500 Days of Summer
“500 Days of Summer” is not your typical rom-com. Instead of exploring the coming-together of two strangers, this story follows how a relationship ended. Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the main character, recounts the whole 500 days that he was with Summer, his ex-girlfriend (Zooey Deschanel).
Working as writers for a greeting card business, Tom and Summer soon develop a flirtatious relationship in the office. Through whimsical dates and good-night kisses their relationship blossoms, which prompts Tom to define what exactly they are as he believes they are serious. However, Summer wants to keep their relationship casual and light.
Throughout the film, the two butt heads on the definition of “them,” which ultimately leads to a break up. The rest of the movie follows Tom as he goes through the motions of processing the breakup and shifts the focus of the movie from a rom-com to a critique of character.
Although definitely not the most swoon-worthy love story, “500 Days of Summer” offers a unique spin on the concept of a summer love.
Mid90s
As the title suggests, this film takes place in 1996, following 13-year-old skateboarder Stevie (Sunny Suljic) as he grows up.
Stevie’s hectic home life with his single mother and abusive older brother causes him to seek family elsewhere. While biking past a skate shop, he becomes enticed by the Los Angeles skateboard culture and soon joins a group of skateboarders.
Stevie, whose new nickname becomes “Sunburn,” becomes integrated into their lifestyle which eventually ends up in arguments with his mom and brother. Meanwhile within the group, jealousy brews and the members become reckless.
As a simple coming-of-age dramedy, “Mid90s” is an authentic, real film that depicts the struggles of navigating from childhood into adulthood.
Lilo & Stitch
A nostalgic animation for early 2000s babies, “Lilo & Stitch” is a light-hearted film that follows the friendship of the misfit Lilo (Daveigh Chase) and her extra-terrestrial pet Stitch (Chris Sanders).
The movie starts off with Stitch, a blue monster, escaping from the spacecraft he was created on. He then heads towards Earth and eventually finds himself living with Lilo and her older sister Nani in Hawaii.
The plot is driven by Lilo’s determination to open up Stitch’s heart to her family while Stitch is still actively being chased by two other aliens from his home planet. “Lilo and Stitch” is an action-packed story intertwined with peeks into Hawaiian culture that make for a beautiful story about an unconventional family.
High School Musical 2
The catchy, upbeat song “What Time Is It?” starts the movie off with a bang, announcing to the audience that it is officially “summertime.”
In “High School Musical 2”, Troy (Zac Efron) and Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) are back and once again faced with strains on their relationship including trust issues, jealousy and, of course, Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale). Sharpay is the main antagonist of the series and continues to meddle in Troy and Gabriella’s relationship with money and manipulation.
This sequel offers a summer-y spin with all the characters working and vacationing at the Lava Springs country club – introducing a sense of grandeur that can’t be found at their usual high school setting. Thus, in spite of having a similar plot to the previous movie, “High School Musical 2” is a breath of fresh air in the series that’s accompanied by flashy musical numbers and over-the-top outfits.
