The film’s non-linear timeline (jumping from day 1 to day 154 to day 23) perfectly captures how we rewrite history after a heartbreak. One minute, you’re dancing in a cartoon-infused musical number; the next, you’re sitting in a grey reality where nothing makes sense.

: The story follows Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a greeting card writer and hopeless romantic, as he reflects on his failed 500-day relationship with Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel).

The film also touches on the theme of personal growth, as Tom navigates his career and relationships, learning valuable lessons about himself and what he wants out of life. This theme is echoed in Summer's character, who is on her own journey of self-discovery, trying to figure out what she wants and needs from life.