I feel all of this on a spiritual level. I'm married, and fairly established in my career, and have developed more self confidence than I've had in a long time. Consequently, re-watching movies like (500) Days of Summer, The Graduate, Annie Hall, Scott Pilgrim, etc. I can't help but feel a detachment from them. I see the red flags in the relationships that I used to envy, I see the edgy worldviews. But mostly I see stories of disaffected twentysomething men who expect a woman to give them meaning and fulfillment that they should find in themselves before trying to make it someone else's problem. I still enjoy them. I just don't relate anymore. Great video.
@@muddi900 undoubtedly, but when you're a sheltered 16 year old like I was the first time I saw it, your sense of irony/familiarity with the other movies being referenced is not super developed.
But Dude, that's the point!!! You're not supposed to relate to it (and if you relate, reflect on it)- Tom's behaviour is selfish and it's certainly not "love". The filmmakers made a point here. When I was young I just saw the typical love story, when I got older I realized that truly, it wasn't supposed to be one in the first place.
Sweet Disposition is nostalgic to me but not because of this movie but because it was featured on a video game. This song is the only reason I've watched (500) Days of Summer last year and I really like this movie. Well, I'm 16 now and I've never been in a relationship so my opinion on this movie will probably change 3 or 4 years from now
For me this is a story about idealization of your partner. That's why they use Tom as an unreliable narrator: his point of view is not objective. So the director chose all this storytelling techniques. And that kinda works for me )
That’s what i think as well, And it is done in a very realistic way. I had the same experience where i developed a crush almost solely on having the same favorite movie and afterwards was convinced we were soulmates
If the narrator was talking about me he’d say “Nick believed he would never truly be happy until he met ‘the one’. This stemmed from early exposure to sad british pop music, and a total misreading of the movie ‘500 Days of Summer.’”
6 years ago I was in love with a woman I was seeing. I'd never experienced love so intense. She kept calmly nudging me to watch this film. She saw it from Summer's POV, as a deconstruction of the manic pixie dream girl, and that the ultimate lessons were to respect others' agency, and that it is not the job of our lovers to fulfill us or give our lives meaning. She was, I see now, wary of me placing her on a pedestal and expecting our relationship to transform my life. After she (very rightly) broke up with me I finally watched it and sided with (or at least empathised with) Tom; a week earlier I too had sung that Clash song at karaoke. What I realise now was the film functioned as a kind of test, and I had failed to see the nuance that had been obvious to my ex. Dumping me was the best thing she could have done for both of us.
I can't believe this movie means so much for so many people, I thought I was the only one Edit 1 year later: some people are really sour in the comments. Of course I know I’m not the only one living these experiences now, but when I was 15 living in a very small town in Mexico I couldn’t have imagined it. So please, be kind and don’t invalidate other person’s feelings.
I think I wasn't mature enough to fully understand this as a teenager. When I first watched it I shamefully just sided with Tom and hated Summer. Now I see the film as a take down of the manic pixie dream girl trope and men/women who perceive their partners as such. So I guess for me, the ideal is for my understanding of a film to grow as I grow as a person.
Well said! I also completely sided with Tom and couldn’t understand Summer, but I’m sure I’ll realize what was wrong from the get-go if I rewatch it now, ten years later :)
Yeah, the first watch was just a happy-go-lucky romcom. Thankfully, the second time around I got it. And boy did it rip my worldview open regarding relationships and love. I'm thankful for the film.
I still love this movie. As I grew up, my perception of the story and characters change. I keep seeing a different view of the same movie. When I was young, i felt for Tom. The older I got, the more I understood Summer. And the more I understood that they were just bad for each other.
Maya Williams they were both unsure of where they’re heading. They both wanted different things in the relationship and yet they went on with it, only basing on what feels good at the moment. The red flags were being blurred out by the gushy lovey feelings. Tom still needed to get his life together. And Summer still needed to learn that love does exist.
That was beautiful. A word of advice though, from a 46 years old guy. What you’ve outgrown now will be one of the best memories you have when you reach early 40s. Just wait for it. 😄
10 years later and I still think this is a great movie; even in my twenties. But I love it for different reasons than when I was 18 and I like how my opinion of it has evolved over time and how this film was able to trigger so many different fascinating reactions from people. I think that says a lot about it a decade later
Same. Curiously, 2019 was the year I finally got over a girl after a very long time. I was 15 when this movie was released and back then, I had never been in a relationship. 10 years later, I've got to appreciate the movie even more cause I've lived through what was on screen and I could understand so much more. Still single, but now I'm definitely ready to meet someone new and love again.
Sweet disposition is one of my favorite songs ever. It just gives me so many feelings, a mixture of nostalgia of things I never got to experience in a certain phase of my life (eg missed expectations) and hope for what is yet to come. It is sadness, hope, disappointment and love. It is ridiculous to me to try to explain the feelings I get from this song but it is just amazing how this song can make me feel so many things at once.
wow, same. i have so many memories i've attached to that song during the peak of when i was into it. it represents so much, and immediately takes me back. i love how strong of memory triggers songs can be
(500) Days of Summer is my second all-time favorite movie. I originally saw it in the theater immediately following my first hard break up from a long relationship (age 18) and related to Tom more than any other main character in a film, up to that point. I revisit it often - always after every failed attempt to connect with a female - and have shown it to all my friends/family. As I've grown, my perspective on Tom has shifted more critical, which retroactively makes me love the film even more for the inspiration I find in his self-reflection at the end of the story. I also bought the soundtrack, which led me to become a huge fan of The Temper Trap; 'Sweet Disposition' being my personal pick for greatest song ever. I stare up at the film's poster above my bed when I'm feeling down and am reminded of how much joy I still have watching it. I've had the same "break up" playlist on my iTunes for the past decade. I'm a fucking weirdo.
As a 19 year old who loves Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and its insane, non-rom-com brother Synecdoche, New York I hope that's the case for me.
Ultimately the film gives a perspective on how much energy and attention a relationship will take from your life, how quickly time will pass by within said relationship and ultimately the loss of all of that time which follows. It’s a hard lesson to young folks: don’t over idealize people. If a potential partner comes along don’t over invest in the relationship. Take it as it goes and once it starts hindering one of the people involved, drop it.
I adored it when I first saw it, and have only grown to love it more as time goes on. It's honestly held up pretty much perfectly. Filmmaking wise, it still feels so fresh. Wright's inspired use of editing and visual storytelling in this is leagues above of so much that gets made today. The story is just as compelling, the characters still feel just as well written. The soundtrack still kicks ass, and Godrich's original score feels more inspired and unique than ever. It's a film with so much love, care and detail put into it, that I honestly can't really ever see it ageing poorly. There's just so much to enjoy and appreciate in it. Also, yes I know that my profile pic is literally this film's poster. So I may be slightly biased, but I genuinely stand by everything I've said.
