La La Land is having a moment right now- probably because it’s brilliant! The film stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling as Mia and Sebastian. It’s a musical film, yet seems theatrical in all its elements. La La Land has gone on to be nominated 14 times at the Academy Awards, tying with the most nominations with Titanic, as well as win Golden Globe awards and Critic’s Choice.
Though the film is entertaining, 2 hours of distraction is only a part of what we can take from La La Land. There’s so much more to learn from Mia and Sebastian than just a few lyrics and how perfect Ryan Gosling is.
So here’s what to take away from La La Land.
1. Don’t drive while distracted
It’s been about 10 minutes in the movie and it’s already delivered a very important government announcement on why you shouldn’t multitask and drive. Mia holds up all the traffic behind her because she’s not paying attention due to reading her lines and checking her phone. Don’t text and drive, guys.
Source: waltermetz.com
2. Always bring an extra pair of shoes
After a party, Mia and Sebastian end up walking her car. She struggles in her heels for most of it before pulling out a pair of flats from her handbag. This is a classic trick to avoid the trek in heels. It may also lead to a tap dance sequence.
Source: DailyMail
3. Just do it!
A lot of what brings Mia and Sebastian together are chance events and the result of both of them taking chances and the opportunities presented to them. If both of them just stayed home and moped, it would be a pretty bad movie. Because they took a chance on each other, they were able to form a relationship.
Source: TIME
4. You should listen to more jazz
Something to take from La La Land is just how magical and beautiful jazz music is. It’s so easy for us to turn up our noses at older styles of music in favour of our Hottest 100. Although the film has been criticised for misrepresenting the modern jazz movement, we hope that it encourages you to learn about and listen to more jazz music.
Source: Vulture
5. Comparison is the thief of joy
A lot of the sorrows that Mia and Sebastian experience are due to constant comparison. Sebastian struggles with comparing himself to other people in his industry and Mia’s supposed expectations. Mia is constantly comparing herself to other girls at auditions and actresses. They also begin to compare each other. Competition is healthy, but there is a level of comparison that won’t get you anywhere.
Source: 22fps
6. ‘How can you revolutionise…?’
One of the lines that John Legend’s character, Keith, says is: ‘How are you gonna be a revolutionary if you’re such a traditionalist?’. Sebastian clings to the past and traditional jazz, not understanding that you cannot reshape culture and the future if you’re not willing to do something new and make a chance. Step outside of your comfort zone and be the change!
Source: movieholicclub.com
7. Follow your dreams
La La Land brings a fresh interpretation to the saying ‘follow your dreams’. It shows the real struggle of staying true to your passion in a world that demands we make money and fulfil other social obligations. We see both main characters lose sight of their dreams, which they regain in the end thanks to each other. The fact they both reach their goals shows that we should strive for ours.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
8. Not all dreams come true
The painful, yet truthful part of La La Land is the clear message that we don’t always get everything we want. Sebastian and Mia follow their dreams, have successful careers and accomplish what they wanted to at the start of the movie. Despite this, it’s clear that they had to give up things along the way. Although we wish we could have everything, it’s true that we can’t.
Source: NY Times
La La Land is such a captivating homage to old musicals as well as its own piece of art. These are just some of the things that we took from the movie, but there’s surely more. If you haven’t seen it yet, you definitely should! If you have, tell us what you learnt from it in the comments!
