*Warning: includes some spoilers*
Rather appropriately, I watched La La Land in a theater in Southern California a few days before Christmas last year. Only about an hour and a half away from the City of Stars itself. I sat in an AMC with my kid brother, sitting in awed silence as I awaited the opening scene. It did not disappoint. The movie opened with the iconic CinemaScope logo in vintage color then straight into “Another Day of Sun,” the big opening number on an exit ramp of the Los Angeles freeway. The rest of the movie continued with magical splendor, with symbolism, beautiful song and dance numbers, a John Legend cameo, and homages to Old Hollywood musicals.
There are many reasons why I love and relate to this film. I took an intro to film class as a sophomore in college and actually learned about what makes film an art form. The professor taught us about the techniques of lighting, framing, acting, screenwriting, directing, and sound. He provided us with different clips that aligned with each of the filmmaking techniques and exemplified how each element plays a part in creating the whole product. In La La Land, each of these elements were blended together beautifully. Resulting in such a successful whole product that you can’t help but leave the theater in wonder and renewed hope in the world’s possibilities. It also touched on the original purpose of film itself, to create a world different from reality, one that allowed its viewers to escape their woes and step into a world where everything flows and makes sense. The screenwriters combined the original purpose of film with the reality that failure happens and not everything works out. I also liked the way that they chose to end the film. I won’t spoil it here, but it really drove home this dichotomy of the two worlds of reality and fantasy combining.
I found this film so relatable because it centered on a theme of dreamers, especially the soundtrack’s “Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” that took place during one of Mia’s (the female protagonist) auditions for a lead in a movie. I have linked the song below.
Watching the main characters Mia and Sebastian wander through LA searching and working for their big break was inspiring and it reminded me of myself. How I had been such a dreamer when I was younger, reading fiction books, singing in choir, and believing that reality could mimic fiction. I really enjoyed writing in middle school and began writing stories based on characters that I loved in books and movies. I journaled. I wrote poems and heartfelt prose in birthday cards. I also loved to sing and remember feeling so connected to music throughout my life, from listening to The Gorillaz and Led Zeppelin at 5 years old to music classes in elementary school with mini tambourines and percussion instruments. When I got to high school I took a break from choir to try other things and never returned to it. I still kept singing and participated in theater to keep the craft alive within me, but organized group singing wasn’t what I wanted to pursue anymore. As high school got busier and more demanding and as talk of what preparation for a proper career should be, I began to stop doing the things I loved. Once I started dual enrolling in college classes my junior year, I had pretty much stopped doing them all together except for singing around the house. Upon reflection after watching La La Land, I realized that I had put all my dreams aside for practicality and working hard academically to get where I needed to go. I think that focus may have been an appropriate response, and I did graduate high school with my AA degree and got into the school that I knew nothing about, but became my home and creative hub.
Seeing this film reopened the creative parts of me that had been lying dormant for a few years and I was so excited that my brother and I sang the songs around the living room. About a week later, I saw a Facebook post about becoming a writer for Her Campus UCF and I applied without hesitation. The post was a call to action. After receiving an email of acceptance, I was on the team and it felt so right. I felt like I was finally honoring my true passion.
After the opening scene, I felt the energy of the audience and resisted the urge to clap for the artistry that lay before me. I knew that they could feel the awe rising within them and I wonder if they too, realized how they had forgotten what it felt like to fight for what lies within.
Here’s to the ones who dream.
Photo credit: The New Yorker and Paste Magazine