@@Solarstar10 Yeah, I get what you mean. I was 15 at the time I discovered this movie and totally related to Scott's life: videogames, bored friends, bands, etc. I think I watched it way too much every year, than I would like to admit, but the humor and style was so on point and MY GOD THE AMOUNT OF ONELINERS(!!). It was hitting right in my precious time of puberty. Now I am as old as Scott himself, and I can't say I changed that much, but although I am supposed to feel much more related to the characters because of their age and equal struggles.. I think the bright colors just got a bit paler through the years. My feelings didn't dissapear, they just did what is described in james essay.. I still see this movie as one of a very important point in my life, because somehow this showed me at 15 that I wasn't alone with my cluelessness in life. (The only reason for having this movie in a weird angle in the corner of my brain are some awkward dialogs, but maybe that's why there are so many hilarious oneliners)
@@jonoinvielleicht4803 I watched it as someone at scotts age and for the first time around 6 months ago. It captured the ((i dont know where tf I stand in society)) feeling of being 22 so well. The movie tbh felt like it existed in the same universe as Community (which I didnt watch until last year lol) - odd how movies and tv shows around the same time (2009ish) all have such similar styles of art, writing, and music choice.
I always wonder if our detachment from the emotions evoked by things of our youth isn’t a sign of healthy growth, but a sign of the desensitizing numbness of adulthood. When I see the state of being that adults passively accept, I can’t help but think, “how is this sane or healthy? Is accepting this simply a protective measure of ego and mental health, rather than admit we continue to exist only in a diminished state as we age?” Husk may be to sharp a word, but it’s what comes to mind.
Brian Forbes My response may not be as developed as yours haha but I find this conversation super interesting and would like to talk more about it! When you mention that the phenomenon of passively accepting things as emotional maturity, how does that differ from the feeling of just settling for mediocre feelings instead? I’ve witnessed sadish, ‘oh well’ :/ type statements from my peers a lot about school and their future and their health about how they’re not getting enough sleep or not being passionate about future plans and well that’s what i see from my point of view as sad acceptance (especially as a child growing up noticing adult behavior). Sorry if that doesn’t make sense haha I can clarify but I’m curious what you have to say!
It's a kind of numbness that helps you deal with the horrors of everyday life, because lets face It, life can be really fucking scary, and feel meaningless, and ungrateful. now there's a point in which you can become too numb and not care, or get exited about anything anymore. Spending your entire life looking for something to fill the void and that something may never come. That Is the pont when you die inside and start to watch Grey's Anthony
this actually came out in perfect timing for me, last night i had re-read a novel that had meant a lot to me , but reading it now i felt a sort of detachment, not that the novel was bad per se, but it just didnt hit me in the same ways it had when i was younger. watching the events of the story play out when i was younger compelled me and i lived so vicariously through the protagonist, but now i felt like someone standing by, really quite uninvolved in the happenings but still aware of them. i guess when you are young some things can evoke a lot of feeling in you and result in an attachment or obsession, but as an older person you may find yourself more at peace with those feelings and thus less affected by them, at least for me thats what it felt like outgrowing this novel
Thank you for not making this preachy and condescending. I myself still think it's a masterpiece (despite the few scenes that aren't as smart or funny as they think they are), but I respect you for tackling this topic with nuance and empathy. The rest of RUclips could learn a lot from you.
i remember being really young and walking into the living room while my mom was watching the ikea scene and thinking that was the most romantic and beautiful thing i’d ever witnessed; little did i know it’d later become one of my favorite movies of all time. it’s crazy to think this film is 10 years old already
DUDE the effort that went into this video blew me away. I’ve always been a fan of your work, but the things you’re doing in this video feel so fresh. This new style, which takes a lot from UPA and what you were experimenting with during your videos on animation, is a taste of fresh water for a bored mind. Thanks for putting in the effort, keep it up ~
I watched this in the cinema and loved it. I watched it again at 18/19 expecting to not enjoy it and ended up still loving it. I watched it again at 26 and appreciated it more than ever. I don't feel I've outgrown this at all, I just see it through a different lens
It's impressive that the directors of these movies are able to capture those youthful emotions effectively, even though they've probably outgrown them as well.
I was in my early 20s in a bad relationship, watching this during a Movies in the Park sort of thing with my now ex when I first saw this movie. The scene where they go see The Graduate is important to me even now, because that was also the moment when I realized that (Like Summer) it was time to move on. I was a naive romantic at the time and I needed the push to understand that not every relationship has to be THE relationship, and that your life will go on.
Love this so much. I'm 23 now and actually watched Annie Hall before 500 Days of Summer. I'd heard of Woody Allen but never seen his work, and like 500 Days was for you, Annie Hall came in at a perfect time for me. I was 16, just flicking through channels and it happened to be on on. And it very quickly blew my mind. "Flexible" storytelling is such a good way to put it, but I actually don't think I've outgrown those films though. Maybe in a few years I will have, but I still love the magic realism and fourth wall breaks, etc, that these films show off. And having been through something of my first break up a few months back, Annie Hall and 500 Days re-entered my life and suddenly become important again. (fkn hell the moment Sweet Disposition came on in the video, the flashbacks). Great stuff.
consuming media "from the other side" will always be my favorite thing even though it's almost always bittersweet because like.. it's proof of change! you've changed, the world has changed, and that means your PERSPECTIVE has changed and that's just so incredible to me
This is really well put I've been trying to put words to those thoughts myself. It's really a strange feeling to have moved on from something, but to still love the memory of loving it.
The great thing about getting old is not just outgrowing art, but moving so far past it that it becomes new again. I've been going back and listening to alot of 80s hard rock and 90s groove metal (stuff my older brother introduced me to at the time) and it's been a real joy to process that art again as a near 40 year old man vs an impressionable middle school kid. Alot of still holds up, just in vastly different ways.
This is my experience, to the beat. You made me cry, man. I haven't done that in a while. Havne't felt less lonely in a long time. Thanks. Hope you read this and know that you moved someone.
It’s been 10 years since the movie was released but yet it still resonated with people because almost everyone went through such times. I think when a story is relatable, it will never really grow old and like what you have mentioned, it brings back the nostalgia of what went through at the back of our mind at that time. Nostalgia and real life experiences are what make people see highly of movies, it’s an experience. Great video you got there!
The thing about this movie that I feel you missed, the essence of it that you seem to get wrong (and you can't possibly outgrow it if you get it right) is the fact that it destroys the trope of the manic pixie dream girl and takes down the twenty-something existential ennui hippie sad boy. The great, timeless charm of (500) Days of Summer is the fact that you probably need to watch it twice, because due to everything that we've been taught and shown constantly about romantic comedies such as High Fidelity and Garden State is that no matter how quirky he is, the guy gets the girl, and so the first time we watch 500 we side with Tom, and then the second time we realize that he's an unreliable narrator who idealized Summer and who had a very specific romantic story playing out in his head. This is also why Ruby Sparks, which is so much more cheesy and fantastic and yet equally charming and great, nails it. Both Ruby and 500 point out the flawed narrative about women, the way that they're constantly portrayed as the romantic interest and nothing else. If you outgrow that, you've learned nothing.
Another great video, man! I recently revisited Scott Pilgrim in a similar way, and only recently realized that Scott was such a massive douche; I never truly grasped that the film was about him learning to live with his mistakes and overcome his flaws when I was younger.
