500 Days of Summer (2009)

Directed by Marc Webb
Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel

by Joshua Simpkins

Oh, Zooey Deschanel...Are you every 16 year old teenage hipster's fantasy? Do they have a picture of you skillfully tacked next to their Vampire Weekend poster? Oh, Joseph Gordon-Leviit...Do you cross-dress in your spare time? Did you and that little hobbit, Frodo or Elijah, run off together for the weekend to spend your days rolling around in the surf? Is my imagination getting the best of me?

Just in time for Fall, or Winter (depending on where you live) its "500 Days of Summer"...It's not a love story, in fact, it's actually the opposite. I'm not spoiling anything for those who haven't seen it. The narrator will tell you this within the first 10 minutes. So, SPOILER ALERT- NOT- they break up in the end. Actually, they break up in the beginning, but the film is not really in chronological order so even though the break up is the end of their relationship, it's at the beginning of the film. You feel me?

This film has to be every hipster kids wet dream (see Zooey Deschanel), the soundtrack (The Smiths, see Zooey Deschanel, etc), the cinematography, the actors (see Zooey Deschanel), the costume design, etc. See Zooey Deschanel.

With that being said...It is not a bad movie. It has a little bit for everyone, non-hipsters included. It told from a guy's perspective (for the guys), and is about a relationship (for the girls). Plus, it stars Zooey Deschanel (for the hipsters). It employs a lot of excessive film school techniques (for people who went to film school), and it has a girlfriend-less best buddy (for the girlfriend-less best buddy). My favorite scene would have to be the "expectations" versus "reality" segment. I won't spoil it for you but I found it to be somewhat realistic in a filmy sort of way.

The beer I consumed during this piece was Blue Moon's Harvest Moon. There are pictures of pumpkins on the label, but I taste none (in a British accent). It's pretty good though, so try it out before fall ends...you hear me, fools!

This film has a good lesson...that is...if you're dating Zooey Deschanel then she is going to break up with and leave you stranded after 500 days.

FORCE THE BOYFRIEND: 7 out of 10 ( Male lead- Force this one on the girlfriend)

Beer Pairing Recommendation

  Nothing goes better with being blue than Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale

It's seasonal so be sure and look out for it.  Although, not much pumpkin taste.

For more on the chick flick visit IMDB

Learn about the brew here

Girl Power!

Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo and I went out after work and drank two Blue Moon’s with a delicious orange slice to celebrate. I also had a quesadilla that wasn’t very good. But, hey, when in Rome do as the Romans do. Or, when in America celebrate anything that gives you a reason to consume mass quantities of alcohol. Oktoberfest- Awesome, Cinco de Mayo- Superb, St. Patrick’s Day- Green Beer!, Christmas- Why not! Egg Nog!. We are a melting pot…I’m not complaining. I drank my beers in honor of my half Puerto Rican- half Mexican friend…Ole! He can get a darker tan than me in the summer and he’s always tan in the winter. Anyway’s, I getting off topic.

I drank my two dee-lish beers and headed in Barnes and Noble (pronounced No-blay) and discovered a great book called, “The Ultimate Guide To Chick Flicks: the Romance, the Glamour, the Tears, and more,” by Kim Adelman. This book has it all. Romance! Glamour! Tears! And More! OMG! This looks incredible. It includes an incredible index of films. Here are few that I’m sure to review in the future;

-Breakfast At Tiffany’s
-Bridget Jones; The Edge of Reason
-Dirty Dancing
-Funny Face
-Kate & Leopold
-Prelude to a Kiss
-Sweet Home Alabama
-Somewhere In Time
-Shall We Dance
-Teen Witch

Apparently, there are rules to the chick flick. I tried to form a definition of “Chick Flick” in an earlier post. Here are some of the rules according to the guide;

1. Create a sympathetic heroine.
2. Offer up a love-worthy hero
3. Don't forget the best friend.
4. Something is wrong with the heroine type.
5. They meet.
6. Toss in impediment to the romance.
7. They dance.
8. Memorable
9. The hero employs the three magic words.
10. Achieve the ultimate happy-ending

I can’t wait to read this thing. I will work my way through the entire list of Ultimate Chick Flicks. I’m also interested in finding out if there is a list of AFI (American Film Institute) top 100 Chick Flicks or Romantic Comedies. I’ll keep you updated. Girl Power!



Beer: 4 manly high fives (out of 5)