As an independent production , the film was picked up for distribution by Fox Searchlight Pictures and premiered at the 25th Sundance Film Festival . It garnered favorable reviews and became a successful " sleeper hit " , earning over $ 60 million in worldwide returns , far exceeding its $ 7.5 million budget . Many critics lauded the film as one of the best from 2009 and drew comparisons to other acclaimed films such as '' Annie Hall '' ( 1977 ) and '' High Fidelity '' ( 2000 )
25th Sundance Film Festival
2009 Sundance Film Festival
500 Days of Summer