Ghost World was this for me. I was 17 and entering my last year of high school when I first saw it & would have sworn it wasn't just a movie, but a 'guide to life'. Now 16 years later (sheesh) and it just doesn't resonate the same, but I'll always have a soft spot for it in my heart. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk
I think I was about 15 when I watched it on TV. It's one of the few romantic movies that actually made me cry. I haven't rewatched it yet, and after watching this video I might just have to. To see if it holds the same weight it did 6 years ago. I think the film that I would consider my true '(500) Days of Summer', a comedy in which I identified with the main character, had all the traits I wanted to see in films, and which inspired me greatly, was 'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl', and I think I should rewatch that too, in similar regard to how you rewatched '(500) Days of Summer'. I hope I still love both of these films as I did when I first watched them.
i'm 18 at the moment, and when i was 16 i watched lady bird for the first time, and ever since that first viewing i slowly became obsessed. not only because it was funny and corky, because i was in love with greta gerwing and sairose ronan and everything they said, the acting was amazing, and the storyline was exciting, but mainl,y i loved it because i felt like it touched a soft spot for me. at the time i was scared of my future, and scared of my dreams, and had a terrible relationship with my mom and hated the fact that i did live in the beautiful houses my friends have. i was literally lady bird. i talked like her, and walked like her, and we shared the same thoughts. it hasn't happend to me yet that a movie touched me so much, that the first time i watched it i felt like it was a personal attact, and i couldn't stop crying.it made me realize so many things about myself that i used to hide and not pay attention to. a movie that for me, went beyond being a film, and touched something inside of me. after watching this video, i'm sure i'll someday outgrow it. still to this day, i watched it a hundred times, and i still love it as much as i did the first time. but it's because i'm still that lady bird girl, and i know i'll change, i hope i do, i hope i mature and make wiser desicions in my life. but i feel like the moment i do, it means im letting go this movie as well, and i dont know if i'm ready yet, it's just the scariest thought.
Your videos are too good. They may be the best english-spoken film essays on YT. And I agree with the "outgrowing" movies bit. Happens even with the very things we do ourselves.
Surreptitious Writings, I meant more “if a guy really loves those movies and takes them all at face value he probably sees women in a specific way” like if a guy really loves Fight Club and thinks Tyler Durden is the coolest
(500)DoS is an amazing work of art. Its a movie that has grown with its viewers. So many of us watched the movie and felt like it both described and glorified our frustrated, beautiful confusion. Like a sense of refreshment in a cold, dark rain. We identified with Tom and wondered why "good guys" like us and Tom seemed to finish last. In the 10 years since, I broke up with my manic pixie dream girl. It sounds stupid, but it really hurt...because we were never really a couple! But I felt like she owed me for those magical moments we shared. And I resented her and became bitter and misogynistic. I felt like girls were bitches and didn't know how to accept a gentleman like me. But thank God I found a way out of that self-entitled world. I purposely stayed single for 2 years (I know what you're thinking..."purposely"?). But it gave me a lot of time to reflect and realised I was a fuckboy. I somehow found a wonderful wife (our wedding song was "You make my dreams come true" from the (500)DoS soundtrack). We now have a 4 year old son and life is content. I now watch (500)DoS like that "expectation" vs "reality" scene. Its like I'm watching a different movie. I laugh in parts, feel sad in others and even cringe a little bit. Yeah, this movie has grown with us viewers, but like going back to our home town for the holidays, I'm glad we outgrew that.
The idea of "outgrowing" something is bittersweet and your video nails it perfectly. On one hand, you want the nostalgia to last and to hold on to the things that helped shape you, but when we outgrow them they aren't lost. Art, including filmmaking, moves us all in different ways at different times. The fact that you can look back on (500) Days of Summer and know that you've outgrown it shows that you got what you needed from it when you needed it. Great video! -Josh
For me, the movie that changed everything for me was "Untitled" (directors cut of Almost Famous). It's just taken on different meanings for me as I've gone through life, I was exposed to it at 16 when we studied it in school, and I was totally obsessed. I've watched it every year since, and still love it, but as time goes on, I relate to different characters, and can appreciate all the different perspectives it brings. It's 14 years later and it's still my favorite movie
I agree. It resonated with a certain age group at the time. I think that is why the critical reception was so divisive. Many people loved it and many called it trash. But people in their 16 still remember this movie and feel a connection to it. This alone makes it a worthwhile movie for me. It elicited emotions in me and that is what i expect from these movies.
I first watched this movie in middle school. It was only until I was in high school/college that I really connected with it and understood its meaning. In middle school I enjoyed it but not to the same degree as late. Id say the graduate is another example of one of these movies where you just have to watch it at the right time in your life to really connect with it. I watched that movie in my first year of college and as someone who had no idea what I was doing or what degree I should major in the movie really hit hard
I’d say this video alone shows exactly what the movie was about, after a long great summer comes autumn a new perspective and interest. This movie will always hold a special place in my heart cause it taught me in ways no other medium has said it without it being cheesy and unrelatable, even though the now (summer) seems bleak there’s always something great down the line (autumn)
This is such an amazing channel, it’s a shame that I only recently found it, but better late than never. Amazing video, definitely on my way to check out all of your other content too!
I first saw this movie as a sophomore in college and it's every bit as good 10 years later as it was the first time I saw it. It was my story, and the story of many men. And every time I've watched it over the years, with new eyes, I watch a new story. Everytime though, it's a beautiful story, of a man letting go of childish fantasies and embracing life, as it is, rather than how we wish it.
The amount of effort you've put into making this video is simply astounding. Thank you for voicing your thoughts and all your efforts in making the video fun and exciting to watch (paper making, animation, just to name a few). It's a joy to watch!
Thank you for this essay. I've been trying to put my finger on the change in feelings that I have gotten from watching movies like this across spans of time, and you have said it in the best way... Also, you're animation skills have progressed throughout your videos. Thank you for continuing in bettering your craft and keep up the good work.
Now, this is why I don't take other people's suggestion from their favorite old movies. A movie, that is suggested by other, starts off with me in good impressions. After watching the movie, the chances are, I will ALSO find it good. The downside to this is that I'm now a carrier of this outgrown rekindling or remembering of what others liked. All of a sudden, people will find you as if you are a manifestation of something they've outgrown.
It’s crazy. I hated this movie when I was younger because I didn’t understand. Now, 10 years later, went through a rough breakup from a 5 year relationship, and decided to rewatch it. now I understand the movie and love it. What we felt during at one point might change as our lives change. Things might not be relatable or we won’t understand in that particular time, but in another moment in your life, it might.
500 of days felt like it changed with age but I did. Every 2 years I watch it and I notice a a new detail and new perspective. One year I'd side with Tom or his friends or Summer, everytime I put it on it was like a different movie and I learned something new about the characters and something new about myself. I havent grown out of it (yet?) Because I'm still learning from it :)
I had a similar timeline of exposure to this movie as you, but I don't think I've outgrown it. Yet. While I've been through a few breakups now, I think I still have this Tom-like compulsion to linger over the memories, to wonder if I'll ever be whole, long after the fact. I think, deep down, I have this childish belief that being broke to pieces is romantic, not, you know, horribly unhealthy. I know the movie is telling me to move on, but I still have trouble, and so I still need the movie.
