Editorials, Opinions, Pop Culture

How “La La Land” inspired optimism within me

Ryan Gosling as Sebastian and Emma Stone as Mia in the 2016 film ‘La La Land’ directed by Damien Chazelle.
Ryan Gosling as Sebastian and Emma Stone as Mia in the 2016 film ‘La La Land’ directed by Damien Chazelle. Photo credit: Dale Robinette/Lionsgate

“La La Land” is a film that holds a special place in my heart. From the captivating melodies of the songs to the valuable life lessons taught through eye-catching cinematic elements and a realistically beautiful storyline, this 2016 film is a cinematic masterpiece.

The overall outcome of the story reinforced my belief that everything happens for a reason and if that results in potential loss or heartbreak, it only leads you closer to where you’re supposed to be in life.

The movie won various awards including seven Golden Globes including “Original Score.” The initial reason why I loved it so much was because of the music.

However, as I began to mature over the years and over analyzed pretty much everything, the true meaning behind the film was as clear as day to me. Essentially, it has taught me some of the most beneficial advice as a young adult.

The experience that has impacted me most stems from how the film ends.

“La La Land” is a story of two people, Mia and Sebastian. They fall in love, not for a much-anticipated happily ever after, but to essentially push each other toward achieving their dreams. In this case their love story had to fail in order for both of them to reach their ultimate goals in life, her becoming a famous actress and him opening up a jazz club.

In an interview released during Dec. 2016, “La La Land” director and screenwriter, Damien Chazelle, described the overall genre of the film as a way to, “hopefully articulate even better than a realist movie could what it feels like to fall in love, to have your heart broken, to have a dream to follow a dream and what it feels like to be human ultimately.”

The more I watched this movie throughout the years, the more this meaning Chazelle wanted to convey through his film became more prominent to me.

By the grace of this cinematically wonderful movie, I realized that when things in life don’t work out, it’s because you had to have experienced it in order to learn from it. Thus leading you to follow the path of where you’re truly meant to go in life.

I am grateful for “La La Land” for instilling this mindset in me. I have since been able to get through difficult times while staying optimistic for the beauty that eventually comes from defeat.

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