'(500) Days of Summer': Was Zooey Deschanel's character the real victim? Entertainment (500) Days of Summer: Was Zooey Deschanel's character the real victim? (500) Days of Summer, even after over a decade since its release, is still regarded as one of the most beloved romantic films in Hollywood. While watch director Marc Webb’s indie romantic comedy, many fans had looked at the film’s lead character of Tom [played by Joesph Gordon-Levitt] as a victim of Summer [played by Zooey Deschanel] and her heartlessness. Gordon-Levitt cleared the air himself in an interview with Playboy regarding the widespread belief and lifted the veil off his character’s selfishness that many were unable to detect.