Thank you for this! The "Growing up = trashing what you liked before" trope/truth is unfortunate (perhaps it is a misunderstanding of the phrase "you must leave things behind"?). Outgrow is such a good word. I used to like that, it used to hold meaning for me, now it doesn't in the same way. And while it may not be perfect as I remembered it, it still shaped who I am, and I can revel in my excitement for it and for life in general. I can let it lie in that middle ground and go forth boldly. :) And those times when I revisit something and it is everything I remember it to be -- and maybe even more? -- then holy all the things, I will dance on the rooftops in unbridled excitement! :D
You know, I am 48 years old and on the whole, the film's I loved as a kid, I still love today. I would say 90% of them I still rewatch. Escape From New York, Over The Edge, Stakeout, Lethal Weapon 1 & 2 and Flash Gordon. There are very few films that I have grown out of. The teen films of John Hughes I use to love, but I think I grew out of. St. Elmos Fire, too. But then I watch something like 500 Days of Summer which I saw when I was in my mid 30s and it charmed me. I loved it. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is another classic. So maybe it is just a case of seeing a film so many times that it bores me. I don't know. That said, 10 years isn't that much time. Watch Summer in 30 years and get back to me.
I don't know. I still love this film. Maybe because I didn't have to identify with the character to understand him and therefore didn't apply it to my life. Oh, and I am not pretentious.
Probably the most powerful moviegoing experience i ever had was when i watched Chungking Express. That was 4 years ago. I am now going to watch it again in a movie theatre and i've been terrified at the prospect of not liking it.
Funny thing for me : I knew some of the most famous songs of the movie way before even knowing about the movie itself. For example, when I was a kid, my mom used to download a lot of music and we listened to "Sweet Disposition" for a good while back in 2009. Same for the Carla Bruni song which is played when they are driving, which my mom liked a lot (this one has an even more special place, because, being French, I understand the lyrics, and most of all, I know who Carla Bruni is).
You have no idea how much this resonates with me (probably you do). This is exactly how I’m feeling about this movie, but haven’t thought about it like this until I heard your thoughts about it! Superb analysis! This is probably my favorite video essay I’ve ever seen (I love video essays), almost everything you said is also how I experienced the rewatch I did a couple of weeks ago. Did kind of all of the same translations in life as well! Thank you for this video, it really brightened an already good day! 😊
I recently watched 500 days of summer and so shookt that this movie never cross my path for it's 10 years of existence. Just like him when he watched the movie, I'm 16 and it felt that this movie really made an impact on me personally. Watching this video made me think if what if I also had the same experience he had after 10 years.
As a person who is a similar age to yourself (was 17 when this film came out) the film spoke to me in so many ways and your video has helped me to see that. Thank you! *Subscribes*
This really hit it for me. I haven't re-watched Garden State and 500 DOS since highschool days, when i had a rough highschool romance. I remember breaking up with her, watching Garden State that night and afterwards regretting my decision.
I'm 15, I'm at that stage where films are my life. (500) days of Summer is one of my favorite movies. I may grow out of it like you or I may hate it or I may still love it. All I wanted to say is thanks for letting me know that I don't have to like movies I used to love...
That music at the end makes me want to cry everything I listen. It's like coming out of a very good dream. Thanks for making this video and reminding me that films are more than just to analyse. It also actually influences lives.
I too saw it when I was 17 and it had a huge impact upon me. I still remember it for cool soundtrack and beautiful cinematography. Although now i see that there are some flaws, i could never hate it due to nostalgia, and the place i was emotionally at 17. Also i had a crush on Zooey after this. Hope people see this movie for what it is, including its flaws. Still a great time.
Great video. I had a similar experience with (500) Days of Summer and a host of other movies once I hit my twenties (most notably 12 Monkeys). That's why I think it's so important to judge a film for what it is, instead of against all other films. That way it lives or dies by it's own merit. The best movies keep growing with you, but you can still outgrow a good movie. If a movie only speaks to a certain group of people or people at a certain time in their life, that doesn't mean it's bad, just means it's for a certain time, like baby food. And I don't mean that condescendingly.
I feel all of this on a spiritual level. I'm married, and fairly established in my career, and have developed more self confidence than I've had in a long time. Consequently, re-watching movies like (500) Days of Summer, The Graduate, Annie Hall, Scott Pilgrim, etc. I can't help but feel a detachment from them. I see the red flags in the relationships that I used to envy, I see the edgy worldviews. But mostly I see stories of disaffected twentysomething men who expect a woman to give them meaning and fulfillment that they should find in themselves before trying to make it someone else's problem. I still enjoy them. I just don't relate anymore. Great video.
THIS! I saw a lot of red flags in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" relationship now that I did not see before when I first watched.
I am pretty sure 500 days was a comment on those movie romances.
@@muddi900 undoubtedly, but when you're a sheltered 16 year old like I was the first time I saw it, your sense of irony/familiarity with the other movies being referenced is not super developed.
@@ErickTG yeah, the relationship was doomed long before anything *technically* went wrong.
But Dude, that's the point!!! You're not supposed to relate to it (and if you relate, reflect on it)- Tom's behaviour is selfish and it's certainly not "love". The filmmakers made a point here. When I was young I just saw the typical love story, when I got older I realized that truly, it wasn't supposed to be one in the first place.
The moment I hear 'Sweet Disposition' I immediately feel all the feels.
I get that too with the whole soundtrack to this film.
Yassss
@@samanthab8807 the soundtrack is soooo good on this film.
Sweet Disposition is nostalgic to me but not because of this movie but because it was featured on a video game. This song is the only reason I've watched (500) Days of Summer last year and I really like this movie. Well, I'm 16 now and I've never been in a relationship so my opinion on this movie will probably change 3 or 4 years from now
Ikr!?
We will all out grow movies. Except Shrek 2.
We grow in shrek 2
Ong!!
Amen
What happened with Shrek 2?
especially shit I mean shrek 2
For me this is a story about idealization of your partner. That's why they use Tom as an unreliable narrator: his point of view is not objective. So the director chose all this storytelling techniques. And that kinda works for me )
ю гет ит гёрл)
That’s what i think as well, And it is done in a very realistic way. I had the same experience where i developed a crush almost solely on having the same favorite movie and afterwards was convinced we were soulmates
Exactly!
гомосексуализм не излечим
@@putin_navsegda6487 и что ты думаешь с этим делать?
If the narrator was talking about me he’d say “Nick believed he would never truly be happy until he met ‘the one’. This stemmed from early exposure to sad british pop music, and a total misreading of the movie ‘500 Days of Summer.’”
I still believe that...why is that not true in your opinion?
@@elck3 You have to be happy with yourself before trying to fill that void with another person
@@TheSarsrock how the fuck do I do that
Yes. Love yourself and build yourself first then find the right partner who lobes you for who you are..
