La La Land is a 2016 American romantic musical comedy-drama film written and directed

by Damien Chazelle and starring Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend and Rosemarie DeWitt.
The plot follows a musician and an aspiring actress who meet and fall in love in Los Angeles. The
film's title refers both to the city of Los Angeles and to the idiom for being out of touch with reality.
Chazelle wrote the screenplay in 2010 but was unable to find a studio willing to finance it or accept
his creative vision. Following the success of his 2014 film Whiplash, the project was eventually
picked up by Summit Entertainment. La La Land premiered at the Venice Film Festival on August 31,
2016 and was released in the United States on December 9, 2016. It has grossed $98 million
worldwide.
La La Land received critical praise upon its release and was regarded as one of the best films of
2016. Critics praised Chazelle's screenplay and direction, Gosling and Stone's performances, Justin
Hurwitz's musical score, and the film's musical numbers. At the 74th Golden Globe Awards, the film
set a record for the most awards won by a single film, winning seven awards: Best Motion Picture
Musical or Comedy, Best Director, Best Actor for Gosling, Best Actress for Stone, Best
Screenplay, Best Original Score and Best Original Song ("City of Stars").
On a crowded Los Angeles highway ("Another Day of Sun"), Mia (Emma Stone), an onstudio barista and aspiring actress, is distracted by her preparation for an upcoming audition. She
falls into a moment of road rage with Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a jazz pianist. Her audition goes
poorly. At the same time, Sebastian is having problems paying his bills, and argues with his sister,
Laura (Rosemarie DeWitt) before going to his next gig at a restaurant. That night, Mia's three
roommates, in an attempt to cheer her up, invite her to a lavish party in the Hollywood
Hills ("Someone in the Crowd"). Finding that her car has been towed, she takes a long walk back to
her apartment.
Sebastian is directed by the restaurant's owner, Bill (J. K. Simmons), not to play any jazz. While
playing basic Christmas songs, Sebastian slips into a passionate improvisation, which Mia overhears
from outside ("Mia & Sebastian's Theme"). Moved by the music, she enters to find the guy from the
freeway playing, just at the point when Sebastian is fired. As he rushes out, Mia attempts to
compliment his playing, but he coldly brushes her off and passes by.
Months later, Mia is at another party and notices Sebastian is there, playing as the keyboardist for a
1980s pop cover band. She asks the band to play "I Ran (So Far Away)" by A Flock of Seagulls.
After the gig, the two walk together to find their cars. They lament being in each other's company,
despite the clear chemistry between them ("A Lovely Night").
Sebastian takes her to a jazz club, explaining his intense love for jazz and his desire to run his own
club, as well as reinforcing her passion as an actress. They warm up to each other ("City of Stars").
To help her prepare for another audition, Sebastian invites her to see Rebel Without a Cause at a
theater. While getting ready, Mia is surprised by Greg (Finn Wittrock), with whom she had a date and
forgot. Mia reluctantly goes on the double date with Greg and his brother. She feels out of place with
their conversation and interests, and abruptly leaves to rush to the theater, finding Sebastian just as
the film starts. Mia and Sebastian finish their date at the Griffith Observatory and dance
("Planetarium").
After several more failed auditions, Mia decides to write a personal single-actress play, So Long,
Boulder City, at Sebastian's suggestion. Sebastian begins to perform regularly at the jazz club and
the two move in together. Sebastian is reunited with a high school classmate, Keith (John Legend),

who offers him a chance to be the keyboardist in his jazz band The Messengers, which offers a
steady source of income. Sebastian is dismayed over the band's pop-oriented style, but decides to
sign with them. Mia attends one of their concerts but is left unsettled, knowing Sebastian could not
enjoy playing that type of music ("Start a Fire"). During the band's first tour, Mia confronts Sebastian
about this. He admits that he thought she wanted him to get regular work and make a life. He
criticizes her for liking him only when he was less successful than her. Insulted, Mia leaves.
On the opening night of Mia's play, Sebastian fails to show up. He had to be part of a photo shoot
with the band, about which he had forgotten. Only a few people attend the show and Mia overhears
some negative comments about it from backstage. She leaves Los Angeles to move back in with her
parents in Boulder City, Nevada. One day, Sebastian receives a call at their apartment from a
casting director who had attended and enjoyed Mia's play. The casting director invites Mia to attend
a film audition the following morning. Sebastian drives to Boulder City and persuades Mia to return
for the audition. She is simply asked to tell a story for the audition, and she begins to talk, and then
sing, about her aunt who lived in Paris, where the film is being set, and who inspired her to pursue
acting ("Audition [The Fools Who Dream]").
Afterward she and Sebastian go to Griffith Observatory where, confident that the audition was a
success, he says she must devote herself wholeheartedly to the opportunity. They recognize they
are on separate paths to gain their dreams, and the two promise to love each other forever.
Five years later, Mia is a famous actress and married to another man (Tom Everett Scott), with
whom she has a daughter. One night, her husband notices a jazz bar after they have been to dinner.
They enter, and Mia, noticing the Seb's logo she had designed, realizes Sebastian has finally
opened his jazz club. Sebastian recognizes Mia in the crowd and begins to play "Mia & Sebastian's
Theme," prompting an extended dream sequence in which the two imagine what might have been if
they had stayed together ("Epilogue"). The song ends and Mia leaves with her husband. Just before
walking out, Mia shares with Sebastian one last knowing look and smile, happy for the dreams they
have achieved.