(500) Days of Summer: The Anti-Romantic Comedy (Part Three)

In my last semester of college, I completed a writing portfolio entitled "Exploring Modern American Culture through Contemporary Cinema." It contained four essays dissecting four recent films. The second of those essays discussed Marc Webb's 2009 romantic comedy (500) Days of Summer. The third part of that essay is below. I will post a new portfolio excerpt every day.  Previous posts: The Dark Knight - Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four; (500) Days of Summer - Part One, Part Two. 

(500) Days of Summer: The Anti-Romantic Comedy

Reversing Gender Roles

As previously discussed, (500) Days of Summer’s message about extreme attitudes toward love is underscored by its reversal of conventional gender roles. This reversal is noteworthy because it is an anomaly in the movie business. Though they may be growing more varied in their representations of the sexes, Hollywood films still tend to employ traditional ideas about gender. Female characters are often characterized as passive, dependent, and domestic, among other things. Such cinematic women do not take charge of the situations they are in. In contrast, males are usually active, adventurous, and independent. It should be noted, though, that when it comes to male characters there seems to be more diversity of personality. This may simply be because there are more male-led films being produced by major American studios (Smith and Cook 13). With more roles to write, there comes a greater assortment of types. Even so, stereotypical gender roles for both females and males prevail in U.S. filmmaking and marketing. The romantic comedy genre is no exception. Films with plots as different as Runaway Bride (1999), My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), and He’s Just Not That Into You (2009) all feature a number of men and women that have at least some – if not all – of the traits outlined above. (500) Days of Summer does not rely on such categorization. Presenting many characters – male and female – with differing interests, views, and backgrounds, the movie avoids depending on narrow ideas about gender.

It has actually been suggested that (500) Days of Summer is a feminist work because the interactions between Tom and Summer defy gender norms, as well as expectations about male-female relationships. The pair displays a refreshing romantic dynamic where “the female love interest… can not only be equal, but can also hold more power than her male counterpart” (Williams 43). From start to finish, Summer is the dominant one in the relationship. As such, she takes on a more traditionally masculine role than Tom, who is passive, insecure, and commitment-focused. Conversely, Summer is forward, assertive, and independent. Though Tom’s attraction to her is revealed to viewers before she ever shows interest in him, it is Summer who makes the first move. She asks Tom directly if he likes her, a question he is hesitant to answer, presumably due to bashfulness. Later, Summer initiates their romantic relationship by kissing him in the copy room at their workplace. She also chooses whether the relationship will have a label (i.e. dating), and she is the one who ends it. Through these acts, Summer establishes herself as a driving, deciding, autonomous force; she remains this way for the entirety of the film.

Tom is in many ways Summer’s opposite; as already noted, he comes across as more conventionally feminine. Where Summer is decisive and bold, Tom is submissive and reactive. The film openly acknowledges this. Take the breakup scene, for instance. The couple meets at a diner where Summer expresses frustration with their relationship, complaining “We’ve been like Sid and Nancy for months now” (Webb). The reference is to ‘70s punk rocker Sid Vicious and his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen; their volatile relationship ended when Vicious stabbed Spungen to death in a hotel room. Tom finds the comparison harsh, responding “we have some disagreements, but I hardly think I’m Sid Vicious” (Webb). Much to his surprise, Summer informs him that she is Sid, making him Nancy. Here, Tom is clearly portrayed as a passive presence, a softer counterpart to Summer’s sometimes aggressive personality. This idea is reinforced throughout the movie. Tom is a reserved and romantic person who waits for things to happen to him rather than makes them happen himself. Overall, he fits stereotypical ideas about feminine behavior, making him an atypical leading man.

Sources

Smith, Dr. Stacy L., and Crystal Allene Cook. "Gender Stereotypes: An Analysis of Popular Films and TV."Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, 2008. 12-23. Print. .

Webb, Marc, dir. (500) Days of Summer. Perf. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dir. Zooey Deschanel, Scott Neustadter, and Michael H. Weber. Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2009. Film. 20 Oct 2013.

Williams, Brenna Claire. "Mainstream Mulvey: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and (500) Days of Summer as Alternatives to the Feminist Avant-Garde." Film Matters. (2013): 43-49. Print.