6 years ago I was in love with a woman I was seeing. I'd never experienced love so intense. She kept calmly nudging me to watch this film. She saw it from Summer's POV, as a deconstruction of the manic pixie dream girl, and that the ultimate lessons were to respect others' agency, and that it is not the job of our lovers to fulfill us or give our lives meaning. She was, I see now, wary of me placing her on a pedestal and expecting our relationship to transform my life.
After she (very rightly) broke up with me I finally watched it and sided with (or at least empathised with) Tom; a week earlier I too had sung that Clash song at karaoke.
What I realise now was the film functioned as a kind of test, and I had failed to see the nuance that had been obvious to my ex. Dumping me was the best thing she could have done for both of us.
Yes this film is a test. If the dude sees Summer as the villain, we run.
"
I can't believe this movie means so much for so many people, I thought I was the only one
Edit 1 year later: some people are really sour in the comments. Of course I know I’m not the only one living these experiences now, but when I was 15 living in a very small town in Mexico I couldn’t have imagined it. So please, be kind and don’t invalidate other person’s feelings.
Yah Daniela you are the only one
deerpark cutie ahh mamoncito
you are def not the only one
you have to be insane to think that
in case it hasn't been smashed into your face enough times, you're never the only one to experience anything
I think I wasn't mature enough to fully understand this as a teenager. When I first watched it I shamefully just sided with Tom and hated Summer. Now I see the film as a take down of the manic pixie dream girl trope and men/women who perceive their partners as such. So I guess for me, the ideal is for my understanding of a film to grow as I grow as a person.
Same
Well said! I also completely sided with Tom and couldn’t understand Summer, but I’m sure I’ll realize what was wrong from the get-go if I rewatch it now, ten years later :)
Yeah, the first watch was just a happy-go-lucky romcom. Thankfully, the second time around I got it. And boy did it rip my worldview open regarding relationships and love. I'm thankful for the film.
personally, I watched this movie a few months ago (i’m 14) and absolutely hated Tom, I sided with Summer immediately so I really don’t know
you have graduated from the (500) days of summer stage of your life to the secret life of walter mitty. see the world my friend.
Noah Schaller It felt like I wrote this comment.
" Pretty Woman " soon
Or fight club
God, yes!
holy shit i dont comment on youtube ever but this one hit me
I still love this movie. As I grew up, my perception of the story and characters change. I keep seeing a different view of the same movie. When I was young, i felt for Tom. The older I got, the more I understood Summer. And the more I understood that they were just bad for each other.
Jannin Marie how would you say they were bad for each other?
Maya Williams they were both unsure of where they’re heading. They both wanted different things in the relationship and yet they went on with it, only basing on what feels good at the moment. The red flags were being blurred out by the gushy lovey feelings. Tom still needed to get his life together. And Summer still needed to learn that love does exist.
That was beautiful. A word of advice though, from a 46 years old guy. What you’ve outgrown now will be one of the best memories you have when you reach early 40s. Just wait for it. 😄
10 years later and I still think this is a great movie; even in my twenties. But I love it for different reasons than when I was 18 and I like how my opinion of it has evolved over time and how this film was able to trigger so many different fascinating reactions from people. I think that says a lot about it a decade later
Same. Curiously, 2019 was the year I finally got over a girl after a very long time. I was 15 when this movie was released and back then, I had never been in a relationship. 10 years later, I've got to appreciate the movie even more cause I've lived through what was on screen and I could understand so much more.
Still single, but now I'm definitely ready to meet someone new and love again.
How has your opinion changed? Do you side with one character more now?
Sweet disposition is one of my favorite songs ever. It just gives me so many feelings, a mixture of nostalgia of things I never got to experience in a certain phase of my life (eg missed expectations) and hope for what is yet to come. It is sadness, hope, disappointment and love. It is ridiculous to me to try to explain the feelings I get from this song but it is just amazing how this song can make me feel so many things at once.
wow, same. i have so many memories i've attached to that song during the peak of when i was into it. it represents so much, and immediately takes me back. i love how strong of memory triggers songs can be
“I’m pretty sure we’ve all outgrown bands we loved when we were in high school.”
*glances at One Direction poster I’ve had since middle school*
I took down my one direction posters, but they still live in my RUclips recommendations.
(500) Days of Summer is my second all-time favorite movie. I originally saw it in the theater immediately following my first hard break up from a long relationship (age 18) and related to Tom more than any other main character in a film, up to that point. I revisit it often - always after every failed attempt to connect with a female - and have shown it to all my friends/family. As I've grown, my perspective on Tom has shifted more critical, which retroactively makes me love the film even more for the inspiration I find in his self-reflection at the end of the story. I also bought the soundtrack, which led me to become a huge fan of The Temper Trap; 'Sweet Disposition' being my personal pick for greatest song ever. I stare up at the film's poster above my bed when I'm feeling down and am reminded of how much joy I still have watching it. I've had the same "break up" playlist on my iTunes for the past decade. I'm a fucking weirdo.
I stuck with you right up until the "I'm a fucking weirdo" and then I realized I'd spotted a wild softboy
Toms a wanker who got mad at summer because she had the audacity not fall in love woth him, like she said she wouldnt. .
I am curious now, may i ask what you first all time favourite movie is?
What’s your favorite movie?
pro-tip: don't announce to people that you're weird
I'll never forget or grow about Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. great video btw
As a 19 year old who loves Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and its insane, non-rom-com brother Synecdoche, New York I hope that's the case for me.
Ultimately the film gives a perspective on how much energy and attention a relationship will take from your life, how quickly time will pass by within said relationship and ultimately the loss of all of that time which follows. It’s a hard lesson to young folks: don’t over idealize people. If a potential partner comes along don’t over invest in the relationship. Take it as it goes and once it starts hindering one of the people involved, drop it.
This movie atmosphere still remains on my head, can't lose it don't know why
Welp...oh Scott Pilgrim vs The World don't give me that look from your corner..
*meanwhile realizing that own profile has scott pilgrim comic version on it.. dangit.
(no idea) (gets it)
/
/
I adored it when I first saw it, and have only grown to love it more as time goes on. It's honestly held up pretty much perfectly. Filmmaking wise, it still feels so fresh. Wright's inspired use of editing and visual storytelling in this is leagues above of so much that gets made today. The story is just as compelling, the characters still feel just as well written. The soundtrack still kicks ass, and Godrich's original score feels more inspired and unique than ever. It's a film with so much love, care and detail put into it, that I honestly can't really ever see it ageing poorly. There's just so much to enjoy and appreciate in it.
Also, yes I know that my profile pic is literally this film's poster. So I may be slightly biased, but I genuinely stand by everything I've said.
@@Solarstar10 Yeah, I get what you mean.
I was 15 at the time I discovered this movie and totally related to Scott's life: videogames, bored friends, bands, etc. I think I watched it way too much every year, than I would like to admit, but the humor and style was so on point and MY GOD THE AMOUNT OF ONELINERS(!!). It was hitting right in my precious time of puberty.
