La La Land

**Here's To The Fools That Dream**

La La Land is a 2016 Film from the USA. It was nominated for Best Picture at the 2017 Academy Awards. The song Audition was nominated for best original song and City of Stars won the award. It was also nominated for best Sound Editing/Mixing and Costume Design. It won best Production Design.

## Plot

While stuck in Los Angeles traffic, aspiring actress Mia Dolan has a moment of road rage with Sebastian Wilder, a struggling jazz pianist. After a bad day at work, Mia's subsequent audition goes poorly when the casting director takes a call during an emotional scene. That night, Mia's roommates take her to a lavish party in the Hollywood Hills, promising her that someone in the crowd could jump-start her career; after her car is towed, she is forced to walk home in disappointment.

During a gig at a restaurant, Sebastian slips into a jazz improvisation despite warnings from the owner to only play traditional Christmas pieces. Mia overhears him playing as she passes by. Moved, she enters the restaurant to witness Sebastian being fired for his disobedience. As he storms out, Mia attempts to compliment him, but he brushes her off. Months later, Mia runs into Sebastian at a party where he plays in a 1980s pop cover band. After the gig, the two walk to their cars and lament wasting a lovely night together despite the clear chemistry between them.

Sebastian arrives at Mia's work, and she shows him around the Warner Bros. backlot, where she works as a barista, while explaining her passion for acting. Sebastian takes Mia to a jazz club, describing his passion for jazz and his desire to open his own club. Sebastian invites Mia to a screening of *Rebel Without a Cause*; Mia accepts, forgetting a commitment with her boyfriend Greg. Bored with the latter date, she goes to the theater and finds Sebastian as the film begins. The two conclude their evening with a romantic visit to the Griffith Observatory.

After more failed auditions, Mia decides, with Sebastian's encouragement, to write a one-woman play. Sebastian begins to perform regularly at a jazz club, and the two move in together. Sebastian's former classmate Keith invites him to be the keyboardist in his jazz fusion band, where he will enjoy a steady income. Although dismayed by the band's pop style, Sebastian signs on after overhearing Mia trying to convince her mother that Sebastian is working on his career. The band finds success, but Mia realizes that this is not the type of music Sebastian wants to perform.

During the band's first tour, Mia and Sebastian get into an argument; she accuses him of abandoning his dreams, while Sebastian claims she liked him more when he was unsuccessful. Sebastian misses Mia's play due to a photo shoot he had forgotten about. The play is a disaster; few people attend, and Mia overhears dismissive comments about her performance. Unwilling to forgive Sebastian for missing the play and their last night's argument, Mia ends their relationship and moves back home to Boulder City.

Sebastian receives a call from a prominent casting director who attended Mia's play and invites her to audition for an upcoming film. Sebastian drives to Boulder City and persuades Mia to attend. During the audition, Mia is asked simply to tell a story; in response, Mia sings a story about how her aunt (a theater actress who eventually died of alcoholism) inspired her to chase her dreams. Sebastian, confident the audition was a success, encourages Mia to devote herself to acting. The two profess they will always love each other but are uncertain of their future together.

Five years later, Mia is a famous actress and is married to another man, David, with whom she has a daughter. One night, the couple stumble upon a jazz bar. Noticing the logo she had once designed, Mia realizes Sebastian has opened his own club. When Sebastian notices Mia in the crowd, he begins to play their love theme on the piano. A dream sequence unfolds in which the two imagine what might have been, had their relationship thrived alongside their careers. Mia shares a poignant smile with Sebastian, then leaves with her husband.

## Cast

* Ryan Gosling as Sebastian Wilder (Nominated for Best Actor)
* Emma Stone as Mia Dolan (Won Best Actress)
* John Legend as Keith
* Rosemarie DeWitt as Laura Wilder
* Finn Wittrock as Greg
* Callie Hernandez as Tracy
* Sonoya Mizuno as Caitlin
* Jessica Rothe as Alexis
* J. K. Simmons as Bill
* Tom Everett Scott as David
* Josh Pence as Josh

## Critic Consensus

*La La Land* breathes new life into a bygone genre with thrillingly assured direction, powerful performances, and an irresistible excess of heart.