Introduction
The idea of the American Dream – a mythic concept representing success, freedom, and joy in American society has always been embodied in these traditions. This paper analyses a 2016 movie, “La La Land,” which examines this ideal. The analysis is intricately linked to two insightful course readings: does it dry up or explode? “Identity Formation and DACA” and “Living the California dream: African American leisure sites during the Jim Crow era. U of Nebraska Press, 2020.” These texts lay down the background of the intricate qualities that characterize the developmental stages of the American dream throughout history. Moreover, the paper has more external academic references, making it complete and detailed regarding socio-cultural and historical aspects. The multifaceted approach looks into the complex construction of the American Dream presented in “La La Land” and shows that it is still relevant today.
Historical Context
The movie takes place in contemporary Los Angeles and examines the concept of the American dream through the lens of Hollywood, presenting an engaging insight into the phenomenon.[1] The setting is a city famous for its “Hollywood sign” and known as the cradle of many success stories about ambitions and the aspiration to fulfill artistry. Los Angeles is not just a location where the events unfold but a true “character” of the American Dream. This town has been known as the home of movie stars and cinematography legends. Here, people do not dream only – they actively try to get their hopes fulfilled, making a feeling that the dream can become reality for sure! The complex urban landscape symbolizes the American dream chasing difficulties and successes in modern America, as presented in “La la Land.”
The choice of Los Angeles in “La La Land” goes beyond geography alone and becomes part of the plot with an underlying message that mirrors the impact of California’s history. This option shows what kind of a place California has always been – a land of opportunity and reinvention, as expressed in the article “Living the California Dream: African American Leisure Sites during the Jim Crow era.” With Jefferson’s exploration, California is perceived as a utopia, where Americans of different origins usually set out for self-reinvention and pursuit of wealth. The movie beautifully embodies this idea of Californian utopia that it is possible to realize limitless dreams and be whoever you wish to be. This is where the characters of Mia and Sebastian go through their hopes and beliefs while in the most representative heart of the California dream–in the center of the showbiz industry itself. Californian dream – their travel through modern times Los Angeles. The contemporary hymn of the Californian dream.
“La La Land” perfectly depicts contemporary American fantasy and, at the same time, shows how it has evolved throughout history, especially in light of the conditions experienced by African Americans under the Jim Crow regime, according to Jefferson.[2]. Despite the social hurdles and discrimination during this period, society still showed resilience and determination to be happy and succeed. It presents a modern version of these long-standing struggles in a film in present-day Los Angeles by telling Mia’s and Sebastian’s stories. Although the context is different, their journey mirrors the struggle shown by others of the past whose efforts led to receiving recognition and prosperity. Moreover, in “La La Land,” this thematic parallelism brings about the historical and contemporary pursuit of the American dream, thus bringing out the continuity of aspiration and persistence across societies and periods.
In “La La Land,” the representation of Los Angeles is more than just picturesque settings; it presents the city as a multifaceted element towards realizing the American dream. This film cleverly combines the glamour of the urban environment and its possibilities with the hardships typically associated with the pursuit of success. This portrayal highlights the intricacies involved in the Californian Dream as it shows that even though Los Angeles can be a land to realize one’s aspirations, this does not mean all dreams can be achieved in the space city. “La La Land” depicts this reflexively as part of the growing definition of the American dream that the specifics of the Californian culture and history have molded. The movie portrays ambitions and successes that are true to the American Dream. It shows what it means to be successful in a place where people are as tough on achievement as they are resilient because life has not been easy for them.
Analysis
The modern-day quest for the American Dream is reflected in “La La Land’s” depiction of Mia and Sebastian against LA’s bright and bustling atmosphere. Mia dreams about her successful career as an actress while Sebastian plans on reviving classical jazz – this is what it means to be dreamers who are chasing their dreams in a city that is very generous but at the same time extremely cruel.[3]. The personal goals of the characters in the movie do not only reflect the American dream of never giving up, even amid various challenges. It illustrates the American dream as they are not about pursuing their interests. Their quest mirrors the universal pursuit of success in a highly competitive environment characterized by ruthless competition within the entertainment world. This portrayal captures the essence of what the American Dream has come to signify in modern times: this is an unavoidable quest for the realization of personal desires through personal self-achievement and recognition.
Mias’ journey in “La La Land” touchingly reflects themes found in Johnsons’ “ What Happens to a Dream Deferred?” Identity Formation and DACA”[4]. Her difficulties in trying to act out in the competitive environment of Hollywood are representative of the bigger hurdles and social roadblocks that many people encounter in their quest for their aspirations. Throughout the movie, Mia’s experience of rejection after rejection captures the reality faced by thousands of hopeful dreamers. The story she narrates in “La La Land” clearly demonstrates the bitter truth that no matter how hard one searches for and strives, dreaming does not always translate into reality. Such portrayal in this movie emphasizes how difficult it is for one person to realize his or her dream in a world full of social pressure and expectation in which the way one goes depends on society, providing the real vision of problems that accompany us in our attempt to fulfill personal and professional.
