Watch This Movie To Help Cope With A Bad Breakup

There’s nothing like the sheer heartbreak that comes with the end of a relationship.

No matter how much time or preparation you have, there’s simply no way to ready yourself to hear the words “We need to talk” when speaking with that special someone in your life. Upending every preconceived expectation we’ve formed about our present and future lives, breakups have the capacity to literally change the trajectory of our very existence, destroying any sense of normalcy we’ve developed from one day to the next.

Though it’s hard to see it in the moment, there are certain benefits that do come with a breakup, including a chance for deeper self-reflection, as well as renewed appreciation for all the endless possibilities that come with the days ahead. 

In this sense, no film features a more nuanced discussion of both the positive and negative experiences that come with a breakup than 2009’s (500) Days of Summer.

A Movie Centered Around a Relationship From Its End to Its Beginning to Its End (Again)

Like its similarly-veined precursors Annie Hall and High Fidelity, (500) Days of Summer follows the course of one couple’s relationship from its eventful start up to its inevitable conclusion. Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is an unhappy greeting card writer who dreams of one day becoming an architect. Though unfulfilled in his line of work, he soon receives a welcome surprise when new employee Summer (Zooey Deschanel) shows up in the office one day.

Instantly forming a romantic connection with one another, Tom and Summer begin pursuing a relationship that spans nearly two years. To Tom’s surprise, Summer soon decides to break things off, seemingly at random. Reeling from the end of his relationship, Tom struggles to understand exactly what led to his breakup with Summer, all the while contemplating the future and wondering whether he still has a chance to rekindle their attachment to one another.

At first glance, all of this might sound like the same formulaic romcom you’re likely to find in the back of Netflix’s digital library or playing on The Hallmark Channel. But through its nonlinear approach, (500) Days of Summer manages to offer a far more energetic and nuanced interpretation of the traditional romantic comedy genre.

Most obviously, rather than start with a typical meet-cute prologue, (500) Days of Summer begins in what might almost be described as the middle, introducing audiences to Tom immediately after his breakup with Summer and leaving us to form our own initial conclusions about their relationship.

By opting for this clever opening, (500) Days of Summer firmly establishes itself from Tom’s point of view, allowing viewers to immediately associate themselves with Tom’s obvious heartbreak. After all, it’s fair to assume all of us have been in his shoes at one time or another, with a seemingly perfect relationship we’ve spent so much time and energy building suddenly ripped from our grasp.

Yet in each successive chapter that follows, viewers are able to witness Tom’s own evolving levels of self-reflection, encouraging us each to take on a more pragmatic view of our past relationships and subsequent breakups in lieu of the rose-tinted glasses we often wear immediately afterwards.

A Romantic Comedy About a Breakup… And What Comes Afterward

Truthfully, describing (500) Days of Summer as a romantic comedy doesn’t really do it justice. In actuality, it seems that only 30% of the film actually features Tom and Summer dating, with the remaining portion of the film following Tom’s attempts to move on from his doomed relationship with the apparent love of his life.

Yet even then, in an almost ironic twist of fate, (500) Days of Summer happens to feature quite possibly the most honest depiction of dating than most other entries in the genre. Like Tom, we believe he and Summer are meant to be together, nurturing an optimistic belief that Summer will eventually relent, realizing how much she missed Tom in the film’s satisfying final chapter. 

But just as often in the case with real life, Tom’s naive belief that he and Summer have a future together is little more than a fantasy. (Something poignantly displayed in the party montage juxtaposing Tom’s expectations with reality.) In the end, most real-life couples don’t end up back together once they’ve bid adieu. Relationships end, people change, and all we can do is let ourselves handle the hurt as best we can.

While such a meaningful lesson could have formed an effective end to (500) Days of Summer, the film goes one step further by showing the positive qualities we can all take away from the end of a relationship as well. Rather than giving in to pity and pessimism, we can use our newfound energy as a learning experience, outfitting us with a deeper resolve to pursue the things we want most in life – such as that long dream-of career we’ve procrastinated on for years. 
And as (500) Days of Summer shows us, who knows, maybe these new paths will end up introducing us to new, more ideal romantic matches better suited to our specific wants and needs, allowing us each to find our “Autumn,” as it were.

Watch (500) Days of Summer on Amazon Video.