Now I am as old as Scott himself, and I can't say I changed that much, but although I am supposed to feel much more related to the characters because of their age and equal struggles.. I think the bright colors just got a bit paler through the years. My feelings didn't dissapear, they just did what is described in james essay..
I still see this movie as one of a very important point in my life, because somehow this showed me at 15 that I wasn't alone with my cluelessness in life. (The only reason for having this movie in a weird angle in the corner of my brain are some awkward dialogs, but maybe that's why there are so many hilarious oneliners)
@@jonoinvielleicht4803 I watched it as someone at scotts age and for the first time around 6 months ago. It captured the ((i dont know where tf I stand in society)) feeling of being 22 so well. The movie tbh felt like it existed in the same universe as Community (which I didnt watch until last year lol) - odd how movies and tv shows around the same time (2009ish) all have such similar styles of art, writing, and music choice.
I always wonder if our detachment from the emotions evoked by things of our youth isn’t a sign of healthy growth, but a sign of the desensitizing numbness of adulthood.
When I see the state of being that adults passively accept, I can’t help but think, “how is this sane or healthy? Is accepting this simply a protective measure of ego and mental health, rather than admit we continue to exist only in a diminished state as we age?” Husk may be to sharp a word, but it’s what comes to mind.
Brian Forbes My response may not be as developed as yours haha but I find this conversation super interesting and would like to talk more about it! When you mention that the phenomenon of passively accepting things as emotional maturity, how does that differ from the feeling of just settling for mediocre feelings instead? I’ve witnessed sadish, ‘oh well’ :/ type statements from my peers a lot about school and their future and their health about how they’re not getting enough sleep or not being passionate about future plans and well that’s what i see from my point of view as sad acceptance (especially as a child growing up noticing adult behavior). Sorry if that doesn’t make sense haha I can clarify but I’m curious what you have to say!
It's a kind of numbness that helps you deal with the horrors of everyday life, because lets face It, life can be really fucking scary, and feel meaningless, and ungrateful. now there's a point in which you can become too numb and not care, or get exited about anything anymore. Spending your entire life looking for something to fill the void and that something may never come. That Is the pont when you die inside and start to watch Grey's Anthony
this actually came out in perfect timing for me, last night i had re-read a novel that had meant a lot to me , but reading it now i felt a sort of detachment, not that the novel was bad per se, but it just didnt hit me in the same ways it had when i was younger. watching the events of the story play out when i was younger compelled me and i lived so vicariously through the protagonist, but now i felt like someone standing by, really quite uninvolved in the happenings but still aware of them. i guess when you are young some things can evoke a lot of feeling in you and result in an attachment or obsession, but as an older person you may find yourself more at peace with those feelings and thus less affected by them, at least for me thats what it felt like outgrowing this novel
So this is probably the coolest video essay I’ve seen in a long time
This guy and Hitop films are just...
Thank you for not making this preachy and condescending. I myself still think it's a masterpiece (despite the few scenes that aren't as smart or funny as they think they are), but I respect you for tackling this topic with nuance and empathy. The rest of RUclips could learn a lot from you.
That random Han Solo cameo still holds up for me
The way Quentin Tarantino feels about Jean-Luc Godard is the way I feel about Quentin Tarantino.
Jasper Vaillant good burn haha
same
Yep
hahahahaha true
And maybe I’m giving him too much credit, but I feel he’d be okay with thay
i remember being really young and walking into the living room while my mom was watching the ikea scene and thinking that was the most romantic and beautiful thing i’d ever witnessed; little did i know it’d later become one of my favorite movies of all time. it’s crazy to think this film is 10 years old already
It was revolutionary in 2009. Then movies began to copy and enhance it's style.
DUDE the effort that went into this video blew me away. I’ve always been a fan of your work, but the things you’re doing in this video feel so fresh.
This new style, which takes a lot from UPA and what you were experimenting with during your videos on animation, is a taste of fresh water for a bored mind. Thanks for putting in the effort, keep it up ~
I watched this in the cinema and loved it. I watched it again at 18/19 expecting to not enjoy it and ended up still loving it. I watched it again at 26 and appreciated it more than ever. I don't feel I've outgrown this at all, I just see it through a different lens
It's impressive that the directors of these movies are able to capture those youthful emotions effectively, even though they've probably outgrown them as well.
I was in my early 20s in a bad relationship, watching this during a Movies in the Park sort of thing with my now ex when I first saw this movie. The scene where they go see The Graduate is important to me even now, because that was also the moment when I realized that (Like Summer) it was time to move on. I was a naive romantic at the time and I needed the push to understand that not every relationship has to be THE relationship, and that your life will go on.
Love this so much. I'm 23 now and actually watched Annie Hall before 500 Days of Summer. I'd heard of Woody Allen but never seen his work, and like 500 Days was for you, Annie Hall came in at a perfect time for me. I was 16, just flicking through channels and it happened to be on on. And it very quickly blew my mind. "Flexible" storytelling is such a good way to put it, but I actually don't think I've outgrown those films though. Maybe in a few years I will have, but I still love the magic realism and fourth wall breaks, etc, that these films show off. And having been through something of my first break up a few months back, Annie Hall and 500 Days re-entered my life and suddenly become important again. (fkn hell the moment Sweet Disposition came on in the video, the flashbacks). Great stuff.
consuming media "from the other side" will always be my favorite thing even though it's almost always bittersweet because like.. it's proof of change! you've changed, the world has changed, and that means your PERSPECTIVE has changed and that's just so incredible to me
This is really well put I've been trying to put words to those thoughts myself. It's really a strange feeling to have moved on from something, but to still love the memory of loving it.
this has been my favorite movie for 10 years and its still is.
The great thing about getting old is not just outgrowing art, but moving so far past it that it becomes new again. I've been going back and listening to alot of 80s hard rock and 90s groove metal (stuff my older brother introduced me to at the time) and it's been a real joy to process that art again as a near 40 year old man vs an impressionable middle school kid. Alot of still holds up, just in vastly different ways.
You may outgrow a message that you got from a film at a certain time of your life, but the quality of the film doesn't change.
This is my experience, to the beat. You made me cry, man. I haven't done that in a while. Havne't felt less lonely in a long time. Thanks. Hope you read this and know that you moved someone.
It’s been 10 years since the movie was released but yet it still resonated with people because almost everyone went through such times. I think when a story is relatable, it will never really grow old and like what you have mentioned, it brings back the nostalgia of what went through at the back of our mind at that time. Nostalgia and real life experiences are what make people see highly of movies, it’s an experience. Great video you got there!
This movie is great because of its artistic merit. It aged really well. It is creative and original even by today's standards.
The thing about this movie that I feel you missed, the essence of it that you seem to get wrong (and you can't possibly outgrow it if you get it right) is the fact that it destroys the trope of the manic pixie dream girl and takes down the twenty-something existential ennui hippie sad boy. The great, timeless charm of (500) Days of Summer is the fact that you probably need to watch it twice, because due to everything that we've been taught and shown constantly about romantic comedies such as High Fidelity and Garden State is that no matter how quirky he is, the guy gets the girl, and so the first time we watch 500 we side with Tom, and then the second time we realize that he's an unreliable narrator who idealized Summer and who had a very specific romantic story playing out in his head. This is also why Ruby Sparks, which is so much more cheesy and fantastic and yet equally charming and great, nails it. Both Ruby and 500 point out the flawed narrative about women, the way that they're constantly portrayed as the romantic interest and nothing else. If you outgrow that, you've learned nothing.
