Content Warning: *Spoilers ahead*
College can be overwhelming and stressful, no matter what year you’re in. Every week, I like to watch around one to three movies to not only entertain myself but also to give myself a break. This past week, I watched three classics (in my opinion): “10 Things I Hate About You,” “500 Days of Summer” and “Juno.” All of these movies can be considered rom-coms from the late 90’s-00’s. So join me as I give my honest reviews of these movies, but disclaimer: I love them all.
“10 Things I Hate About You”: 10/10. This might be an exaggeration, but my love for this movie is endless. Although last week’s watch wasn’t my first, it might as well have been. Every time I watch this movie, it feels like the first time again – and that’s a sensation that’s difficult to replicate (although I might be biased from being in awe of how good Heath Ledger looks in this film). The director, Gil Junger, did an AMAZING job at capturing the enemies-to-lovers trope. Even though they didn’t start off as enemies, when Patrick was trying to pursue Kat, she played very, very hard to get, but it worked out, and I just can’t get enough of this movie. Definitely my go-to comfort movie (as of now).
“500 Days of Summer”: 9/10. This movie did the opposite of the previous movie. This movie destroyed me. To my core. I think the biggest issue with this movie is that I resonate so deeply with the main character, Tom. His level of delusion is so relatable when falling for a version of someone you created in your head rather than the real them. Through Tom’s delusions and the false reality he has convinced himself of living in, he falls hard for Summer and is distraught when things don’t go his way. Although I understand his wrongs and his selfishness throughout the movie, Summer still pisses me off for multiple reasons. Maybe it’s because I’m biased and feel for Tom because I relate to him, but I feel like the conclusion of the movie tries to blame the fallout of their relationship solely on Tom, whereas I believe it took two to tango in this relationship and its inevitable fallout. Either way, I do think everyone should get the opportunity to watch this movie at least once in their lives and form their own opinion about it. As I mentioned in the beginning, these movies are classics to me.
“Juno”: 7.8/10. Lastly, a safe and comfortable movie. This movie tackles the topic of teenage pregnancy and the difficulties that come with it. Although the main character, Juno, knows she is not ready to be a parent, she struggles with going through with an abortion and decides to back out of it. Instead, she finds a couple to give her baby to, but finds challenges with them as well. In the end, Juno goes through with the adoption, but only with Vanessa, the mother in the former couple, after she and her husband split before the baby arrived. I think the complex situation that both Juno and Vanessa are in helps contribute to the ultimate happy ending. However, although I loved the ending, I thought the plot throughout the movie could come off as a bit stale and occasionally cheesy, which is why the rating isn’t as high as the first two. Nevertheless, Sabrina Carpenter didn’t make a song about it for no reason, so don’t let my opinion dictate yours.