Yes, it's sad. Here's why La La Land is my favorite film anyway.

With the recent release of Barbie and the prominence of Ryan Gosling's loveable, platinum-blond image all over the internet, many people have therefore (naturally) discovered for the first time that La La Land, the 2016 Hollywood classic, is my go-to film, my default answer on that get-to-know-you questionnaire. It's my comfort movie; I know the songs and scenes (including Ryan Gosling's smirks and Emma Stone's eyerolls) so well that to follow the film I need only the audio as I cook or clean. The soundtrack shows up continuously on my "On Repeat" Spotify playlist. There are moments that I can count on to bring tears, a chuckle, or prolonged recitation of lines or lyrics from memory. I'd imagine you have a movie like that: a film that, no matter how many times you watch it, never once gets old or monotonous. 

I have had quite a few people express a hint of surprise when I share how deeply I love this film. "But it's so sad!" "The ending is so disappointing." "I love the music, but why would it be your favorite?" Of course I understand these questions, and I thought I'd present to you a few reasons to give this film some deep thought and, perhaps, a re-watch.

First, the obvious: this movie is BEAUTIFUL. 

It's true that it is set in Los Angeles, which, despite the glorification it receives in many films, is not the loveliest place in the world. But that didn't stop Damien Chazelle from shaping it into a colorful, gritty, inviting, human setting. Many of the carefully-chosen locations reflect the beauty to be found in the city, but even the moments filmed on a busy LA highway manage to be full of life and color.   

And speaking of color...its use in La La Land is meticulous and marvelous. Mia's classy outfits reflect the deep, warm colors of her backdrop, whether it be the digital night sky of a planetarium, the seats in a vintage movie theater, or the reminiscent glow of dusk. The differing colors of Sebastian's suit jackets often correspond to the levels of vintage aesthetic presented in a scene. Even the score, full of contemplative jazz riffs and triumphant brass motifs, matches the tone of the colors in a moment: a gentle, sunny summer morning, a quiet evening in Sebastian's apartment, or Mia's introspective drive home into the Nevada sunset. Indeed, the most recognizable shot from the film incorporates deep purples against Mia's striking yellow dress, presenting an inviting - almost cozy - atmosphere, yet one also full of meaning, and, perhaps, unpredictability.

La La Land, 2016, Lionsgate

And while the various colors set the tone for much of the film, no element of this movie accomplishes this so well as the score. The quality of lyrics in this film ought not to surprise us, as they were written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, in collaboration with composer Justin Hurwitz. As you may already know, the dynamic duo also contributed to Broadway's Dear Evan Hansen and the 2017 film The Greatest Showman; regardless of varying opinions on both works, the passion found in the songs from these pieces is undeniable. From the first lines of "Another Day of Sun," which honestly (but not unhopefully) describe the realities of packing up and moving to a brand new city with only a suitcase and a dream, to Emma Stone's emotional performance of a song encouraging such dreamers to keep doing just that, we see at the heart of this film a desire to produce art of some kind, in some form or fashion, that one was made to create. For a film whose male lead spends a significant amount of his screen time fighting for the preservation of a classic music genre, Hurwitz's score certainly helps plead Sebastian's case. At times lively and quick, at others soft and playful, the spunky soundtrack is nostalgic and lovely in every way.
 

La La Land, 2016, Lionsgate

Now we all know that this movie would not be nearly the masterpiece it is if it weren't for Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Their chemistry, after already doing a few films together, is flawless. They are able to effortlessly reproduce the joys and tensions of a raw, human relationship in such a way that you're left cringing from Sebastian's insecure jabs and smiling as they look into each other's eyes and find home. Their off-set friendship manifests itself naturally in on-screen charisma. Interestingly, the original Mia and Sebastian were set to be played by Emma Watson and Miles Teller. These are certainly two talented actors, but...let's just say I'm glad the casting shook out the way it did. Am I biased? Maybe. I just don't know if Sebastian's sass would have been nearly as effective, or his smile quite so compelling...but maybe that's just me.