Couldn't agree more! It's nice to realize how much this movie meant for us and how now we grew apart from it. I guess that's just life. And it's fine.
Another great video, man! I recently revisited Scott Pilgrim in a similar way, and only recently realized that Scott was such a massive douche; I never truly grasped that the film was about him learning to live with his mistakes and overcome his flaws when I was younger.
Ghost World was this for me. I was 17 and entering my last year of high school when I first saw it & would have sworn it wasn't just a movie, but a 'guide to life'. Now 16 years later (sheesh) and it just doesn't resonate the same, but I'll always have a soft spot for it in my heart. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk
I had almost exactly the same experience with this film, and I got so nostalgic watching this. Great job!
I think I was about 15 when I watched it on TV. It's one of the few romantic movies that actually made me cry. I haven't rewatched it yet, and after watching this video I might just have to. To see if it holds the same weight it did 6 years ago.
I think the film that I would consider my true '(500) Days of Summer', a comedy in which I identified with the main character, had all the traits I wanted to see in films, and which inspired me greatly, was 'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl', and I think I should rewatch that too, in similar regard to how you rewatched '(500) Days of Summer'. I hope I still love both of these films as I did when I first watched them.
Don't do it! Keep your happy memories intact!
I had the EXACT same experience with this movie a year ago. Great video. Keep up with the animations!!
i'm 18 at the moment, and when i was 16 i watched lady bird for the first time, and ever since that first viewing i slowly became obsessed. not only because it was funny and corky, because i was in love with greta gerwing and sairose ronan and everything they said, the acting was amazing, and the storyline was exciting, but mainl,y i loved it because i felt like it touched a soft spot for me. at the time i was scared of my future, and scared of my dreams, and had a terrible relationship with my mom and hated the fact that i did live in the beautiful houses my friends have. i was literally lady bird. i talked like her, and walked like her, and we shared the same thoughts. it hasn't happend to me yet that a movie touched me so much, that the first time i watched it i felt like it was a personal attact, and i couldn't stop crying.it made me realize so many things about myself that i used to hide and not pay attention to. a movie that for me, went beyond being a film, and touched something inside of me. after watching this video, i'm sure i'll someday outgrow it. still to this day, i watched it a hundred times, and i still love it as much as i did the first time. but it's because i'm still that lady bird girl, and i know i'll change, i hope i do, i hope i mature and make wiser desicions in my life. but i feel like the moment i do, it means im letting go this movie as well, and i dont know if i'm ready yet, it's just the scariest thought.
Your videos are too good. They may be the best english-spoken film essays on YT. And I agree with the "outgrowing" movies bit. Happens even with the very things we do ourselves.
Finding out if a guy is overly invested in Annie Hall, High Fidelity, (500), and What If, feels like a litmus test
Laura in High Fidelity isn't applicable here.
Surreptitious Writings, I meant more “if a guy really loves those movies and takes them all at face value he probably sees women in a specific way” like if a guy really loves Fight Club and thinks Tyler Durden is the coolest
Oh my goodness the nostalgia...I was 16 as well at the time and this video basically is all my thoughts on the movie.
(500)DoS is an amazing work of art. Its a movie that has grown with its viewers. So many of us watched the movie and felt like it both described and glorified our frustrated, beautiful confusion. Like a sense of refreshment in a cold, dark rain. We identified with Tom and wondered why "good guys" like us and Tom seemed to finish last.
In the 10 years since, I broke up with my manic pixie dream girl. It sounds stupid, but it really hurt...because we were never really a couple! But I felt like she owed me for those magical moments we shared. And I resented her and became bitter and misogynistic. I felt like girls were bitches and didn't know how to accept a gentleman like me.
But thank God I found a way out of that self-entitled world. I purposely stayed single for 2 years (I know what you're thinking..."purposely"?). But it gave me a lot of time to reflect and realised I was a fuckboy. I somehow found a wonderful wife (our wedding song was "You make my dreams come true" from the (500)DoS soundtrack). We now have a 4 year old son and life is content.
I now watch (500)DoS like that "expectation" vs "reality" scene. Its like I'm watching a different movie. I laugh in parts, feel sad in others and even cringe a little bit.
Yeah, this movie has grown with us viewers, but like going back to our home town for the holidays, I'm glad we outgrew that.
The idea of "outgrowing" something is bittersweet and your video nails it perfectly. On one hand, you want the nostalgia to last and to hold on to the things that helped shape you, but when we outgrow them they aren't lost. Art, including filmmaking, moves us all in different ways at different times. The fact that you can look back on (500) Days of Summer and know that you've outgrown it shows that you got what you needed from it when you needed it. Great video! -Josh
For me, the movie that changed everything for me was "Untitled" (directors cut of Almost Famous). It's just taken on different meanings for me as I've gone through life, I was exposed to it at 16 when we studied it in school, and I was totally obsessed. I've watched it every year since, and still love it, but as time goes on, I relate to different characters, and can appreciate all the different perspectives it brings. It's 14 years later and it's still my favorite movie
Now I get why I never understood to the love of this movie. I saw it in my late 20s.
I agree. It resonated with a certain age group at the time. I think that is why the critical reception was so divisive. Many people loved it and many called it trash. But people in their 16 still remember this movie and feel a connection to it. This alone makes it a worthwhile movie for me. It elicited emotions in me and that is what i expect from these movies.
I first watched this movie in middle school. It was only until I was in high school/college that I really connected with it and understood its meaning. In middle school I enjoyed it but not to the same degree as late.
Id say the graduate is another example of one of these movies where you just have to watch it at the right time in your life to really connect with it. I watched that movie in my first year of college and as someone who had no idea what I was doing or what degree I should major in the movie really hit hard
I came here to see a video about this movie. I'm blown away by the creativity, the written and the realisation. Thank you
Needed this tonight. Thank you.
This video made me go back and listen to the soundtrack again.
I’d say this video alone shows exactly what the movie was about, after a long great summer comes autumn a new perspective and interest. This movie will always hold a special place in my heart cause it taught me in ways no other medium has said it without it being cheesy and unrelatable, even though the now (summer) seems bleak there’s always something great down the line (autumn)
this movie changed my life, I don’t think I’ll ever get over it
I always considered this my top 3 favorite movies. Amazing.
This is such an amazing channel, it’s a shame that I only recently found it, but better late than never. Amazing video, definitely on my way to check out all of your other content too!
I first saw this movie as a sophomore in college and it's every bit as good 10 years later as it was the first time I saw it. It was my story, and the story of many men. And every time I've watched it over the years, with new eyes, I watch a new story. Everytime though, it's a beautiful story, of a man letting go of childish fantasies and embracing life, as it is, rather than how we wish it.
