When I saw people dancing and singing on cars on the foreground of a bright, blue sky, goosebumps instantly covered my body. The excitement I felt in that moment only multiplied throughout the entirety of La La Land–then I cried, laughed and experienced every other emotion possible. My favorite movie of 2016 and possibly all time (I know — a dramatic declaration), writer and director Damien Chazelle embedded so much beauty in both the enamoring plot and  wonderfully vibrant colors on-screen, making it an instant classic. Regardless of its loss for Best Picture and the unfortunate events that ensued onstage, I would still like to commend this movie for the way it touched the hearts of many.
Wary of its categorization as a “musical” before seeing the film, I feared the typical obnoxious singing that these movies tend to contain. As aforementioned, the opening scene absolutely blew me away; “Another Day of Sun” sounds nothing like the predictable tracks I have heard from other Broadway-esque, overly musical movies. Optimistic and catchy, my toes tapped, and I could not help but smile. Very few moments where characters just broke into song followed; in fact, about half the soundtrack contains instrumentals. The film, which follows Emma Stone’s character Mia, an aspiring actress, and Ryan Gosling’s character Seb, who dreams of opening a jazz club, maintains the “jazz” theme throughout the soundtrack, a charming and nostalgic tribute to motifs of Old Hollywood. Chazelle has credited inspiration from musicals such as Singing in the Rain, and movies including Sunset Boulevard and Pulp Fiction, which contributed to the idea for the L.A. setting according to Birth. Movies. Death. The movie had the feel of a classic, romantic Hollywood picture; we probably all grinned when Mia ditched her decent-but-not-Ryan-Gosling date as Seb’s jazz tunes danced through her head. The end, however (without trying to give spoilers), sets itself apart from other commonplace plots, defining itself as a representation for the modern age.
Tying Titanic and All About Eve for the record of most Oscar nominations, 14, critics launched an all-out war on whether La La Land deserves this recognition. While many have nodded at the film’s beautiful cinematography and realistic ending, other sources such as Vogue have stated that there “is enough heartbreak in the real world,” rejecting the hype and double-digit nominations. So did La La Land deserve to take home the gold for Best Picture?
Many who argued against its right to win Best Picture criticized the movie for its “unoriginality.” Odyssey’s website claims that the film is “copying a Hollywood era” and its nominations only derive from Hollywood “celebrating itself.” The Cinemaholic, in its bluntly titled “‘La La Land’ Should Not Win the Best Picture Oscar,” calls it “superficial” with its theme of dreams coming true and trying to make it in L.A.
These very snubs are some of the same reasons that admirers adored the film and wished to see it win. CinemaBlend deemed La La Land a frontrunner for Best Picture, noting its reputation as an “artist’s movie.” With previous artistic winners such as The Artist and Birdman, this film seemed like nearly a shoo-in, making many fans optimistic about the musical’s unique qualities that set it apart from other nominees such as Moonlight and Manchester by the Sea. DailyMail praised the original musical as well, calling it a “movie for our age” with its shocking ending and the characters’ willingness to forge ahead in their far-fetched career goals. The conclusion gives hope and a new meaning to modern relationships, portraying to viewers the possibilities they can achieve and how a significant other, regardless of whether he or she remains in one’s life, can support and greatly affect a life.
Of course I jumped out of my seat at midnight when this movie was announced as the Best Picture winner, but I sat back down, mouth agape, when the news of Moonlight’s actual win emerged. Confusion scrawled across the faces of many, including myself, I still saw Gosling and Stone crack a smile, unable to help but laugh at the mistake. Saddened by the loss, I still appreciate Moonlight’s win, which promoted diversity and frankly shocked many that The Academy did not go for the typical “artist win.” The Oscars were definitely not a waste of “A Lovely Night.”