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Jul 30, 2009 Web Exclusive By Tom Vale

There’s a natural inclination to hate (500) Days of Summer. It’s aimed so squarely at the indie demographic, even starring the current cross-media Queen of Indie, Zooey Deschanel, and including her work (as half of the grammatically frustrating act She & Him) on the soundtrack. And anything that claims to know us thoroughly risks rejection out of hand: we’re unknowable, man, we’re individuals, you can’t just treat us like a demographic. But, well, of course you can.

The intro voice-over track (a mistake, by the way—it’ll be skipped after everyone’s first listen) claims this is not a love story, but they’re just being cute. The movie is a love story, and the soundtrack does well reflecting the mood of the film: quirky, quick, and romantic—romantic in the sense of fanciful more than lovestruck. The appeal of Regina Spektor continues to mystify some (those who, for example, like this stuff better when the Dresden Dolls do it) but who will complain about The Smiths? (Well, aside from happy people?) The soundtrack features two versions of “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want”—the original Smiths version and a cover by She & Him.

This soundtrack isn’t quite as successful as Swingers or Garden State were at really staking out their particular cultural moments; the choices just aren’t as daring, but they’re solid, and there are a handful of standouts: Meaghan Smith’s cover of “Here Comes Your Man,” and “Sweet Disposition,” which will introduce millions of moviegoers to Australia’s The Temper Trap. (www.sirerecords.com)

Author rating: 6/10