If you know me, you know my favorite movie is La La Land. I’ve been obsessed with the cinematography, storyline, and characters since I saw the movie for the first time in high school. Now, I reference it more often than I should—even in my Common App essay I wrote when applying to colleges. The beautiful storytelling that director Damien Chazelle presents through the characters of Seb and Mia has taught me many lessons that I carry with me today, making me a stronger person.
- Even when life isn’t going your way, enjoy the journey and smile through it!
For the characters in La La Land, it’s always “Another Day of Sun,” as the title of the opening song states, even when highway traffic seems endless. For them, the remedy is to begin a dance party in the middle of the stopped cars, complete with instruments and matching outfits. It’s always sunny in LA, especially when you’re busy chasing dreams.
- People will be mean – don’t take it personally and keep being your authentic self.
When she worked as a barista to make ends meet, Mia was treated ruthlessly by her boss and angry customers. Despite the demands of her job, Mia never felt discouraged about her rough path to becoming a famous actress. She took the complaints like a champ and went straight from work to auditions, constantly hoping for her big break. During auditions, Mia quickly learned that talent agents are extremely picky, with one stopping her monologue before she even finished the first sentence and shooing her out of the room. About halfway through the movie, Mia debuts her one-woman show, “So Long, Boulder City”, which she advertises like crazy all over the city, only to walk on stage and see only her close friends in attendance. Still, this doesn’t crush her dreams, and with encouragement from Seb, she continues auditioning. As for Seb, after being treated like a rookie by the greedy lead singer of his band, he gains the strength to leave, abandoning a steady job that had him touring the entire country. After all, it was never about the money for him – he just wanted to share the dying art of authentic jazz with the world.
- Keep chasing your dreams, but remember you must put in work & effort to achieve them. (Dreams don’t work unless you do!)
Nothing came easy to either Seb or Mia during their journeys, but this adversity gave them the strength they needed to curate their happy endings. At no point in the movie were either of the main characters comfortable, constantly being faced with financial issues and uncertainty about the future. Dedication to the craft (whether that be acting or music) allowed Mia to get her big break and Seb to open the jazz club he always dreamed of.Â
- Go to that party – you could actually meet the love of your life!
After a long day of auditions and work, Mia was not in the mood to go out with her roommates. With the lyrics of “Someone in the Crowd,” her roommates convinced her to leave the apartment pretty easily after handing her a dress and explaining that she could meet an important figure in Hollywood to jumpstart her career. By the end of the party, Mia did in fact meet someone who would be important to her journey, but it wasn’t a famous director or producer. She was stunned to see a guy she had already met twice, once being fired from his job as a pianist at a high-end restaurant, and again at his new gig as a member of an eclectic cover band. At this point, it HAD to be fate – after that night, Mia and Seb’s story began.
- To achieve one dream, you may have to let go of another.
This is, without a doubt, the overarching theme of La La Land in its entirety. This lesson is the reason why the ending of this film is such a hard pill to swallow for people who enjoy predictability and feel-good cinema. Hopefully, by this point, I have convinced you to watch this masterpiece if you haven’t already, so I won’t spoil anything directly. Mia and Seb’s story doesn’t particularly turn out the way one would expect, but by the end of the movie, each of their dreams has been fulfilled, and they can watch each other thrive. Making sacrifices is hard, but keeping your top priority straight makes letting go a bit easier. Never forget the people who were there for you at your lowest and helped write your story – they truly deserve recognition.