Emma Stone delivered a flawless performance as Mia, a young girl hoping to become a Broadway actress. Accompanying her was the stunning Ryan Gosling, who portrayed Sebastian, a retro-obsessed musician aspiring to open his own jazz club. In the midst of trying to make it big, Mia is forced to work as a barista at a coffee shop, while Sebastian takes gigs playing Christmas carols at a restaurant to pay the bills. After they meet, Mia and Sebastian tirelessly motivate each other to reach their dreams and to never settle for anything less than their lofty ambitions. Each serves as motivation for the other to achieve their dreams, and not only that, they possess a deep connection that will stir the hearts of all young lovers. However, the most inspiring part of the film is not the love itself, rather the way Mia and Sebastian aspire to accomplish their dreams.

Currently nominated for 14 Oscars, “La La Land” dominates the floor with the most nominations this year, and the most since the release of James Cameron’s Titanic in 1997. Among the “La La Land” nominations are Stone for Best Actress in a Leading Role, Gosling for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Damien Chazelle for Directing, Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography.

Artist Justin Hurwitz composed the soundtrack for “La La Land” and could not have done a more outstanding job. The soundtrack brought the movie to life and is credited for half of the film’s success. Despite his lack of film scoring experience for major motion pictures, Hurwitz has been transformed into an instant celebrity in the music world for his extraordinary score to “La La Land.” Hurwitz is currently up for three Oscar nominations including, Best Original Song for “City of Stars” and “Audition (The Fools Who Dreamt)” and Best Original Score.

Despite its familiar storyline, Chazelle hit it out of the park with “La La Land.” In the beginning, it may be difficult to understand the purpose of the film, and you might find yourself wondering if Mia and Sebastian can actually meet their aspirations. But by the end of the film you will be dazzled with excitement (and slightly shocked), while you walk out of the theater humming Hurwitz’s catchy melody. Overall, “La La Land” earned 5/5 stars.

Cover photo courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter.

“By the time I got into college I was already pretty full of myself and then when I went through recruitment somebody was like, ‘I can just see you as the President,’ and my ego was like, ‘Yeah you can!’”

“I knew that I wanted to be President of Alpha Delta Pi when I walked in on Bid Day. I come from a family of high achieving individuals. Both of my parents are pediatricians and pretty high up in the hospital hierarchy where they work. All through high school I had been in a bunch of organizations. I really like being involved, but I liked being in charge of things even more, so I always knew that being President was a goal I had. As I got to know ADPi better I wanted to strengthen the chapter by setting an example for what I think an ADPi woman should be or strive to be. I’m not perfect, but I’m hoping that I’m doing a good job.”

“I think that it’s a lot of pressure put on me because I was elected to this position, so I’m hoping that people feel like I worked hard enough last year as the Recruitment and Marketing Vice President. One of the things I worry about is that I don’t want to let anyone down in this position because I know it’s a lot to trust somebody with an organization that means so much to you. I have big shoes to fill because Morgan and Kassandra were Presidents before me. ADPi also has so many national leaders, so I don’t want to let the chapter down and I also don’t want to let Alpha Delta Pi as a whole down. It’s exciting, but it’s also nerve wracking to have a lot of responsibility. And it’s a lot different than any other leadership position I’ve had the chance to hold because it’s more important than what I’ve been trusted with before.”

“It’s not something I ever really anticipated for myself and I like to image what past me would think of current me. I think little seven year old me would be like, ‘What are you doing? You’re President of a sorority, who are you?’”

“After graduation, I’m thinking of going to law school and doing something with civil rights, particularly for women. I’m a huge feminist so I think that could be something I really enjoy. I have a very strong personality and really enjoy arguing so I think arguing for a living would be really neat.”