La La Land is soaring into Oscar season with 14 nominations, putting it on par with Titanic for the most nominations ever. But why is La La Land so popular?

Typically, musicals are enjoyed by a niche group, and yet La La Land has managed to capture a surprisingly large audience. Of course an Oscar nomination will draw the typical crowd of movie lovers and sophisticated adults, but young adults are also raving about this movie in a curious twist.

Now to someone like myself who’s seen the movie, this trend makes perfect sense. Young adults don’t love La La Land because it’s Oscar nominated or because Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are the stars. No, young adults are enamored with the film because of the relatable story and the unique way in which it’s told.

As an 18-year-old, the youngest of adults, I found that the story resonated with me because it brought to light all of the worries I have about the future. Many of my peers in their late teens or early twenties feel this same way. We’re questioning what direction our life is going in, what’s worth sacrificing, and what decisions we make- hoping they won’t haunt us later in life.
The latter of these questions is what kept me awake the night after viewing La La Land. I laid in bed pondering if I have my priorities in the right order.

The plot of the film revolves around Mia and Sebastian, the main characters, seeking to realize their dream of being a successful actress and a jazz club owner, respectively, in Los Angeles. But before they have a chance to accomplish their dreams, they realize a different sort of happiness by becoming romantically involved with each other. The entirety of the film eventually culminates into the leads having to make a choice about what is truly important to them.

Walking out of the theater, I felt a sense of being lost in the world. I began to panic because I became completely aware of the consequences of every decision I’ve ever made and every one I will make in the future.

So, not only was La La Land wildly entertaining to me, it made me really stop and think. It’s very rare that I’ve ever been forced to that point by a movie and in the past it was never quite at the same level.

Lara Kruger, a fellow senior at Lambert High School, shared my love for the musical because, “it was completely different from all the other movies that are shown. It made me take a step away from everyday life… and reevaluate how I want to live my life and the decisions I want to make”

La La Land truly exposed my inner most fear of unknowingly ruining my life and, after watching the movie, I now believe that I’m more aware and better equipped to navigate through the remainder of my life. It sounds dramatic I know, but La La Land did in a way change my life- not to mention the fact that I got to witness 2 hours of intricate music, dance, and cinema.

We’ll see if La La Land can score as highly at the Oscars as it did with my peers and me, but it won’t change my mind that the film is well worth anyone’s time to see and a true cinematic experience.