"Just because someone likes the same thing as you, doesn´t mean she is your soulmate"

When we think of romantic movies, not many people consider “(500) Days of Summer” as a love story. There’s a joke within film circles that this movie is “the perfect horror film.” And why is that? Well, as the narrator tells us right from the start with a peculiar and omnipresent introduction of the characters, it’s not, in itself, a love story.

“(500) Days of Summer” is a 2009 film directed by Marc Webb about, quite literally, a guy who meets a girl. Our protagonists, Tom and Summer, meet at work. Tom experiences love at first sight, and their first conversation will forever be etched in our hearts. Something as trivial as sharing a liking for the band “The Smiths” and other minor details makes Tom fall hopelessly in love with Summer, his coworker. Summer, on the other hand, is a pragmatic and free-spirited woman. She doesn’t believe in romantic love and wants to live life without attachments or commitments. She simply wants to “have a good time.”

With a non-linear narrative that shifts between different days of the 500-day relationship, we see how their contradictory expectations eventually lead to an inevitable goodbye. Summer is often portrayed as the villain, depending on the viewer’s perspective. Sometimes we are Summer, when we live in the moment without considering how our actions might affect someone who is in love with us. Other times, we are the naive Tom, who falls in love without recognizing the red flags and mixed messages.

And I know by this point in the article you might be wondering, what’s the point you’re making? What does this have to do with anything? The answer is this: Tom believed Summer was the love of his life because of a couple of very common coincidences. But since she was a pretty girl who paid him some attention and liked the same bands as him, he thought she was “the one,” and spent 500 days trying to juggle being with her.

If there’s one thing that struck me about this movie, it’s the following scene and quote from his sister: “Just because she likes the same bizarro crap you do doesn't mean she's your soul mate.” How many times have I heard my friends cry over people they thought were their soul mates just because of a few coincidences? How many times in my youth did I think love was simply about having the same favorite band, going to the same places, or having the same favorite color?

“(500) Days of Summer” and especially that line always remind me that just because things seem straight out of a fairy tale, often relationships and human connections are much deeper than a few dates and coincidences that could happen with anyone. Getting to know someone deeply, with no expectations of the other person, and, importantly, having a mutual bond, is always far more profound than just liking The Smiths.

Overall, I think this movie is an excellent example of a tragic love story, but giving light to a very heavy subject, which is we must not be so navy.