10 Bad-Relationship Movies: 10. ‘500 Days of Summer’

Hey, February is a celebrated time of year!   Groundhog’s Day, Black History Month, gorgeous weather in AHFW’s home state of Arizona, an occasional extra 24 hours for leap year, and of course, Valentine’s Day, one of most cherished days for couples.

Although, Valentine’s Day embraces loving relationships, some should not be modeled as examples for romance.  To our delight and dismay, bad relationships can be found almost everywhere on the big screen.  A dime a million, perhaps?  Well, AHFW narrowed down 10 of the best bad-relationship movies, but there are so many, we’ll come up with a new 10 next year…and the year after that…and the year after that…and….

10.  “500 Days of Summer” (2009) – Director Marc Webb and writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber wondrous concoction confronts the lifecycle of a relationship, but in a nonlinear timeline.  Greeting card writer Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and office employee Summer (Zooey Deschanel) are 20-somethings who start a romance.  Unfortunately, he is more enamored with her, and hence, their love does not last.  Tom’s teenage kid sister repeatedly gives him sound advice, but he has to run through his pain on his own.  Sound familiar???

“500 Days of Summer” shines with its surprising turns, as the movie jumps from Day 290 to Day 1 to Day 488 and shakes our foundations and expectations of a traditional rom-com.  Simultaneously, we feel the familiar beats of our own past relationships and cringe, reminisce, laugh, and shed some tears, and are reminded that not every relationship is meant to be.

Image credits: Fox Searchlight Pictures; Trailer credits: Movieclips

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