There aren't many times when a movie seems to be realistic and imitates the way life really goes. This past week, I had a chance to watch La La Land for the first time and, while it broke my heart, I fell in love with it. It seemed to be a movie that, for most people, was hit or miss. You either loved it or you hated it. And as I sat there taking it all in, I realized how much of life it embodied.
1. Sometimes we do things that we don't want to, so that we can end up where we dream of being.
We see Mia and Sebastian working jobs they don't want to be in. Mia works at a coffee shop while auditioning for parts in movies or shows that she never gets. We see Sebastian playing set jazz instead of playing freehand jazz. We see him take a gig with a band so that he can have a steady job in hopes of opening up his own jazz club one day. This is a lot like our own lives. We're working jobs we don't want or don't like because we need them. We have to do the adult thing and keep putting ourselves out there, hoping that it will all work out for us in the end,
2. First impressions aren't always who a person really is.
We see this illustrated the first time Mia and Sebastian meet. In fact, he quite literally runs into her after that. Even a few of the meetings they have aren't pleasant but as they get to know each other, they realize that maybe the other person isn't as awful as they thought. I think a lot of times we judge a person before we get to know them. It's human nature. We base our opinions off of someone from the first time we see or talk to them. It's why everyone says that first impressions are so important. But, I personally think we should take the old "you can't judge a book by its cover" attitude when meeting people. First impressions can be wrong. You should give people more of a chance.
3. Experiencing new things can be a marvelous adventure.
Sebastian shows Mia a side of jazz she'd never known. Not only does she hear the music, but she experiences it and begins to fall in love with it. Let's not forget when Mia leaves her dinner date to meet Sebastian at the theatre for "Rebel Without a Cause". Of course the movie messes up, so they spontaneously take a trip to the Observatory which turns out to be the best decision they'd made. We don't take enough chances in our own lives. We tend to stick to what we know, not branching out much. I know I'm guilty of it. But after watching this movie I have learned that trying new things can open your eyes to the world like you've never seen before. You never know what's waiting for you around the next corner.
4. Love is messy and it isn't always a fairytale ending. And, that's okay.
Through the whole movie, I rooted for Mia and Sebastian and I almost cried when they didn't end up together. She ended up marrying another man, having a daughter, and becoming the actress she always aspired to be. On the other hand, Sebastian ends up opening Seb's. At the end, it shows Mia going into the club with her husband only to see Sebastian for the last time. Their "could've been" lives play, showing that while they would've been together, they wouldn't have achieved their dreams the way they planned. Nonetheless, they always loved each other and it taught me you learn to like things simply because the person you're seeing enjoys them. It taught me that you depend on each other during the hard times and the good times. Most importantly, it taught me that love is not less of a love because you don't end up together. Love is a magical thing that will change your life forever. Embrace it as it comes, and learn to say goodbye when it leaves.
5. Never stop chasing your dreams, no matter what happens.
We see Mia go into audition after audition, never getting the role. We see Sebastian playing for other people but not opening his own club. We see Mia and Sebastian have a huge fight and she goes back home. But when she gets an important audition opportunity, he goes to find her and brings her back to Los Angeles so she can audition. She lands the part and we know Sebastian eventually opens his club. They fought hard for it. They went to hell and back but their dreams came true. I think it's important we follow our hearts and chase our dreams. When we were children, we had these huge ambitions and I can't help but wonder, at what point we stopped believing in those. You can do anything you set your mind to if you try. The sky's the limit. You can be anything you want. You can do anything you want. You just have to fight for it. The world is yours. Go get it.
"So bring on the rebels; the ripples from pebbles; the painters, and poets, and plays. And here's to the fools who dream, crazy as it may seem. Here's to the hearts that break. Here's to the mess we make."
-Emma Stone
