500 Days of SummerPlot Summary
He's Tom, from New Jersey, working in L.A. writing greeting cards even through he's an architect by training. She's Summer, in from Michigan. Day one is her first day as an AA in Tom's office. We jump back and forth in time: by day 67, they've become an item when she decides to put aside the lovemaking and just be friends. Tom, a romantic who's sure Summer is the one for him, wallows in self pity. We go back to the early days and see the relationship begin. Summer tells him right away that she doesn't believe in love. He mopes well past day 100. Then, as day 500 approaches, they find themselves at a wedding together. Does the old flame rekindle? Is Tom right that destiny controls love?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1022603/plotsummary
Critical Evaluation
When I was searching for movies to watch for this class I went two different directions. First, I used the movies that the teenage girls that I had interviewed suggested. One girl loved Beastly, which I watched and thought was okay. Another girl suggested Just Go With It. But that movie had Adam Sandler in it and I just wasn't up to Adam Sandler. So the next place I checked was Indie films. I did not know what Indie films meant but have since learned it means Independent films. I find these films are often quirky and unusual. 500 Days of Summer was no exception. I found a list of best indie films for teens at http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-lists/indie-films.
500 Days of Summer was quite enjoyable. Tom is mopey and cute. Summer is perky and not inclined to get emotionally involved. They are actually a very bad pairing. I really enjoyed the timeline of the movie. It jumps back and forth in time throughout their dating experience. Each new time shown is indicated by what day it is in their relationship.
Reader’s Annotation
A romantic comedy about a girl who does not believe in true love and the boy who falls in love with her.
Information about the director
An in-demand music video director for nearly 10 years, Marc Webb's career path changed dramatically after his first feature, the endearingly bittersweet romance "(500) Days of Summer" (2009). The film brought him to the attention of the critical community, which showered his debut effort with praise; it also ushered him into the Hollywood inner circle, where, in 2010, he was granted the keys to the "Spider-Man" franchise. Webb's visual skill and boundless imagination made him a talent to watch and admire for film fans worldwide.
Born Aug. 31, 1975, Webb was the son of academic parents, but his own tenure in higher learning was short-lived; he reportedly attended Colorado College for only a semester before delving into the professional side of filmmaking.
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1809864220/bio
Genre
romantic comedy.
Curriculum Ties
N/A
Booktalking Ideas
N/A
Reading Level
PG-13
Challenge Issues
drinking, swearing, sex
It is best to be prepared for a book challenge before it is challenged. It is important to read the book all the way through and to have read both positive and negative reviews of the book from professionals and teens as well. Be aware of the library’s collection policy. Also check for any awards the book may have won. It would be beneficial to see how other library’s may have handled challenges for this particular book in the past.
*The above information also applies to movies.
Why Included?
I looked for unusual and quirky teen movies.
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