(500) Days of Summer is revenge disguised as a cute, indie movie

I enjoyed (500) Days of Summer. It had its moments despite the fact that the entire film was essentially an extended explanation for the writer's hatred of one woman, because she was crazy enough not to feel the same way about him as he did about her. Yes - a woman who makes herself clear in that she has no intention of making a relationship serious and doesn't want to use labels is made out to be a bitch, because she resists the guy forcing these things on her. Which is really just lovely when you think about it. 

Interestingly enough when I talked to my friends about how I thought the movie had some underlying girl hate, they all countered that it was feminist in that for once the guy was the one who was dumped, needy and pathetic. Which I guess you don't see that often, and that role reversal is nice in that we see guys do have feelings (...what? they do?). But still. I felt like that hatred really overrides the fact that he was a "vulnerable" guy. 

Either way, reading this post on the Daily Mail by Scott Neustadter, the writer of (500) Days of Summer basically just confirmed my feelings about the movie. Essentially, he admits that the movie is more or less a play by play of one of his relationships that left him destroyed. As Hortense over at Jezebel so aptly puts it,

"Ugh. Dude, we know. You, like every other dude who has written the tale of a guy who 'finds himself" through an empty shell of a character, is totally better off now that the pretty lady has broken your heart and improved your record collection. The smugness of the article is irritating: one expects him to shout out a band and put on twee dance number as he reminisces about his failed relationship and the success he gained from it."

But he also admits that the real Summer didn't even recognize herself as the character Summer. Hmm. It's funny how rejection and animosity can form a different picture of someone in your mind. And apparently can also inspire you to write a movie about it! Just another underdeveloped female character who sparks the ever-important male character on his journey. Huzzah. 

On a separate note this Funny or Die video really made me think of (500) Days of Summer in that the music was probably the highlight of the movie, and that was probably intentional.