Lala Land The Fictive Dream

 Lala Land 

La La Land is a 2016 musical film written and directed by Damien Chazelle, who had a deep love for and inspiration from Hollywood musicals like Singin' in the Rain. Chazelle tried to bring back musicals by blending modern storylines with fantastical songs and color schemes. The movie follows two aspiring artists, a jazz musician and an actress, who try to succeed while struggling with the competitive Los Angeles talent industry. The characters are played by famous actors Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, who aren't traditionally known for their singing but more for their humor and charm, which makes the story feel even more realistic. It also deals with themes of love and sacrifice. The musical was a huge success, praised for its cinematography, storytelling, and music that is played to this day. 

La La Land movie review & film summary ...

I chose to focus on the song "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)", the song I think best represents the main theme of the musical. It is used as the emotional turning point towards the end of the film. The main character, Mia, the aspiring actress, has reached her final straw of rejection after many failed auditions, and this audition is her last attempt at pursuing acting. The whole song is shot as a spotlighted close-up as she starts telling a story about her aunt in Paris, then her speaking turns into singing, and the song takes off into an emotional ballad that talks about chasing your dreams and failing, and getting back up again. This audition is the one that sets her up for fame for the rest of the movie, and her career takes off, ironically, into Paris. 

Audition (The Fools Who Dream)

The song is a call to all the "dreamers", those who are aspiring artists and struggling to make a name for themselves. It encourages you to dream big, have passion, take risks, fail, and try again, and look like a fool the whole time, because in the end, it will all be worth it. It also shows how just when you give up, your next try might have been the one that succeeded.

Stream Audition (The Fools Who Dream) La La Land- (Cover) by iwantedtosing | Listen online for free on SoundCloud

I've loved this song since it first came out in theaters, and I'm so emotionally moved every time I watch Emma Stone put her whole heart and soul into this performance. She sang it live with absolutely no background music in the beginning, which makes it feel like we're in the room with her. As the song begins to gain momentum, a piano comes in, and Mia's voice starts to gain confidence, and you feel her settle into the story. Slowly, the strings start to play and gain warmth and depth, supporting her voice and bringing the song to a climax that resembles songs from Les Misérables, in my opinion. Mia has moments of clear and beautiful notes mixed in with emotional voice cracks and whispers that add so much depth and relatability to the character. By the end, I was really rooting for her to succeed in acting, as I think that was the intended reaction. 


References 

Revista Canaria de Estudios Ingleses, 84; 2022, Pp. 201-209 201, riull.ull.es/xmlui/bitstream/handle/915/26591/RCEI%20_84_%20(2022)_14.pdf?sequence=6&isAllowed=y. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.

Serrano, Isabel Escudero, and María del Mar Azcona Montoliu. “‘here’s to the Fools Who Dream’: La La Land as a Reinterpretation of the Classical Musical Genre.” CORE, core.ac.uk/outputs/290000510/?utm_source. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.


Comments

  1. Tate RogersApril 13, 2026 at 1:22 AM

    I think you post does well in highlighting the social commentary about ambition and the struggles of pursuing creative dreams in La La Land. I also think you clearly explain how "Audition" serves as an emotional turning point for Mia and showcases her resilience. To build on this, the raw and imperfect vocals reflects how success often comes through vulnerability and kind of reinforces the idea that failure and risk are integral to the process of achieving one's dreams.

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