The American dream is brought out through Sebastian’s character and woven around individual aspiration and deep respect for cultural sustenance in “La La Land.” While an individual goal, his love for jazz and desire to have a jazz club goes deeper than just personal gains. It is also about protecting musical heritage in an industry that is changing drastically. Such is an inner battle with Sebastian against maintaining traditional jazz against the tides of a contemporary music shift that echoes the broader society’s dilemma of conserving ethos instead of adjustments. His story represents a powerful metaphor for an essential component of the American dream – the constant struggle between maintaining one’s cultural background and tradition at a time when everything changes, including fashion and technological innovations.
Thematic strands running through Sebastian’s character in “La La Land” have a great deal in common with the discussion on identity construction and the precarious balancing act that is necessitated between upholding traditions and the dynamic reality of present reality – a subject discussed at length by Sebastian represents an illustrative symbol of multi-dimensional ambitions through the lens of modern setting where individual wishes cannot be divorced from attempts of saving national heritage.[5]. His story reveals how society’s aspirations collide with individual goals, depicting conflicting elements in pursuit of one’s dream. Sebastian’s persona is quite an inspiring and emoting symbolic illustration of some junctions, which describe chasing one’s dream of America, together with the defense of some ancestral customs.
The complex interaction of the personalities of Sebastian and Mia, the two main characters in “La La Land,” is used to show how it feels, on a more profound level, to give up on personal plans for achieving happiness. The story of their growing love interlaced with their ambitions forms an excellent instrument for exploring the intricate relationship between relations and professional goals. This part of the movie is vital because it shows the psychological stress and hard decisions involved in chasing after the American Dream. While attempting to pursue their careers while having a successful relationship, the characters in this film demonstrate various complications involved in such matters. Their journey reflects a common dilemma: the quest for harmonizing the lust of the heart with the aspirations of the brain.“ La La Land” reflects on the nature of such a struggle involving emotional compromises and difficult decisions which one must often make in pursuit of their goals in a challenging environment.
Argument Development
“La La Land” portrays the American Dream journey as intricate yet full of obstacles and sacrifices made by individuals along the way. This story involves two characters, Mia and Sebastian, who represent a journey of confrontations and adaptation to the hard truths that undermine their desires. Their story strongly resonates with one of Jessica Rosenberg’s works, What Happens to a Dream Deferred? Identity Formation and DACA[6]. The movie depicts this battle, where Mia and Sebastian have to maneuver between their ambitions, career aspirations, and societal pressures. Indeed, this depiction showcases in a very dramatic manner how each of them strives toward the realization and embodiment of the American dream. It also presents the complexity of the American dream itself and what it entails. Achievement of dreams is hardly a straightforward journey, even though it may involve resilience, flexibility, and sometimes self-sacrifice, which can be demonstrated in a film by presenting their journey. “La La Land” narrates and emphasizes the perpetual value and changeability of the American dream as a constant theme that is still relevant today [1]. Zitzelsberger’s work is an excellent platform to critically assess the Hollywood representation of success as the central theme in “La La Land.” While these movies show a glossy path towards stardom, it is not nearly as easy. The difference here is demonstrated in “La La Land,” where its central characters, Mia and Sebastian, undergo a voyage that starkly represents the opposite scenario of Hollywood’s usual fairy tales about easily attained successes. Aspiration is a dream they had before embarking on their journey, but ideal dreams can directly confront the practical hardships associated with their aspirations. The narration shows that many things are required for someone to succeed in Hollywood, including going against all odds and being determined. Therefore, the films become a powerful critique of false stories in the entertainment industry that simplify stories for the viewer’s pleasure. These stories are not based on the real-life experiences of most successful people who struggle much through their lives. [7].
Hanson’s work offers an insightful perspective on a central theme in “La La Land”: the complex relationship of personal intimacies and career aspirations. Hanson contends that this quest for a successful career is achieved at a high personal price, a theme that is powerfully shown throughout the movie.[8]. However, this is the underlying cause of dissension between Mia and Sebastian as each one pursues different personal aspirations that drive them apart and finally put the bond they share into question. This tension is very well depicted in the film, highlighting the cracks their dreams create in their relationship. The plot reflects people’s internal complications during their career search, wherein they pay secretly with personal sacrifices and straining relations. So, “La La Land” is a story about aspiration and dreams and an inward look at the compromises that come with them. Top of Form
This similar narrative permeates Jefferson’s “historical context of leisure: the California dream and the African American experience during the Jim Crow era.” Jefferson’s approach reveals how the American Dream keeps changing in California’s film industry, central to the movie.[9]. An additional meaning makes this study relevant; it shows how their journey has been shaped by their changing American Dream over time. This film is based in present-day Los Angeles but alludes to the changes and transitions that went into searching for success in a Californian trademark. These shifts in the dream are put in perspective with regards to Reese’s work in which he considers various historical situations that influence the individual’s dreams in a similar way to the movie ‘La La Land,’ whose character faces an environment that is much different compared to people living in the past.[10].
