write cards about grief and loss. Tom is creative person, making that job suitable for him. When Summer was with him, he made cards about joy. Now that Summer is gone, he makes cards about sorrow. Anyways, his ideas are very original. Another thing that Summer liked about him.

Tom tries to forget about Summer by going out with a girl. He fails miserably and uses the date as a therapy session to get all the sadness and anger he has inside him, out.

Tom is angry with Summer because she didn't choose him but, truly, Summer didn't do anything harmful to him.

Reunion?

Tom goes to Santa Barbara. On the way, he encounters Summer by accident. Summer tries talking with him. He's very nervous and doesn't know how to react. They are going to the same party, so Summer asks Tom to get coffee. They can still get along pretty well, without making it completely uncomfortable.

While at the wedding, Summer invites Tom to her own party. Tom overthinks the situation and imagines things that could happen at the party; he portrays them making up and fixing their problems, getting back together.

The reality is not as expected. He finds out that Summer is engaged and everything falls apart for him.

A new life begins

Tom doesn't even want to get out of bed. He has lost all hope. But he decides to go to work; he needs another perspective.

Tom wants to blame everybody and everything for his sadness, but he can't find anyone that is guilty of this, not even Summer.

Maybe, Tom and Summer breaking their relationship, the way it had been going, was for good. We don't know much about Summer's point of view. She could have been right; they weren't compatible with their view of life. Tom needs to look back at their moments together and try to get over it. Something better might be coming, but he won't see it if he gets stuck in his pain.

This is not the end

After remembering all about the good and the bad times in their relationship, Tom's still sad but more inspired to get out of bed and pursue his dreams. He is getting a job as an architect, with or without Summer.

In the day 488, Tom goes to his favorite place and encounters Summer again. He congratulates Summer for her wedding and Summer asks him if he's ok, he isn't ok, but he will be. Tom can't understand why Summer wanted to get married and why with that guy; she never wanted to be anybody's girlfriend and now she's somebody's wife. Summer explains that it just happened, she woke one day and she knew, something that she was never sure of with Tom. This scene kind of reminds me of the song "Margaret" by Lana del Rey; Sometimes love is hard to explain, and even more to understand, it can sometimes be inexplicable, but there is something special when you're in love with someone, you just know.

Tom starts to think that everything he has always believed in is crap; the stories about fait and destiny, soulmates who just need to be together, that doesn't make sense to Tom anymore. Summer explains to Tom that change of mindset that she had, believing in what it is meant to be. Maybe, soulmates aren't entirely true, but love is real. Love is what differentiates human beings from other animals, it is very much real; we might not be capable of explaining all oof the phenomenon surrounding love, but that doesn't make it any less real. You recognize love when you feel it. Love is one of the most precious things we have in this world, we need to cherish it.

Love is in the air

Tom needs to learn that Summer wasn't his only chance to experience love; it isn't the end of his love life.

On the day 500, Tom goes to a job interview; most days are ordinary, but that day is remarkable for him, the day he met a girl named Autumn. Day 1 begins.

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