10 Movies Like 500 Days of Summer

In the film, 500 Days of Summer, viewers follow the unfolding love story between Tom Hansen and Summer Finn. They are completely in love, but Summer does not believe in long term relationships. Although it was released as primarily an Indie film, 500 Days of Summer has grown in popularity among a general audience. Most of this popularity is due to its successful avoidance of any romance cliches. If you were a fan of the movie, the following list is made up of 10 movies like 500 Days of Summer. Pick your favorites are watch them all!

Bridget Jones’s Diary

One of the things that makes 500 Days of Summer so unique is that it avoids typical romance cliches. Bridget Jones’s Diary does a fairly good job of this as well. Instead of telling the tale of an unusually attractive, exceptionally young woman, it stars a plump, messy, entirely human klutz that is completely understandable to the average woman. The film follows her amusing mishaps and ends happily. If you wanted a cute, funny film, Bridget Jones’s Diary is a great look at modern relationships and realistic main characters.

Pretty Woman

Pretty Woman is the opposite of 500 Days of Summer in some ways. It uses several cliche ideas like hooker with a heart of gold and rags-to-riches success. Despite these cliches, it manages to be a love tale for the ages. Pretty Woman follows the story of Vivian and Edward. While Vivian is a common prostitute that he engages for a week, Edward is a rich, successful businessman. This film single-handedly created the hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold cliche and remains one of the best romantic films ever.

Revolutionary Road

If you are looking for a positive, upbeat film, look elsewhere. Revolutionary Road is potentially one of the most depressing films ever. Despite its general gloom and doom, it is brilliantly written and admirably executed. This movie shows a realistic view of marriages and relationships. Like 500 Days of Summer, this movie illustrates that love does not always last and seldom follows a basic formula. If you recently got out of a relationship, you will be able to very easily sympathize with how someone feels when a love ends that they thought would last forever.

 

Amour

Amour says it all—this entire film is focused on love. Unlike most love stories, it ignores the fluffy, the topical or the stereotypical. Amour is directed by Michael Haneka and follows the love story of an elderly couple. In the movie, the elderly wife undergoes a series of strokes that leave her paralyzed and completely unable to talk. Her husband, George, must cope with this demise. The film is in French, so be prepared for subtitles. Even if you hate foreign films, you should make time to watch Amour. It offers a tragic, yet touching, look at how a couple deals with the terrifying prospect of aging.

The Notebook

The Notebook may be one of the most watched romantic films of the decade. For the few people who have not watched it, this description is for you. It follows the typical idea of a love lasting forever, despite distance, time or other influences. Although this is possibly the most unrealistic view of love ever, it is a wonderful escapist-style movie. If you want a reminder that love is real, this is the film to see. It will renew your hope in everlasting love and belief that the unrealistic can be attained.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

This film is on the list for several reasons. Number one reason is that it is an impossible title to say five times fast. Seriously, try it. The script writer obviously neglected to say this title out loud when they were writing the script. And no one bothered to change it afterward. The second reason that this movie is on the list of 10 movies like 500 Days of Summer is because it offers a love story with a twist. In the movie, both protagonist deliberately erase the painful memories of their relationship with each other. Since this is a romance, the story does not end there. Gradually, both protagonists begin to remember their love for each other and find their way back together. It is an excellent film that manages to navigate the fine line between corny sweethearts and true love.

Notting Hill

Released in 1999, Notting Hill is the romantic comedy that you have never heard of. It stars Julia Roberts as the movie star, Anna, and Hugh Grant as the bookstore owner, Will. In the beginning of the film, Anna wanders through Will’s bookstore and suddenly meets him. Sparks fly within the first instant of their meeting and a relationship immediately begins to unfold. Since Anna is a movie star, the couple tries to hide their relationship from the paparazzi. As they attempt to elude the journalists, Anna’s fame ultimately starts to tear holes into the strength of their relationship. This film manages to be extremely funny, but touching at the same time. Although it only scored a 7.1 on Rotten Tomatoes, it still manages to be one of the best romantic comedies ever.

The Way We Were

if you wanted a story that leaves you in tears, the Way We Were certainly delivers. It follows the tale of Katie and Hubble. Like the film, 500 Days of Summer, the Way We Were is exceptional because it avoids the stereotypes of every romantic film ever. Instead of becoming bogged down in happily-ever-afters and wrong-side-of-the-track stereotypes, the Way We Were shows that love does not always conquer all. Sometimes, we cannot be with someone no matter how great our love for them is.

Definitely, Maybe

Definitely, Maybe is a film that was directed by Adam Brooks. Released in 2008, this movie stars Abigail Breslin as Myla and Ryan Reynolds as Will. In the movie, Will begins by telling his daughter, Myla, about the top three relationships in his life. Interestingly, he chooses not to reveal which woman is her mother so Myla has to keep guessing. Although the father and daughter relationship is touching, it manages to avoid being sickeningly sweet. Like most daughters, Myla still has real world questions about life, school and her sex ed class. These realistic touches add to the depth of the characters and help transform this into one of the most touching drams and romances to ever hit the silver screens. Overall, Definitely, Maybe is a poignant movie that has a strong emotional charge. If you wanted a unique take on the typical romance film, Definitely, Maybe should be included as the first film in your movie marathon.

Juno

Released in 2007, Juno is not your average romance. Actually, calling Juno a non-typical romance is perhaps the understatement of the century. This movie follows the personal growth and coming of age of a high school girl, Juno. In the movie, Juno experiences sex for the first time and also the consequences—pregnancy. Unwilling to have an abortion, Juno must find adopted parents for her child. Meanwhile, she also has to sort out her relationship with the baby’s father. Throughout the film, the audience gets to watch Juno grow up. For a modern take on the coming-of-age story, Juno is an excellent film choice.