Conclusion
“La La Land” represents the epitome of an account of the American dream in the 21st century, capturing the essence of both scholarly discourse on this topic and lived experiences in contemporary times. As stated in course readings and other literary and scholarly works, society exerts more pressure and expectations upon men than women; hence, the film is set on male ambition vis-a-vis conforming to societal exertions. It represents the American Dream in a contemporary way by depicting the linked paths of Mia and Sebastian, reflecting upon the complex obstacles and heartbreaking decisions associated with pursuing this dream. The movie acts like a mirror through narration and character development, depicting the complexity of greed and aspiration towards self-actualization in conditions of constant social changes.
Bibliography
Hanson, Peter. The Cinema of Generation X: A Critical Study of Films and Directors. McFarland, 2002. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=OpfuMi8imuAC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=Hanson,+Peter.+%22The+Cinema+of+Generation+X:+A+Critical+Study+of+Films+and+Directors.%22&ots=2pIwNo3Dvd&sig=i76GdnvVrgrKuSeE7VJlDXEBQs4
Jefferson, Alison R. Living the California Dream: African American leisure sites during the Jim Crow era. U of Nebraska Press, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=0k3BDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=Historical+Context+of+Leisure,+the+California+Dream,+and+the+African+American+Experience+during+the+Jim+Crow+Era.&ots=Le4yDPIX2Y&sig=AGupDi679STwl0mRqejXwnpNn-o.
Jessica Rosenberg et al., “What Happens to a Dream Deferred? Identity Formation and DACA,” Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences 42, no. 3 (June 24, 2020): 275–99, https://doi.org/10.1177/0739986320936370.
La La Land (2016) ⭐ 8.0 | Comedy, Drama, Music,” December 25, 2016. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3783958/.
Reese, Azariah M. “Living the California Dream: African American Leisure Sites during the Jim Crow Era.” The Journal of Geography, October 1, 2021, 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221341.2021.1973541.
Sielke, Sabine. “Retro Aesthetics, Affect, and Nostalgia Effects in Recent US-American Cinema: The Cases of La La Land (2016) and The Shape of Water (2017).” Arts 8, no. 3 (July 9, 2019): 87. https://doi.org/10.3390/arts8030087.
Zitzelsberger, Florian. “The American Film Musical and the Place(Less)Ness of Entertainment: Cabaret’s ‘International Sensation’ and American Identity in Crisis.” Humanities 8, no. 2 (May 19, 2019): 99. https://doi.org/10.3390/h8020099.
[1] Sielke, Sabine. “Retro Aesthetics, Affect, and Nostalgia Effects in Recent US-American Cinema: The Cases of La La Land (2016) and The Shape of Water (2017).” Arts 8, no. 3 (July 9, 2019): 87
[2] Jefferson, Alison R. Living the California Dream: African American leisure sites during the Jim Crow era. U of Nebraska Press, 2020.
[3] La La Land (2016) ⭐ 8.0 | Comedy, Drama, Music, IMDb, December 25, 2016,
[4] Jessica Rosenberg et al., “What Happens to a Dream Deferred? Identity Formation and DACA,” Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences 42, no. 3 (June 24, 2020): 275–99,
[5] La La Land (2016) ⭐ 8.0 | Comedy, Drama, Music, IMDb, December 25, 2016,
[6] Jessica Rosenberg et al., “What Happens to a Dream Deferred? Identity Formation and DACA,” Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences 42, no. 3 (June 24, 2020): 275–99,
[7] Zitzelsberger, Florian. “The American Film Musical and the Place(Less)Ness of Entertainment: Cabaret’s ‘International Sensation’ and American Identity in Crisis.” Humanities 8, no. 2 (May 19, 2019): 99.
[8] Hanson, Peter. The Cinema of Generation X: A Critical Study of Films and Directors. McFarland, 2002.
[9] Jefferson, Alison R. Living the California Dream: African American leisure sites during the Jim Crow era. U of Nebraska Press, 2020.
[10] Reese, Azariah M. “Living the California Dream: African American Leisure Sites during the Jim Crow Era.” The Journal of Geography, October 1, 2021, 1–2.
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