Zooey Deschanel sees a change in how viewers understand Summer Finn, the woman she played opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Tom Hansen in the 2009 film (500) Days of Summer. Speaking at TIFF’s TikTok Market talk on September 12, 2026, she described “a much more softening and understanding of that character” and said she sees it as progress.

She recalled being proud of the film’s portrayal of 2 people who had love for each other but weren’t ready for the same relationship. Then viewers approached her with, “I hate you Summer, you suck.” Her response: “I think she was pretty straightforward with him.”

Deschanel has defended Summer’s honesty for years. During a 2019 rewatch with Gordon-Levitt, she said, “She said everything from the beginning.” In 2022, she explained that Summer is “upfront that she doesn’t want a relationship, but he ignores her.”

Gordon-Levitt has also challenged the way viewers read his character. In August 2018, he wrote: “It’s mostly Tom’s fault. He’s projecting. He’s not listening. He’s selfish.” In June 2024, he called the film “a great cinematic representation of a selfish young man who’s not even listening to his girlfriend.”

That perspective was part of director Marc Webb’s explanation back in 2009, too. He described Summer as “Tom’s view of a woman.”