500 Days of Summer

Imdb synopsis: An offbeat romantic comedy about a woman who doesn't believe true love exists, and the young man who falls for her.

I love this movie. I seriously can't get enough of it. In fact, I'm pretty sure we saw this movie three times in theatres.

I like the trend lately, by movie-studios, to create relateable and down-to-earth relationships. Things don't always have to end with a happily ever after because life is constantly changing, ebbing and flowing, rising and falling. Movies tell a story, but often times, as is the case with many movies, the life-story isn't told, just an important chapter. Life doesn't end with the end of the movie. But could it please end without most sequels? Okay, thanks.

When I was in high school our drama teacher taught us to watch movies with a more critical eye: look at more than just the performance or the special effects! Look at the lighting, the transitions, the music, the color scheme. In fact, she was training us to look at the mise en scene, or, "everything in the shot". Everything within view of the camera helps tell the story. Everything has a voice.

I certainly learned a lot from this. People who watched movies with me? Not so much. Turns out, most people want to just watch a movie. The only other person who does this with more enthusiasm than myself is my husband (perfect match, huh?). Sure, we can enjoy movies as visual storytelling, but we also look for the broken rules, the twists, the turns, the exceptions. Every story in the WORLD is the same 7 stories just told a little different. So what makes it different?

500 Days of Summer speaks to me of biases. Of rose-colored glasses. Of letting your heart get in the way of things- not just how you feel but how you view and react to the world around you. Sometimes it's okay to step back and think about where you are and what you want going forward in your relationships, in your professional circles, in your life. Re-evaluate. Re-prioritize. Save yourself.