Of course, as a result of the combination of color, music, landscape, and the perfect will-they-won't-they storyline, we might expect this Hollywood musical to end with that perfect they-will-happily-ever-after. Only it doesn't.

I remember the first time I saw the film. I was crushed. Mia and Sebastian were perfect for each other; what do you mean they didn't get married? They supported each other in the realization of childhood dreams; what do you mean they didn't get to support each other in sickness and in health?

But life doesn't always look like that perfect Disney ending. Life is too real - too raw - for that.

The more life that I live, the more I understand and appreciate what the last 15 minutes of this film are trying to say about the reality of human relationship. The sadness of this ending - that Mia and Sebastian do, in fact, break up - is what makes the movie beautiful.

Love doesn't always end in the happily-ever-after that we assume it should. Relationships that seem as if they couldn't be more right turn out to be wrong. And that's unavoidable. But I think La La Land adds a bit of hope to this unavoidable truth about love and life. 

 

Just because Mia and Sebastian broke up didn't mean that all of that support just faded away or was forgotten. In fact, the film makes it very clear that both characters achieve their respective dreams through the original prompting of the other: Mia her film career, which began with the audition Sebastian encouraged her to go to, and Sebastian his jazz club, branded with the logo Mia inspired. Each had genuine love and care for the other, and always will. Their relationship, as far as the film allows us to see, ended neither in heartbreak nor marriage; they just went their separate ways. 

Could they have had it all, if they'd just made it work? The Epilogue tells us that there is a reality in which Mia could have made a movie and Sebastian could have played in a jazz club and they could have been together for it. But that's not the reality they chose. We don't ever see if they really could have made it work, or why they didn't feel like they could. The final scene between Mia and Sebastian before the jump in years leaves us with their final bit of dialogue:

"I'm always gonna love you."

"I'm always gonna love you, too."

And the movie could have ended right there. Yes, we would have walked away with the possibility of a break-up, but never the confirmation of one. If the film had ended with those words, we could have had hope - hope that maybe they did make it work and that love was enough to keep them together. The final sequence is disappointing - frustrating, even - because we are forced to accept the fact that they went their separate ways. But it's real. And I, for one, think the film is better for it.

La La Land, 2016, Lionsgate

Mia and Sebastian picked the ending that each of them wanted, but they were good endings. Mia realizes her childhood dream of becoming a movie star, and even starts a happy family. Sebastian, though living alone, starts his own jazz club and preserves much of the music he has been passionate about all of his life. Just because it wasn't the ending we would have picked for them doesn't mean it wasn't a good one. Maybe it wasn't that they couldn't make it work, but that they didn't. And that ended up being ok.

Of course it hurts when lovers don't get together, especially the ones we're rooting for. That's the beauty of story; you are invested in the life of another in a significant - and empathetic - way. But, just as in our own lives, relationships don't always work out. People aren't always on the same page. And that's ok.

There is no hint of bitterness in Sebastian's eyes in that moment when he sees Mia sitting in his audience. There is no disgust in Mia's heart as she imagines what their life could have been like together. Mia and Sebastian show us that just because people move on or love doesn't work out doesn't mean you can't still care for them and desire their good. The good things will always be a part of you. They don't have to drowned out by the fact that it didn't work out. 

Finally, if you are a Christian reading this, there is even more to be found - and encouraged by - in the epilogue of La La Land. For those relationships in your life whose doors were closed to you by God's providence and love, trust that there is another ending for you, and one that is truly good. Just because it's the ending you wouldn't have picked for yourself doesn't mean there won't be a better one. Trust His colorful, lively design for your life and relationships.

Well, there it is. I'm not a film critic, by any means. Just a gal who feels the need to share a good thing. I hope this encourages you to think deeply about this film and about the gift of human relationship, no matter how complicated it may be. And, I mean, who doesn't want to watch another Ryan Gosling film, right?