Well, I finally caught up with the rest of the world and watched La La Land. I have to say, it was not my favorite movie, but I'm glad I watched it.

I'll start with I did really like. Basically, the first part of the movie was a lot of fun. It had the feeling of an old-fashioned musical: Catchy music, spontaneous dancing without questioning the logic of it, and a fluffy romance that sprang up out of nowhere.

Then things got serious, jarring the entire tone of the movie.

I grew really frustrated with the main couple's life choices. They just moved in together all of a sudden. Greg, Mia's original boyfriend, didn't really seem to be considered at all, and I never did know if he had any idea what was going on. Granted, he wasn't all that great, but still. Strike number one.

Then there is a lack of commitment. Mia and Sebastian didn't get married, which would have been fine, except that they clearly tried to have the benefits of marriage, but without the work. They just tried to live together and make their dreams magically happen, which did not work out. No real commitment made it easy for them to be separated by an argument over working hours. Strike number two.

All of this, I feel, flows from a lack of real love. Yes, they were attracted to each other. Yes, they were attached to each other. But when it came down to it, they were each very self-centered. Mia expected Sebastian to always be around to support her playwriting and acting career. Sebastian expected Mia to cheerfully let him go on tour with his band, or even that she might consider stepping away from her play to go with him.

And that, folks, is strike three against Mia and Sebastian. They're out!

The fact that neither one was willing to sacrifice for the other is what has me convinced that they didn't have a deep enough love. They were taken in by a mutual attraction, but were unwilling to turn that into commitment and real love. Each valued personal success over the needs of the other person.

Suffice it to say, I was not thrilled with the way the movie went.

However, I found it an interesting insight into modern American culture. I am willing to believe that things like this happen more frequently than I would like to imagine. For me, living in my Christian, private university, formerly homeschooled bubble, it was an eye-opener.

That, perhaps, it what I appreciate most about La La Land. It was thought-provoking, forcing me to think about things that I know are realities, but are uncomfortable to dwell upon. It's not just that there are people out there who do the same exact thing as Mia and Sebastian, but I also found myself challenged to think about my own future.

Now is not the time for me to go in-depth on the musings that were sparked after watching La La Land. However, I will say that the movie was an example of what I don't want to happen in my own life. In that regard, it was instructive.

So, again, I didn't really like La La Land on the whole, apart from the music. Nevertheless, it is a movie well worth watching, if only for the life lessons gained by watching the main characters make mistakes.