By ABBY GROFF
Staff Writer
The secondhand embarrassment I felt when watching any musical was severe, but then I watched La La Land for the first time in 2016. During my first watch, I was captivated not only by the music, but the visuals as well. Though, as a thirteen-year-old who had never even gotten close to experiencing any aspect of being in a relationship with another person, I was missing a lot of the heavy emotions that come with sitting down to see the movie in its entirety.
Recently in my own film studies class here at El Diamante, we watched La La Land, and, of course, I was ecstatic. I didn’t think many others had seen it beforehand and I was excited to see others’ reactions as well as rewatch it for myself. The soundtrack, I know by heart, but it had been a couple years since I saw the actual movie in full. Little did I know it was going to make me an emotional wreck.
Young Mia, passionate about entering the acting industry, is having trouble pursuing her dream as every audition she attends goes wrong. Meanwhile, Sebastian, a young jazz enthusiast, struggles to keep a steady career whilst trying to open his own jazz club in Los Angeles. Once the two cross paths and eventually fall in love, they encourage each other to follow their dreams and work harder in order to achieve their goals. However, like all good things, it eventually comes to an end. Both Mia and Sebastian learn that if they want to meet their end goal, they cannot be together, but having them be a part of each other’s lives (even for a small period) was still crucial in shaping the people they later became. This movie is a perfect and realistic representation of how relationships function a lot of the time. People seem to forget this when watching a lot of modern rom-coms that end with a happily ever after. This feature is what separates this musical from so many others, and it’s a large reason as to why I consider this one of very few perfect movies.
Now, after having gone through most of high school, watching La La Land is a new experience. I can apply its message to the people who have come and gone in my own life. It’s a comforting cinematic masterpiece. Any time I come back to watch it now, it has helped me gain closure and acceptance. Even if you aren’t personally a fan of musicals, I highly recommend seeing La La Land. It forever shifted my opinion on the genre, and today I find myself looking for even more to check out.