Language warning. I think I'm gonna just make a copy/paste statement I can say to warn people. The following post contains "cuss words," so read at your own risk. I explained my position on language in an earlier post so if you want to know more, go look at that.
I really like this movie and there are some parts/elements that I love about it. I like it because it's a realistic movie about love. The lead guy isn't some sort of dashing, he-man, white knight. He's just a regular guy that is "perfectly adequate" and doesn't understand a lot of things in life, somethin a lot of people can relate to. And the girl isn't this total princess who says all the right things and never does anything wrong. She's just a regular guy who makes her share of mistakes. And the relationship isn't this perfect, fairyland crap where nothing bad ever happens.
Things I like about the film
I like how it shows the fine line of emotions that we all walk. When Tom is feeling this jubilant affection for Summer early in the film, he says, "I love her smile. I love her hair. I love her knees. I love how she licks her lips before she talks. I love her heart-shaped birthmark on her neck. I love it when she sleeps. "
Then later in the film when he's feeling cynical and frustrated, he says, "I hate her crooked teeth. I hate her 1960s haircut. I hate her knobby knees. I hate her cockroach-shaped splotch on her neck. I hate the way she smacks her lips before she talks. I hate the way she sounds when she laughs."
I like Tom's friends. His curly-haired friend McKenzie usually provides a good laugh, especially in the bar scene where he's drunk and calling Summer a dude.
His other friend, Paul, delivers one of the best lines in the whole movie. In a little series of clips where the people talk about love and what they think it is (where McKenzie says the hilariously douchebag line of "Love? I don't know, as long as she's cute and she's willing, right?"), Paul talks about his wife, who he's been with since gradeschool and he says this: "Robin is better than the girl of my dreams. She's real. "
The movie also pokes a hole in the idealism that we sometimes can create for our relationships. After the breakup, Tom stays heartbroken and cynical because he keeps reminiscing over how perfect his relationship was and how it shouldn't have gone wrong. Then later in the film, his little sister Rachel (...) tells him that when he's looking back over the relationship to include everything, the good and the bad times, the times when they connected and when they didn't.
The accuracy of the movie. I already mentioned I like how it paints relationships but I think it portrays the highs and lows well. In one scene, Tom is on cloud nine with people dancing around him and Hall & Oates' "You Make My Dreams Come True" plays while he dances with the people. I don't think this is supposed to be something that actually happens in the film but more of a figurative thing to show his momentary ecstasy. Then later in the film, he's feeling like crap, buying twinkies, OJ, and whiskey at the corner shop in his bathrobe. Now, I don't have a whole lot of life experience and I'm pretty much at zero when it comes to heartbreak and all that, but I have liked a couple girls in my day and have been on top of the world when they look my way and felt like crap when they ignore me. I feel like I'll continue to appreciate this movie and this part of it as i get older and experience life more.
One thing that I think is somewhat accurate and also very frustrating is how Summer sends mixed messages. At first, she's like I don't believe in love and I don't want a relationship, then it's on to kissing in the copy room, holding hands, and finally sex. Then it's "I don't want a relationship." Then it's I like you and lets make out. Then after they're broken up, she talks to him and dances with him at a wedding and then invites him to a party, which unknown to him is her engagement party. Now I don't want to throw all of womenkind under the bus and say they alone send mixed messages 'cause guys do it too (in their own way), but in this portrayal, Summer is the mixed-messages-sending "villain" of the story. By the end of the film, most guys, myself included, kind of hate or strongly dislike Summer, which I think is partly the intention of the guys who wrote the film. I think Summer kind of represents when girls unintentionally and inconsiderately hurt other guys by showing affection and giving attention when they mean nothing by it. I think people are just inconsiderate. Guys can be douchebags and not even consider a girls feelings and girls can be inconsiderate and portray feelings that they don't really have.
I also like the style of the film. The music choices are good, the contrasts are good, the switching around between days is good, and the background of cheery spring and dreary fall/winter for days is cool too 'cause it sets up the emotion for the scenes following.
I also also like the scene where the movie contrasts Tom's expectations and the reality of the situation when he goes to Summer's party. This set to Regina Spektor's song Hero is just awesome. I love it because that's sort of how I and I think a lot of other people think. I mean, with having one set of hopes and expectations for how something will turn out and then when the situation comes upon us, it's almost always different. Sometimes it's better, sometimes, like in this movie, it's worse.
Quotes:
"Darling, I don't know how to tell you this but...there's a Chinese family in our bathroom." hahaha
When Tom and Rachel are talking about whether or not Tom she ask Summer what he and her are, Rachel says this: "I'm saying you do want to ask her. It's obvious, you're just afraid you'll get an answer you don't want, which will shatter all the illusions of how great these past few months have been."
When Tom is meeting with his boss after Summer has left. "This is one of your recent cards: 'Roses are red, violets are blue, fuck you, whore.'" I'm not for the bitterness here but honestly, it's just a funny scene
When McKenzie skips out on a coworkers wedding and is talking to Tom on the phone: "That why I called her last night and told her I was sick, like a ninja."
This is my favorite quote of the movie and it takes place when Tom is in the dumps after Summer's engagement party and he's in a meeting with his coworkers and boss. I've quoted it before because it's just that good. "Lies, were liars think about it, why do people buy these things? It's not because they wanna say how they feel, people buy cards cause they can't say how they feel or they're afraid too. We provide the service that lets them off the hook. You know what? I say to hell with it. Lets level with America at least let them speak for themselves right I mean look, look. What is this, what does this say? "Congratulations on your new baby." How bout "congratulations on your new baby, guess that's it for hanging out, nice knowing ya." How bout this one? With all the pretty hearts on the front, I think I know where this ones going. Yup "Happy Valentines Day sweetheart, I love you." Isn't that sweet? Ain't love grand? This is exactly what I'm talking about. What does that even mean, love? Do you know? Do you? Anybody? If somebody gave me this card Mr. Vance, I'd eat it. It's these cards, and the movies and the pop songs, they're to blame for all the lies and the heartache, everything. We're responsible. I'M responsible. I think we do a bad thing here. People should be able to say how they feel, how they really feel, not ya know, some words that some stranger put in their mouth. Words like love, that don't mean anything. Sorry, I'm sorry, I um, I quit. There's enough bullshit in the world without my help "
Now, I don't agree with a lot of the cynicism in his rant, especially the thing about love not meaning anything, but there are a lot of things I do agree with.
Lastly, the ending is good. It's a movie that touches on cynicism a good bit but the film ends on a hopeful note, which I really like.
All-in-all, this is probably in my top 10 favorite movies. It's really cool, well-done, and relatable, at least to me.
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