The amount of effort you've put into making this video is simply astounding. Thank you for voicing your thoughts and all your efforts in making the video fun and exciting to watch (paper making, animation, just to name a few). It's a joy to watch!
Man, you really are great. Please keep this videos coming.
It gives me comfort to know that this movie hold so much value to so many people. I actually feel like I relate to it more now than I ever did.
Amazing viewpoints that I never thought of. Now I learn new things called: outgrow a movie.
Thank you for this essay. I've been trying to put my finger on the change in feelings that I have gotten from watching movies like this across spans of time, and you have said it in the best way... Also, you're animation skills have progressed throughout your videos. Thank you for continuing in bettering your craft and keep up the good work.
Just finished the movie and seeking lots of answers glad i got them here. Thanks.
Now, this is why I don't take other people's suggestion from their favorite old movies. A movie, that is suggested by other, starts off with me in good impressions. After watching the movie, the chances are, I will ALSO find it good. The downside to this is that I'm now a carrier of this outgrown rekindling or remembering of what others liked. All of a sudden, people will find you as if you are a manifestation of something they've outgrown.
The way I see this movie now is that both Summer and Tom are annoying.
“Film lovers are sick people" Truffault I am sick too - love your personal journey. All the best and looking forward to more from you!
It’s crazy. I hated this movie when I was younger because I didn’t understand. Now, 10 years later, went through a rough breakup from a 5 year relationship, and decided to rewatch it. now I understand the movie and love it. What we felt during at one point might change as our lives change. Things might not be relatable or we won’t understand in that particular time, but in another moment in your life, it might.
thank you for acknowledging the absolute amazingness of the soundtrack
This is one of those movies I’d have a hard time sitting through again. Along with perks of being a wallflower
500 of days felt like it changed with age but I did. Every 2 years I watch it and I notice a a new detail and new perspective. One year I'd side with Tom or his friends or Summer, everytime I put it on it was like a different movie and I learned something new about the characters and something new about myself. I havent grown out of it (yet?) Because I'm still learning from it :)
I am 15 and I'm just watched this film. Well...so exciting how will I perceive it in 10 years
I had a similar timeline of exposure to this movie as you, but I don't think I've outgrown it. Yet. While I've been through a few breakups now, I think I still have this Tom-like compulsion to linger over the memories, to wonder if I'll ever be whole, long after the fact. I think, deep down, I have this childish belief that being broke to pieces is romantic, not, you know, horribly unhealthy. I know the movie is telling me to move on, but I still have trouble, and so I still need the movie.
Thank you for this! The "Growing up = trashing what you liked before" trope/truth is unfortunate (perhaps it is a misunderstanding of the phrase "you must leave things behind"?). Outgrow is such a good word. I used to like that, it used to hold meaning for me, now it doesn't in the same way. And while it may not be perfect as I remembered it, it still shaped who I am, and I can revel in my excitement for it and for life in general. I can let it lie in that middle ground and go forth boldly. :) And those times when I revisit something and it is everything I remember it to be -- and maybe even more? -- then holy all the things, I will dance on the rooftops in unbridled excitement! :D
You know, I am 48 years old and on the whole, the film's I loved as a kid, I still love today. I would say 90% of them I still rewatch. Escape From New York, Over The Edge, Stakeout, Lethal Weapon 1 & 2 and Flash Gordon. There are very few films that I have grown out of. The teen films of John Hughes I use to love, but I think I grew out of. St. Elmos Fire, too. But then I watch something like 500 Days of Summer which I saw when I was in my mid 30s and it charmed me. I loved it. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is another classic. So maybe it is just a case of seeing a film so many times that it bores me. I don't know. That said, 10 years isn't that much time. Watch Summer in 30 years and get back to me.
I don't know. I still love this film. Maybe because I didn't have to identify with the character to understand him and therefore didn't apply it to my life. Oh, and I am not pretentious.
Siri, show me a comment that is one long humblebrag
That's why la la land is incredible. Because you go though all that process in 2 hours. And you can see it later and still tell yourself that's life
I appreciate your original, unrepeating, different Squarespace plug at the beginnings.
Probably the most powerful moviegoing experience i ever had was when i watched Chungking Express. That was 4 years ago. I am now going to watch it again in a movie theatre and i've been terrified at the prospect of not liking it.
Rafael Andrade lucky!
Funny thing for me : I knew some of the most famous songs of the movie way before even knowing about the movie itself. For example, when I was a kid, my mom used to download a lot of music and we listened to "Sweet Disposition" for a good while back in 2009. Same for the Carla Bruni song which is played when they are driving, which my mom liked a lot (this one has an even more special place, because, being French, I understand the lyrics, and most of all, I know who Carla Bruni is).
You have no idea how much this resonates with me (probably you do). This is exactly how I’m feeling about this movie, but haven’t thought about it like this until I heard your thoughts about it! Superb analysis! This is probably my favorite video essay I’ve ever seen (I love video essays), almost everything you said is also how I experienced the rewatch I did a couple of weeks ago. Did kind of all of the same translations in life as well! Thank you for this video, it really brightened an already good day! 😊
Yep, this movie is still a masterpiece!, Change my mind!
Really loved your work on this vid. Shows how much EFFORT was put into this.
I recently watched 500 days of summer and so shookt that this movie never cross my path for it's 10 years of existence. Just like him when he watched the movie, I'm 16 and it felt that this movie really made an impact on me personally. Watching this video made me think if what if I also had the same experience he had after 10 years.
this is a super well edited well directed well written video. Props
As a person who is a similar age to yourself (was 17 when this film came out) the film spoke to me in so many ways and your video has helped me to see that. Thank you! *Subscribes*
This really hit it for me. I haven't re-watched Garden State and 500 DOS since highschool days, when i had a rough highschool romance. I remember breaking up with her, watching Garden State that night and afterwards regretting my decision.
I'm 15, I'm at that stage where films are my life. (500) days of Summer is one of my favorite movies. I may grow out of it like you or I may hate it or I may still love it. All I wanted to say is thanks for letting me know that I don't have to like movies I used to love...
That music at the end makes me want to cry everything I listen. It's like coming out of a very good dream. Thanks for making this video and reminding me that films are more than just to analyse. It also actually influences lives.
Do you know what song it is
I loved this video. It was well made and it brought out good points. Thanks!
I too saw it when I was 17 and it had a huge impact upon me. I still remember it for cool soundtrack and beautiful cinematography. Although now i see that there are some flaws, i could never hate it due to nostalgia, and the place i was emotionally at 17. Also i had a crush on Zooey after this. Hope people see this movie for what it is, including its flaws. Still a great time.
I feel you man...same thing with Tom chases his dreams in architecture, so do I in music.
Great video. I had a similar experience with (500) Days of Summer and a host of other movies once I hit my twenties (most notably 12 Monkeys). That's why I think it's so important to judge a film for what it is, instead of against all other films. That way it lives or dies by it's own merit. The best movies keep growing with you, but you can still outgrow a good movie. If a movie only speaks to a certain group of people or people at a certain time in their life, that doesn't mean it's bad, just means it's for a certain time, like baby food. And I don't mean that condescendingly.
Book ends brings out the tears no matter what