The Ryan Gosling Fantasy On Netflix That Will Make Your Heart Soar
Before you go watch Ryan Gosling play Ken in the new Barbie movie, watch his classic fantasy film La La Land on Netflix. The 2016 movie will make your heart soar as you laugh, cry, and yearn to go dancing all over Los Angeles.
Ryan Gosling’s award-winning romance classic La La Land is streaming now on Netflix.
La La Land is a modern-day jazz musical that follows Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a struggling pianist, and Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, as they fall in love in Los Angeles. The two both have big, ambitious dreams for the future, but the trials and tribulations of everyday life make it hard for them to come true.
The film was written and directed by Damien Chazelle (Whiplash, Babylon), who had been working on the idea since his time at Harvard University. Initially, he struggled to get any interest or investments from production companies since the film required a big budget, and at the time he was not a well-known director. Additionally, the idea of a contemporary jazz musical with no familiar songs was a hard sell.
After his film Whiplash received five Oscar nominations and grossed $50 million, Damien Chazelle suddenly had several production companies interested in the story.
Originally, Miles Teller and Emma Watson were meant to play the lead roles in La La Land, but after things fell through, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone came on board instead.
Emma Stone was perfect for the role of Mia since she already loved musicals and had faced rejection as a struggling young actress in Los Angeles. Ryan Gosling came on board and was also able to relate to his character after he faced hardships as an aspiring artist.
After working together on Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) and Gangster Squad (2013), Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone had already built up plenty of chemistry for this film. Their interactions together are so natural and authentic, which helped La La Land become the well-loved movie it is today.
Originally, Miles Teller and Emma Watson were meant to play the lead roles in La La Land, but after things fell through, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone came on board instead.
The movie is a romantic tale at its heart, but the music and dancing elements bring the story to a fantastical place that allows the viewer to escape reality for a little while.
When writing the script, Damien Chazelle was inspired by classic musicals like The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Singin’ in the Rain, and An American in Paris. He was also inspired by his own journey to become a successful director in Los Angeles, and the understanding that dreams don’t always come true.
To prepare for his role in La La Land, Ryan Gosling learned how to play the piano so that he could perform each musical number without the need for CGI or a hand model. Since he had no prior experience, it took him two hours a day, six days a week to learn the music, but it was all worth it.
Emma Stone had experience working on Broadway (Cabaret), which helped her perform the dance sequences that Mandy Moore choreographed.
When La La Land hit theaters, it exceeded everyone’s expectations. On December 9, 2016, it had a limited release in only five theaters, and then it expanded to 3,136 theaters on January 27, 2017. It ended up grossing an incredible $446.1 million worldwide on a budget of $30 million.
Fans and critics absolutely loved the modern fantastical musical, with many giving praise to Damien Chazelle for his original screenplay and visually stunning creation.
Others fell in love with the natural, genuine chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Most of all, people admired the realistic, bittersweet tale that everyone can relate to in some way.
Ryan Gosling was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in La La Land.
La La Land went on to receive an overwhelming amount of award nominations at the British Academy Film Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and Academy Awards. Ryan Gosling was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, Emma Stone won the Academy Award for Best Actress, and Damien Chazelle won the Academy Award for Best Director.
In total, La La Land received 14 Academy Award nominations, as many as the current single film record holders All About Eve and Titanic.
Famously, there was an error during the Oscars ceremony that made it seem like La La Land had won Best Picture. The cast and crew flooded the stage and accepted the award, only to realize that Moonlight had won the Oscar.
Even though it did not win the award for Best Picture, we still recommend watching La La Land on Netflix while you can.
