‘500 Days of Summer’: Zooey Deschanel Explains Why Summer Isn’t the Villain
500 Days of Summer actor Zooey Deschanel made a lasting impression on audiences in the offbeat romantic comedy. However, many moviegoers didn’t entirely understand the character’s perspective and labeled Summer as the movie’s villain. Deschanel came forward to explain why her 500 Days of Summer character isn’t the story’s villain.
‘500 Days of Summer’ fans claimed Zooey Deschanel’s Summer as the villain
Deschanel and co-star Joseph Gordon-Levitt play lovers in 500 Days of Summer. It’s a non-linear romance that follows Gordon-Levitt’s Tom reflecting on his relationship with Summer. However, she ultimately broke up with him, leading to some very complicated emotions. Given that the story is from Tom’s point of view, the audience is provided with a biased perspective that puts her in a negative light.
Summer is one of Deschanel’s most iconic roles, alongside characters such as Jess Day in New Girl and Jovie in Elf. She proved her ability to inject charm into her character roles. However, she doesn’t always align with how audiences view her characters.
Zooey Deschanel explained why Summer actually isn’t the villain
In a recent interview with The Guardian, Deschanel revealed her full thoughts on why Summer isn’t the villain of 500 Days of Summer. The initial question ponders if the audience’s reaction is due to strong female characters attracting negativity. Deschanel agreed but added that viewers need to think “a little deeper.”
“I got that take from day one,” Deschanel said. “It’s a very emotional response. People want the characters to be together, but that not happening makes the movie interesting. She is upfront that she doesn’t want a relationship, but he ignores her.”
Deschanel continued: “The most telling scene is when she tells him: “I’ve never told anybody that before,” and he makes it about himself. He is fixated on external details – such as her liking the Smiths – that has nothing to do with who she is as a person. To anyone who thinks Summer is the villain, I say: think a little deeper.”
The actor doesn’t feel that ‘manic pixie dream girl’ is a good way to describe her
The term “manic pixie dream girl” was originally coined by film critic Nathan Rabin in 2007. It’s used to describe a female character who introduces a new light into a male character’s life but doesn’t necessarily have any interests or agency of her own. One question in The Guardian’s interview with 500 Days of Summer actor Deschanel about how she feels with the label of “manic pixie dream girl.”
“I don’t feel it’s accurate,” Deschanel responded. “I’m not a girl. I’m a woman. It doesn’t hurt my feelings, but it’s a way of making a woman one-dimensional, and I’m not one-dimensional.”
Deschanel added: “I think the tendency is still to make women one-dimensional, so you have to add dimension if you can. The more screen time a female character gets, the more space there is to show complexities, but there has been a shift, so I’m optimistic.”
